The USAF Air Demonstration Squadron ("Thunderbirds") is the United States Air Force demonstration squadron (USAF). Thunderbirds are assigned to the 57th Wing, and are based in Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Created 65 years ago in 1953, USAF Thunderbirds is the third oldest aerobatic flying team (of the same name) in the world, after the United States Navy Blue Angels was formed in 1946 and the prestigious French Air Force Patrouille de France was formed in 1931.
Thunderbirds squadrons toured the United States and most of the world, performing aerobatic formations and flying solos in specially marked aircraft. The squadron's name is taken from a legendary creature that appears in the mythology of some native North American cultures.
On March 1, 2013, the USAF announced that due to budget cuts, the performance of the air demonstration team will stop indefinitely, effective April 1, 2013. On December 6, 2013 Thunderbirds announced their 2014 schedule and the return of their performances.
Video United States Air Force Thunderbirds
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The Thunderbirds squadron is a USAF named squadron, meaning it does not carry numerical tagging. It is also one of the oldest squadrons in the Air Force, originating from the organization [30th Aero Squadron], formed in Kelly Field, Texas on June 13, 1917.
Officers serve two-year assignments with squadrons, while enlisted personnel serve three to four years. Because the squadron performs no more than 88 air demonstrations each year, replacements should be trained for about half of the team each year, to provide a mix of constant experience. In addition to their air demonstration responsibilities, Thunderbirds is part of USAF combat troops and if needed, can be quickly integrated into operational combat units. Since February 15, 1974 Thunderbirds has been a component of the 57th Wing at Nellis AFB. Since 1953, they have flown in front of more than 300 million people.
F-16 Fighting Falcon
Thunderbirds performed an air demonstration on the F-16C Fighting Falcon, and they also flew two F-16D twin-seat seats.
The F-16 has been a demonstration plane for Thunderbirds since the 1983 season. In January 1982, 4 members of the squadron were killed in what is known as the "T-38 Talon Crash Diamond" squadron whose squadron has flown since 1974. Partly as a result of the crash, the squadron switched to the F-16A, and sat outside the air season of 1982 and spent the year retraining and switching to a new plane to prepare themselves for the 1983 season. The F-16, however, had been considered for the transition before the crash. In rebuilding the Thunderbird Team, the Air Force recruited the earlier Thunderbird pilots, fulfilling their respective qualifications in the F-16A, and started by flying the "two ship" maneuvers, then expanding the program of one plane at that time to six full planes. Beginning in June 1982, the F-16 Thunderbirds were led by Major Jim Latham.
The team continued flying F-16s, after switching from F-16A to F-16C in 1992. Only a few minor modifications distinguish Thunderbird from F-16C operations. This includes cannon replacement and 20 mm drum/ammunition drums with smoke-generating systems, including plugging switches and their controls, jet fuel starter exhaust door eliminations, and the application of Thunderbirds' polished red, white, and blue polyurethane paint schemes. All modification work is done at a maintenance depot at Hill AFB near Ogden, Utah. In addition to these modifications, the aircraft is taken from the USAF standard inventory as a production fighter, and can be returned to the operational squadron in no time without major modifications.
- General Dynamics F-16A/B Fighting Falcon During the transition to the F-16A Thunderbirds acquired a new block of 15 aircraft operated from 1983 to 1991, making the team one of the last units of the USAF to fly an older F-16A before transitioning into a new C. They also operated two F-16B seats during this time to train new pilots and for VIP flights, this was replaced by the F-16D when the rest of the squadron was transferred to the F-16C.
- Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Fighting Falcon (Block 32)
- The 32H/J block of aircraft currently assigned to Thunderbirds was built in 1986 and 1987, and operated by Thunderbirds from 1992 to 2008. At their retirement, they are some of the oldest operational F-16s in the Air Force.
- Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Fighting Falcon (Block 52)
- In the 2009 show season Thunderbirds switched to the latest version of the F-16 fighter. Block 52 has an enhanced avionics package that brings Thunderbird's fleet into alignment with the rest of the F-16 fleet worldwide. In addition, Pratt & amp; Whitney F100-PW-229 engine adds an additional 3,600 lb f thrust. This in turn increases the maximum gross weight allowed for ground handling, taxi, take-off and in-flight maneuvers of nearly 5,000 lb.
Support aircraft
- Boeing C-17 Globemaster III - Unknown - Present
Maps United States Air Force Thunderbirds
Demonstration routine
From the end of the runway the 4-ship Thunderbird team is getting ready to start their take-off roll with the words "Thunderbirds, let's run!" being retransmitted from the mic team leader through the PA system to be heard of the crowd.
