JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
The United States Air Force Demonstration Squadron’s
performance at the 2015 Joint Base San Antonio Air Show and Open House, its
first in San Antonio since the Lackland AirFest five years ago, promises
another showcase of the precision airmanship of Air Force pilots and the
performance capability of the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
Better known as the Thunderbirds, the demonstration
squadron, which was activated 62 years ago as the 3600th Air Demonstration Unit
at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., will headline the JBSA air show Oct. 31 and Nov.
1 at JBSA-Randolph.
A unit of Air Combat Command, the Thunderbirds have
performed for more than 280 million people in all 50 states and nearly 60
foreign countries.
Capt. Sara Harper, Thunderbirds public affairs officer, said
the demonstration squadron’s threefold mission is to “recruit the next
generation of Airmen into the Air Force, represent the nearly 700,000 active,
Guard and Reserve members serving in the military and bridge the gap between
the Air Force and the public.”
The most notable changes in the Thunderbirds’ performance
since the Lackland AirFest will be “the people and the music,” Harper said.
“As Thunderbirds are assigned to the team for two to three
years, none of the 2015 team will have been at the Lackland show in 2010,” she
said. “The team also works hard to match the show’s maneuvers to songs that
will most resonate with the audience. The music is constantly evaluated and
manipulated to achieve this end.”
A Thunderbirds demonstration “begins with the combined
efforts of the pilots and maintenance professionals in a choreographed ground
show,” Harper said.
“During this time, the Thunderbirds start aircraft systems,
check their function and communicate pertinent data for the impending show,”
she said. “With fully mission-capable aircraft, the Thunderbird pilots then
take the jets airborne for 30 minutes of inspiring speed, noise and fun.”
The demonstration’s aircraft passes, music and narration
combine “to captivate the audience,” Harper said.
“The diamond, the first four aircraft in the formation, fly
a myriad of passes intended to show the flying skill Air Force pilots
everywhere have developed through unparalleled training, while the solo pilots,
numbers five and six, focus primarily on aircraft performance,” she said.
All six aircraft performing together in the Thunderbird
Delta formation bring the show to a close, Harper said.
Maj. Curtis Dougherty, Thunderbirds slot pilot, said the
crowd experience is the best part of the demonstration squadron’s performance.
“The atmosphere around an air show is refreshing,” he said.
“People are generally super excited to talk about airplanes, air shows, the Air
Force and Airmen. They share hopes, dreams and stories. Sharing this experience
with the awesome people we meet all over the country makes this mission a joy
every day.”
The squadron consists of approximately 130 Airmen, including
12 officers and about 120 enlisted professionals, who represent more than 30
career fields, Harper said.
“The Thunderbirds travel roughly 200 days a year, with an
air show every weekend,” she said. “Each weekend, roughly 70 individuals travel
on the road to support an air show.”
The Thunderbirds’ performance schedule typically runs from
the end of February through October. This year’s season concludes Nov. 7-8 at
Moody AFB, Ga.
Harper said the team “typically arrives on a Thursday and
hits the ground running.”
“Team members are getting out into the community and trying
to get people excited about the opportunities that the Air Force offers,” she
said. “There is usually a practice show on Friday and then the air show
Saturday and Sunday.”
The team leaves the air show location on Monday and returns
to its home station at Nellis AFB, Nev.
Originally nicknamed the “Stardusters,” the Thunderbirds
were assigned to Luke AFB until June 1956, when the team moved to its current
home. The Thunderbirds have flown F-84G Thunderjets, F-84F Thunderstreaks,
F-100 Super Sabres, F-4E Phantom IIs, T-38 Talons and F-16As.