Thunderbirds History
The Thunderbirds are officially formed on May 25th, 1953, as a 3600 aerobatic squadron at the Luke airbase, Arizona. In the beginning they use four planes Republic F-84G Thunderjet. The first appearing of the Thunderbirds is in the same year, on July 1st in Nellis airbase, Nevada. Their first show is on July 8th and their appearing on lublics is on July 23rd. The first commander of the Thunderbirds is Mayor Dick Catledge, for left and right wings are elected ex-SkyBlazers members, two brothers Lieutenant Bill and Lieutenant Buck Pattillo and for the middle space (called "tail") - Captain Bob Kanaga. Mayor Dick Catledge is a World War II veteran, has some medals and the honorary diploma from the President of the United States. During the first six shows the team carries the name Stardusters but after that the name is changed on Thunderbirds because of the influence of local Indian culture. North-American Indians has imagined a thunderbird as a sky creature resembling an eagle or a hawk which ruled the sky powers, ordered victory in the times of war, casting thunders and lightnings from its eyes. till the end of 1953 the Thunderbirds perform 50 air demonstrations. To the team also is assigned one T-33 in Thunderbirds colors, flying by the team's narrator.
In 1954 between January 17th and February 13th the Thunderbirds perform their first tour abroad and visit some countries from Central and South America as well as from the Carribean. Their show begins with the supersonic flight on high flying height of F-86 Sabre from USAF. The show in Mexico City is watched by 300 000 people on the airport and more 1 200 000 on the hill around the airport.
In 1955 the Thunderbirds moves on arrow-shaped Republic F-84F Thunderstreak airplanes on which for the first time is attached a smoke generator. To the team are added two solo pilots who joins in the shows and form a six-planes formation. On this plane the Thunderbirds perform 100 shows using it only in 1955. In that year Thunderbirds received their first trasport support aircraft C-119 Flying Boxcar painted in team colors.
In the next year the Thunderbirds move on their present home - Nellis airbase, Nevada, and begin to fly on North American F-100C Super Sabre becoming the first aerobatic team in the world which uses supersonic airplanes (Watch Thunderbirds F-100 Super Sabre video). First demonstration with F-100 is on 19 May 1956 at Armed Froces Day. The highlight of the first shows was the supersonic low pass, but after a few airshows the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) banned supersonic passes at air displays.
On October 9th, 1958 happens the worst accident in the story of the team. The team's escorting cargo plane C-123B crashes killing all 19 peoples from the Thunderbirds support staff. The aircraft was assigned to 347th Troop Carrier Sq., 464th Troop Carrier Wg, 9th AF, TAC crashed and burned 6.5 miles from Payette, Idaho. Crew: (347th TC Sq, TAC, 9th AF,464th TC Wg, Pope AFB): Cpt. James C. Wilson, Jr; 1LT John N. Frisby; 1LT Thomas C. Lampsa; SSG James M. Hauver; A1C James C. Miller. Passengers: (4520th Combat Crew Tng Wg Nellis AFB - Members of Thunderbird Squadron Support Crew): CWO Floyd L. Pulley; MSG Boyd O. Lambeth; SSG John H. Bishop; SSG George H. Blanchard; SSG Charles H. Hillhouse; SSG Robert L. Meyers; SSG George J. Stevens; A1C Elmer G Houseman; A1C Richard T. Lashley; A1C Don L. Seaney; A2C Jerry R. Adams; A2C Adrain C. Gayther CIVILIANS: Mr. Stanley A. Shegda, North American Aviation Tec Rep Mr. Joseph Paul, North American Aviation Mechanic.
In November and December 1959 the Thunderbirds moves on F-100D for their 31-days-long tour at the Far East where they perform 29 shows in Thaiwan, Corea, Japan, Philipines and Hawaii. The moving on the D-modification is determined by the fact that this modification (that is the difference between it and C-modification) is equipped with a system for refuelling during the flight which is the most reasonable way to transport the planes to the Far East.
In 1963 the Thunderbirds perform their first show in Europe and North Africa incl. Portugal, West Germany, France, Libya (note that!), Great Britain, Luxembourg, Italy, Spain and Surinam. On this plane are performed 640 shows.
In the next year the Thunderbirds move on Republic F-105B Thunderchief but fly on it only in six shows between April 29th and May 9th. For a first time and only with this plane the team uses smoke with two colors - red and blue. For a first time, too, on the body of F-105B is painted the well-known silhouette of a thunderbird. On May 9th, 1964, when the team arrives at the Hamilton airbase, California, short time before landing Thunderbird #2 Capt. Gene Devlin crash. An eye witness on the ground at the field said that Thunderbird Two was on the left side of the three-plane formation, which had just executed a low pass over the runway. Then, as the three rose into a vertical climb, when Devlin's aircraft was at about a 45-dergee attitude to the ground, and traveling about 300 knots, the fuselage snapped in half, just above the weapons bay, and blew up. (More about this crash here).