Diamond: Historically, when Thunderbirds 1 to 4 take off, the plane slot will soon slide to position behind 1 to create a Diamond signature formation. Thanks to the 2009 upgrade to Block 52, Diamond now has more than enough thrust to keep climbing into their first maneuver, the Diamond Loop.
Solos: Thunderbird 5 takes the next air, rolls a clean low aileron roll, followed by 6 who splits S, climbs in a vertical near maneuver, rolls and dives back to the center of the show and pulls just above the runway to get out in the opposite direction.
Most of the Thunderbirds look alternately between the maneuvers performed by diamonds, and those done by solos. They have a total of 8 different formations: The Diamond, Delta, Stinger, Arrowhead, Line-Sei, Trail, Echelon and Five Card. The Arrowhead involves maneuvering in tight formations with as few as 18 inches (46 cm) of bodies for canopy separation. They perform loop formations and scrolls or transitions from one formation to another. All maneuvers are performed at a speed of 450 to 500 mph (720 to 800 km/h).
The opponents solo usually perform their maneuvers just under the speed of sound (500 to 700 mph (800 to 1,130 km/h)), and show off their respective aircraft capabilities by maneuvers such as fast feed, slow feed, fast rolls, slow rolls , and a very tight turn. Some of their maneuvers include solo aircraft at once, such as opposite jumps (passing close to each other) and mirror formations (two planes flown back to back on a calypso or belly-to-belly pass). In a mirror formation, one Thunderbird should be reversed, and always number 5. In fact, the number 5 on the plane is painted upside down, and thus appears on the upper right side of most routines. There is also an extra amount of humor about the upside-down performance of Thunderbird 5: pilots all wear flight clothes tailored to the name and number of their jets embroidered on the left chest. The lawsuit for pilot plane number 5 has an upturned sewn number.
Toward the end, Diamond pulls straight up into the vertical to do the "Burst Bomb" signature, where all 4 planes break in a separate direction while the solo runs straight through the maneuvers and performs the aileron winding up 3 miles above the ground. At the end of the routine, all six planes joined in formation, forming the Delta.
One of the Thunderbirds standing engagements is the annual commencement ceremony at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Jet flying over Falcon Stadium at the right moment the cadets toss their hats into the air at the end of the ceremony.
History
On September 19, 1985, the USAF Demonstration Air Squadron was consolidated by the Air Force History Research Agency (AFHRA) with a 30th Bombers Squadron, a unit held on 13 June 1917.
During his operational history, 30 were presented in World War I as a training unit in France, his mission was to train fighter pilots to fight on the Western Front. Squadron almost torpedo on his troop ship across the Atlantic Ocean. Placed at Clark Field in the Philippines on December 7, 1941, almost disappeared in the Battle of the Philippines in 1941. Several members of the squadron fought as infantry units and were captured by the Japanese, who were targeted by Bataan Death March. The squadron was withdrawn to Australia, being reformed and then attacking Japan as a B-29 Superfortress squadron in 1945. He was awarded nine Presidential Unit Citations in World War II. During the Korean War, the 30th attacked the North Korean target with B-29 Superfortresses.
Attending USAF Thunderbirds brings the lineage, history, and honor to the 30th active duty.
Thunderbirds USAF history
F-84 Thunderjet/Thunderstreak era
After six months of training in unofficial status, Thunderbirds was activated on May 25, 1953 as a 3600 Air Demonstration Team at Luke AFB, just west of Phoenix.
The team had flown 26 shows in August. The first team leader was Major Richard C. Catledge (1953-1954), and the first aircraft used by the unit was the F-84G Thunderjet. Because Thunderjet is a one-seat fighter, the T-33 Shooting Star serves as a narrator plane and is used as a VIP/Press ride aircraft. The T-33 was presented with Thunderbirds in this capacity in the 1950s and 1960s.
The following year Thunderbirds performed their first overseas air show, on a South American and Central tour, and added a permanent solo routine to the demonstration. In the spring of 1955, under the commander/second leader (September 1954 - February 1957), Captain Jacksel M. Broughton, they moved to the winged F-84F Thunderstreak plane, where they performed 91 air shows, and received them support aircraft first assigned, C-119 Flying Boxcar.
