Thunder Over Louisville ‘Thundernator’ turns tragedy into celebration

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - This year’s Thunder Over Louisville’s Thundernator, Lille Ingram, will light up the sky with a turn of a key, but April 23, 2022 wasn’t originally a cause for celebration.

A “Thundernator” is rewarded through the Kentucky Lottery every year to turn they key that starts the firework show.

April 23 is Ingram’s late father’s birthday. He died just three weeks before he would have turned 91. In his honor, Ingram will turn the key to kick off Thunder Over Louisville and celebrate her father, instead of grieve him.

“I know he would be happy to see me do it, but he wouldn’t believe me - he’d tell me to stop lying,” Ingram laughed.

Ingram isn’t used to putting on a show. She’s a caregiver, but becoming this year’s Thundernator, she gets the chance to take care of herself.

“I feel good,” Ingram said. “I feel wonderful. Seems like someone’s loving me for a change and giving me love, and I really appreciate it.”

Before the firework show, 30 pilots will take flight for Thunder Over Louisville’s air show, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Air Force.

“It’s also the 25th anniversary of Heritage Flight, so what we do in the Air Force is we basically fly our frontline fighters but pair those up with vintage aircrafts from previous generations, and we have a P-51 Mustang that’s going to be flying with me today,” Major Joshua Gunderson, an Air Force pilot said. “That’s a really cool experience for us as pilots, but also to show the past and present and what the Air Force has to offer.”

The Thunder Over Louisville air show will begin at 3:00pm, and the fireworks will follow at 9:30pm.

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