As officials gear up for this weekend's Thunder Over The Blue Ridge Open House and Airshow, in Martinsburg, WV, Col. Roger Nye, the Commander of the 167th Airlift Wing, says safety procedures already in place, will remain the same. This after last year's show which claimed the life of a pilot when a Trojan Horsemen Aircraft crashed into the runway and burst into flames. "Airshows, unlike air races are even more highly regulated to make sure that none of the spectators are injured. There are areas that the crowd has to be back by a certain distant from the show center. There is a box that nobody can be in during certain types of manuevers. And we will be enforcing all of those," said Col. Nye.

The 2012 Thunder Over the Blue Ridge Air Show and Open House will be held at Shepherd Field on Sept. 15 and 16 in partnership with the community, the Airlift Wing announced.

The announcement comes after pilot John Mangan, 54, of Concord, N.C., was killed when the North American T-28C he was flying crashed on the first day of last year's air show.

A preliminary National Transportation Safety Board accident report indicated nothing broke off a 1950s-era plane Mangan was flying before it crashed into the ground.

The event will feature a variety of military and civilian aerial performances as well as static ground displays.

Gates open at 9:00 a.m. Opening ceremonies wil begin at approximately 11:45 a.m and flying performances will begin at approximately 12:00 p.m.

"It's absolutely free, but we are asking for donations at the gate," said Col. Nye.

For more information go to www.martinsburgairshow.com .