F-100 Saber Super era
Thunderbirds' aircraft changed again in June 1956, becoming the F-100C Super Saber, which provided the team's supersonic capabilities. The switch was accompanied by the relocation of their headquarters to Nellis AFB, Nevada on June 1 due to the maintenance and logistical difficulties of basing the F-100 on Luke, with their first show after a move on June 23. It also signifies a shift in their performance routines - for example, the 8th Cuban opening routine is dropped, and emphasis is placed on low flyovers, screams and performance take-off demonstrations. In the interim, if the event sponsor allows it, the pilots will create a "sonic explosion;" this ended when the FAA banned supersonic flights over the continent of the United States. The move to Nellis also resulted in the first assignment of buildings and hangar space to the team.
This practice remained in force during the 1973 season. In 1961, the team was forced to stop vertical bank maneuvers because the FAA rules prohibit aerobatics that direct the nose of the aircraft toward the crowd. The year 1962 saw the introduction of a dual solo routine, and Thunderbirds resumed their first European deployment in 1963, the year after the dissolution of "Skyblazers." (See below.) The team switched to the F-105 Thunderchief for the 1964 season, but were forced to replenish with the F-100D after only six aviation fairs due to structural failure of the No. 1 aircraft. 2 which was devastating during the Maneuver-up pitch which resulted in the death of Capt Gene Devlin at Hamilton Air Force Base. The F-100D Super Saber was maintained during the 1968 season.
F-4 Phantom II era
By 1967, Thunderbirds had flown 1,000 shows. In 1969, the squadron was replaced with a front-line F-4E Phantom, which flew through to 1973, the only time Thunderbirds would fly jets similar to Blue Angels because it was the standard fighter for both services in the 1960s and 1970s.
Talon Era T-38
Due to the 1973 oil crisis, the team only flew six air shows and was sentenced for some time. However, in 1974 they switched to a more economical T-38 Talon. Five T-38s use the same amount of fuel for a F-4 Phantom. The transition to the T-38 also saw regular flight changes to show the aircraft's maneuverability in tight spins, and also ended the black-tailed era in the No. 1 slot plane. 4, which will now be cleaned regularly and shine like the others.
In 1982, Thunderbirds suffered a catastrophic loss during pre-season training on January 18th. When practicing a four-plane diamond circle, formations impacted the ground at high speed, instantly killing all four pilots: Major Norman L. Lowry (commander/leader), Captain Willie Mays, Captain Joseph N. "Pete" Peterson, and Captain Mark Melancon. The cause of the accident was determined by the USAF to be the result of a mechanical problem with the aircraft's # 1 aircraft control actuator. This results in inadequate back pressure by the formation leader on the T-38 control rod during the loop. Visually spewing the main aircraft during formation maneuvers, wing pilots and slots ignore their position relative to the ground.
F-16 Fighting Falcon era
The team's activities were suspended for six months pending accident investigation and program review, then reassembled using General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon in 1983. They were upgraded to the F-16C (now manufactured by Lockheed Martin) in 1992. The F-16 has into an air demonstration aircraft for Thunderbirds for 30 years.
In 1986, Thunderbirds made a fly-by for the revival of the Statue of Liberty in New York City. They also conducted the first US military demonstrations in the communist state when the team visited Beijing, China in 1987.
Their 3,000th aerial event was conducted in 1990, and in 1991 the team went abroad to perform air shows in Switzerland, Poland and Hungary. The team traveled abroad again in 1996, visiting Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovenia. Also in 1996, the team participated in the opening ceremony of the Atlanta Olympics.
The US Postal Service honored the Air Force's 50th anniversary as a separate military branch in 1997 with a limited-edition stamp featuring Thunderbirds.
In June 2005, Thunderbirds chose Major Nicole Malachowski for the No. 1 position. 3, making her the first woman to hold a pilot position in the 53-year-old team history. In 2007, during last season Mal. Malachowski as Thunderbird, the team selected its second female pilot, Captain Samantha Weeks, who flew solo position No. 1. 6 opponents.
The European Tour of Goodwill 2007 was Thunderbirds' first visit to Europe after the September 11 attacks. During this tour, Thunderbirds performed at their first aerial show in Ireland. Despite the bad weather, over 100,000 people attended the air show, garnering national exposure by Irish media. Additional stops along the way include air demonstrations in Poland, Romania, Graf Ignatievo Air Base Bulgaria, Italy, France and England, where Thunderbirds participated in Royal International Air Tattoo, the world's largest air show. Outside the air demonstration, the team participated in eight official public relations events attended by heads of state and local community leaders. The team also conducted community outreach by meeting with needy children across Europe.
