United States Air Force Thunderbirds

United States Air Force Thunderbirds

United States Air Force Thunderbirds

United States Air Force Thunderbirds

United States Air Force Thunderbirds

 

 

United States Air Force Thunderbirds

Thunderbirds USAF Air Demonstration Squadron
The USAF Thunderbirds over Utah in Delta Formation
Active	13 June 1917 – 1 February 1963 (as operational squadron) 25 May 1953 - present (as air demonstration squadron)
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	Aerobatic display team
Size	12 officers 120 enlisted support personnel
Part of	Air Combat Command
Garrison/HQ	Nellis Air Force Base Las Vegas, Nevada
Colors	Red, White and Blue
Engagements	World War I World War II (Pacific Theater) Korean War
Website	http://www.afthunderbirds.com/site/
Insignia
Identification symbol
Aircraft flown
Fighter	6 – F-16C Fighting Falcons 2 – F-16D Fighting Falcons

The USAF Air Demonstration Squadron ("Thunderbirds") is the air demonstration squadron of the United States Air Force (USAF). The Thunderbirds are assigned to the 57th Wing, and are based at Nellis AFB, Nevada.
The squadron tours the United States and much of the world, performing aerobatic formation and solo flying in specially marked aircraft. The name is taken from the legendary creature that appears in the mythology of several indigenous North American cultures.
On 1 March 2013, the USAF announced that due to budget cuts, aerial demonstration team performances would cease indefinitely, effective 1 April 2013.^[1]

Contents

• 1 Overview
  • 1.1 F-16 Fighting Falcon
  • 1.2 Support aircraft
• 2 Demonstration routine
• 3 History
  • 3.1 USAF Thunderbirds history
    • 3.1.1 F-84 Thunderjet/Thunderstreak era
    • 3.1.2 F-100 Super Sabre era
    • 3.1.3 F-4 Phantom II era
    • 3.1.4 T-38 Talon era
    • 3.1.5 F-16 Fighting Falcon era
    • 3.1.6 Historical demonstration aircraft
    • 3.1.7 Accidents
      • 3.1.7.1 Air shows
      • 3.1.7.2 Other fatalities
    • 3.1.8 Relationship to other USAF aerial demonstration teams
    • 3.1.9 Thunderbirds museum
  • 3.2 USAF Thunderbirds Decorations
  • 3.3 Lineage
  • 3.4 Assignments
  • 3.5 Stations
  • 3.6 Aircraft
• 4 See also
• 5 References
• 6 External links

Overview

The Thunderbirds are a named USAF squadron, meaning it does not carry a numerical designation. It is also one of the oldest squadrons in the Air Force, its origins dating to the organization of the 30th Aero Squadron, formed at Kelly Field, Texas on 13 June 1917. ^[2]
Officers serve a two-year assignment with the squadron, while enlisted personnel serve three to four years. As the squadron performs no more than 88 air demonstrations each year, replacements must be trained for about half of the team each year, in order to provide a constant mix of experience. In addition to their air demonstration responsibilities, the Thunderbirds are part of the USAF combat force and if required, can be rapidly integrated into an operational fighter unit.^[3][4] Since 15 February 1974 the Thunderbirds have been a component of the 57th Wing at Nellis AFB. Since 1953, they have flown in front of more than 300 million people.^[5]

F-16 Fighting Falcon

The Thunderbirds performing the crossover break.

The Thunderbirds perform aerial demonstrations in the F-16C Fighting Falcon. Two F-16D twin-seat trainers are also flown.
The F-16 has been the demonstration aircraft for the Thunderbirds since the 1983 season. In January 1982, several members of the squadron were killed in what became known as the "Diamond Crash" of T-38 Talon aircraft which the squadron had flown since 1974. Partially as a result of that accident, the squadron switched to the F-16A, and sat out the 1982 airshow season and spent that year retraining and transitioning over to the new aircraft to ready themselves for the 1983 season. The F-16, however, had been considered for transition prior to the accident. In rebuilding the Thunderbird Team, the Air Force recruited previous Thunderbird pilots, qualified each in the F-16A, and had them begin by flying "two-ship" maneuvers, then expanded the program one airplane at a time up to the full six airplanes. Beginning in June 1982, the F-16 Thunderbirds were led by Major Jim Latham.
The team continues to fly the F-16, having switched from the F-16A to the F-16C in 1992.^[3] Only a few minor modifications differentiate a Thunderbird from an operational F-16C. These include the replacement of the 20 mm cannon and ammunition drum with a smoke-generating system, including its plumbing and control switches, the removal of the jet fuel starter exhaust door, and the application of the Thunderbirds' glossy red, white, and blue polyurethane paint scheme. All of the modification work is performed at the maintenance depot at Hill AFB near Ogden, Utah. Other than those modifications, the aircraft are taken from the standard USAF inventory as production fighters, and can be returned to an operational squadron in short order without any major modification.