On November 10-11, Las Vegas City and Nellis AFB paid tribute to the U.S. Air Force, hosting a USAF 60th anniversary celebration stone.
In 2008, Thunderbirds remained in North America, performing in the United States and Canada. When Quebec City celebrates its 400th anniversary, Thunderbirds joins Canadian troops, Snowbirds, British Red Guild, and Anglican Blue Navy in a ceremonial flight over Quebec City. Later that year, the team returned to Canada for two shows in Abbotsford, British Columbia.
In 2009 Thunderbirds hired their first Air National Guard pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Derek Routt as Thunderbird No. 7 (operating officer), and the first Reserve pilot, Major Sean Gustafson, also joined the team as Thunderbird No. 4 (slot).
The 2009 Far East tour takes the team to several locations on the western border of the Pacific Rim and includes performances in Hawaii, Australia, Malaysia, Guam, Thailand, Japan and South Korea. More than 1.2 million people watched live performances and more than 120 million people were exposed to performances through their national media. This is a conservative estimate as one Korean prime-time television show alone reaches 8 million. The top performing "Human Qualification" performs an hour-long feature on Thunderbirds and is produced from a coordinated media pitch to the Korean Republic Air and Air Force network. In addition to air performances, Thunderbirds personally meets and spends time with over five hundred children and orphans of special needs.
The entire 2013 season was canceled after Congress failed to enforce a balanced spending cut and tax increase program to deal with the US fiscal cliffs. Team members do recruitment in the Las Vegas area that does not require travel. Registered personnel perform gate inspection and basic housing inspection. The show resumes in 2014.
Historical demonstration aircraft
- Republic F-84G Thunderjet
- Hired by Thunderbirds from 1953-1954.
- Republic F-84F Thunderstreak
- The Air Force chose the F-84F Thunderstreak which was swept as their second plane in 1955, modified for the team by adding smoke tanks, and parachutes of red, white and blue. Used from 1955-1956.
- F-100C Super Saber North America
- With the change to the F-100 Super Saber in 1956, Thunderbirds became the first supersonic air demonstration team in the world. In the same year, Thunderbirds moved to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, simplifying the logistics and maintenance for the aircraft. Thunderbirds used the C-model Super Saber from 1956-1963.
- Republic F-105B Thunderchief
- Only six performances were flown in 1964 using the F-105 before security issues resulted in the adoption of the F-100D team.
- F-100D Super Saber North America
- D-model Super Sabers used since 1964-1968.
- McDonnell F-4E Phantom II
- The 1969 to F-4 conversion is the most extensive in team history. Among other modifications, paint that has worked on the F-100 appears stain on the F-4 due to the colorful alloys used to withstand heat and friction at Mach 2 speeds. Polyurethane paint bases are developed to solve the problem. The white paint base remains part of the Thunderbird aircraft today. The popular myth is, given the exhaust emissions of the F-4 engine, the vertical stabilizer of the No. 1 slot plane. 4 painted black. However, this is wrong; vertical stabilizer of slot plane No. 4 was allowed to be blacked out by jet exhaust started in 1960. Phantom was used from 1969 to 1973.
- Northrop T-38 Talon
- The fuel crisis of the early 1970s resulted in the election of Talon Northrop T-38A, a supersonic trainer. Five T-38s use the same amount of fuel for an F-4 Phantom, and fewer people and equipment are needed to maintain the aircraft. Despite meeting the criteria for demonstrating the capabilities of the leading Air Force aircraft, Talon failed to fulfill the Thunderbird tradition of front-line fighters. Talon fly teams from 1974-1981.
Accident
Thunderbirds has performed over 4,000 exhibits worldwide, collecting millions of miles in hundreds of different airframes over their fifty-four years of service. Flying high-performance fighter jets are inherently dangerous; when flying in a very close formation, the danger is exacerbated. In total, twenty-one Thunderbirds pilots have been killed in team history. Only three fatal accidents occurred during the air show, two of which took place in the jet:
The first is the death of Major Joe Howard, flying Thunderbird No. (Ph-4E s/n 66-0321 ) on June 4, 1972 at Dulles Airport, during Transpo 72. His phantom experienced a structural failure of a horizontal stabilizer, and Major Howard ejected when the plane fell back into the tail the earth from about 1,500 feet and down under a nice canopy, but he landed on a fireball and did not survive.
The USAF's first jet-powered aerobatic demo team was "Acrojets", performing early in 1949 with F-80Cs at USAF Fighter School in Williams Air Force Base, Arizona, and led by Col (later Capt) Howard W. "Swede" Jensen. The team flew together until August 1950, when it was disabled due to America's commitment to the Korean War. In addition, there is also a USAFE team "Acrojets" in Germany, consisting of a USAF TF-33 Shooting Star instructor at FÃÆ'¼rstenfeldbruck AB in the mid-1950s.
The "Skyblazers" are USAF demonstration teams representing the United States Air Force of Europe (USAFE) from the late 1940s to the 1950s. The team was formed in early 1949 by a group of 22nd Fighter Squadron pilots from the 36th Fighter Wing at FÃÆ'¼rstenfeldbruck Air Base in Germany. Currently they are flying Lockheed F-80B Shooting Stars. This unit was transferred to the F-84E in 1950, F-86F in 1955 and F-100C in 1956. Two members of the original Skyblazer team, identical twins C.A. "Bill" and C.C. "Buck" Pattillo, then a member of the first Thunderbird team.
Unlike Thunderbirds, the Skyblazers rarely appear outside the USAFE operating area in Europe. The Skyblazers were dissolved in January 1962 when their original squadrons were rotated back to the United States and their assigned aircraft were diverted to the F-105 Thunderchief.
The "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" is a group of four C-130 pilots and their aircraft officially recognized as an air demonstration team by the USAF Tactical Air Command in 1957. They flew as a team of air demonstrations until 1960.
Thunderbirds Museum
The Air Force retains the Thunderbirds Museum which includes the history of the demonstration team. The museum is located on Nellis Air Force Base and includes a full-size F-16 "Gate Guard" on display (in full Thunderbird paint scheme).
Thunderbirds USAF Decoration
- Decorations
- Air Force Special Unit Award
- 25 Feb 1967 - 31 Dec 1968; 1 Jan-31 Dec 1973; 1 Jan-31 Dec 1974; 1 Jan 1979 - 31 Dec 1980; June 1, 1995 - May 31, 1997; June 1, 2001 - May 31, 2003; June 1, 2004 - May 31, 2006
- Air Force Organization Excellence Award
- 1 Jan 1984 - Dec 31, 1985; 1 Jan 1986 - Dec 31, 1987; Sep 30, 1989 - Sept. 30, 1991; June 1, 1997 - May 31, 1998
Lineage
- Set as: Air Demonstration Team 3600 , May 25, 1953
- Off On June 23, 1956
- Set as: 3595th Air Demonstration Flight , 19 November 1956
- Reassigned: Air Demonstration Flight 4520 , July 1, 1958
- Reassigned: Demonstration 4520 Air Squadron , January 1, 1961
- Discontinued on February 25, 1967
- Called as: USAF Water Demonstration Squadron , and activated Feb. 13, 1967
- Organized on February 25, 1967
- Consolidated on 19 September 1985 with the 30th (Weight) Squadron Squadron, first held on 13 June 1917
Task
Demonstration Air Squadron 4520
- Combat Training Wing 3600, May 25, 1953 - June 23, 1956
- USAF Advanced Fighter School, November 19, 1956 - February 25, 1967
USAF Air Demonstration Squadron
- Tactical Air Command, 13 February 1967
- USAF Tactical Combat Weapon Center, February 25, 1967
- The 57th Combat Arms (later, 57th Tactical Assembly, 57th Combat Arms, 57th Fighter, 57th) Wing, February 15, 1974 - Present
Station
Demonstration Air Squadron 4520
- Luke AFB, Arizona, November 1, 1952 - June 23, 1956
- Nellis AFB, Nevada, November 19, 1956 - February 25, 1967
USAF Air Inflation Squadron
- Nellis AFB, Nevada, February 25, 1967 - Now.
Aircraft
Demonstration Air Squadron 4520
- Republic F-84G Thunderjet, 1953
- Republic F-84F Thunderstreak, 1954-1955
- F-100 Super Saber of North America, 1956-1963
- Republic of F-105 Thunderchief, 1964
- F-100 Super Saber of North America, 1964-1966
USAF Air Demonstration Squadron
- F-100 Super Saber North America, 1967-1968
- McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II, 1969-1973
- Northrop T-38 Talon, 1974-1982
- General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, 1983-Present.
See also
- Blue Angels - United States Navy
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force History Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.
External links
- Official website
- Thunderbirds Factsheet at AF.mil
- ThunderbirdsAlumni.com
- Short film The Air Force Now 080 (1976) is available for free download on the Internet Archive
- Short film The Air Force Now 200 (1986) is available for free download on the Internet Archive
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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