After that accident the team moves on F-100D which - as was mentioned above - was already used by the Thunderbirds and differs from the previous only by the presence of the bar for on-flight refueling on the right halfwing. The year 1965 is the most burdened at the history of the team. On this year the Thunderbirds perform three tours in Europe, Latin America and the Carribean - total 121 shows in 23 countries. For an information - today the team performs about 60 shows yearly. During their tour in Europe they fly from Paris to Colorado Springs the total amount of 11 260 kilometers (6996 miles) without landing with seven on-flight refueling. With F-100D they perform 471 air demonstrations.
In 1967 the Thunderbirds perform their show number 1000 and in the next year they receive the status of an official aerobatic squadron of US Air Force.
On 21 Oct 1967 during Laughlin AFB, Texas airshow, #5 Capt. McPeak, suffered in a crash, but he succeed to eject after his plane broke. The crash happens when McPeak pull up his F-100D to begin series of vertical rolls. Then in about 6,5 G the wing collapsed and engine start to fire. Soon after that Capt. McPeak ejects and land near to the crowd. This crash limited flying on all USAF Super Sabres to 4G.
On July 4th, 1969, in the presence of President Nickson in Colorado Springs the Thunderbirds introduce their new aircraft - McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II. This demonstration is broadcasted live on the national television for rising the spirit of the American people (bearing in mind the unsuccessful performance during the Vietnamese War). That is the reason for not interrupting the aerobatic demonstrations during the war. For a first time the basic color the aircrafts are painted in is white. Before that the basic color of the planes is the color of the unpainted metal. The planes itself are yet radically transformed. Because F-4 is a two-seated plane, on the back seat is placed the operator of armaments, radio and navigation equipment. But for needs of the Thunderbirds radio and navigation equipment is moved on the front cabin, the control lever in the back cabin is removed, the vertical stabilizer of Nr. 4 is covered with steel and looks like painted in black (actually it is fumigated by Nr. 1's exhaust gases). The last thing is necessitated by the fact that Nr. 4 flies strictly behind Nr. 1 (the leader) and its vertical stabilizer in certain moments runs into the jet from the leader's engine. In the same 1969 the Thunderbirds perform their show in smallest public - only 30 people in Alaska. With Phantoms the Thunderbirds perform 518 aerobatic demonstrations.
The petrol crisis in 1973 urges the squadron to abandon F-4E and to look for a cheaper for an exploitation aircraft. Its last show with F-4E is on November 10th, 1973.
Although the Thunderbirds are formed to demonstrate the abilities of combat pilots and aircrafts they are urged to move on the training Northrop T-38 Talon, because five Talons use as much fuel as only one F-4. Northrop T-38 Talon does not have a system for in-flight refuelling and for that reason the Thunderbirds does not organize shows over the ocean with it and in 1974 is the squadron's shortest season - only 4 months with 35 shows. The T-38's engines were so clean work, so the #4 tail always stay clean.
In 1976 the squadron performs its show Nr. 2000. Also in 1976 the team planes numbers changed with 200th years logo of the United States creation.
On 9 May 1981 in order to avoid the crash into 90,000 people of the public, Capt. David L. "Nick" Hauck was killed when his T-38 apparently flamed out and crashed in a Layton field at Hill Air Force Base, Ogden, Utah.
In September 1981 the Thunderbirds leader D.L. Smith died in an accident at Cleveland, OH, following a three-day Labor Day airshow. His engine sucked in seagulls on takeoff and backsitter survived, but unfortunately the pilot doesn't use a parachute.
On January 18th, 1982, during a training flight four of Thunderbirds's aircrafts crash in Indian Springs, Nevada. The four try to perform looping in a line when the leader's plane receives mechanical break-down which does not allow it to exit from looping. During the flights in such a closer formation (typical for most flying teams) all the pilots follow visually the leader and if they are on a one-plane distance from him they follow the plane between the leader and them and do not look out or to the panel. So all the rest three completely trouble-free aircrafts follow the leader till his crash on the ground causing the death of all the four Thunderbirds.
This crash interrupts the demonstrations of the Thunderbirds for 18 months since April 2nd, 1983, when they fly again - to perform an aerobatic demonstration but now with new aircrafts - General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon. First of the planes is painted in colors of the Thunderbirds on June 22, 1982 in Nellis airbase. On that plane the squadron resumes its flights on combat aircrafts.
During the Gulf War in 1990 the squadron does not perform any demonstrations.
On 14 Feb 1994, Thunderbird #6 crash at Indiana Springs Auxiliary Airfield, Nevada during "spiral descent" manoeuvre. The pilot survived (watch accident video).
On April 25, 1999, during the show in Patrick airbase, Florida, two of the planes hit one another while taking off. The show is ceased immediately. During the take-off of the main four (the Diamond Four as the members of the squadron call it) Nr. 3 and Nr. 4 collide while realigning. The four takes off in this order: first of course is Nr. 1, next to it in the left and back is Nr. 2, in the right and back is Nr. 3 and in the right and back from Nr. 3 is Nr. 4. At the take-off by the leader's command Nr. 4 moves between Nr. 2 and Nr. 3, a little behind them. Exactly during this maneuver Nr. 4 hits Nr. 3's left horizontal stabilizer with its right halfwing. Two planes receive insignificant damage but in the name of security the show is cut off. This happens for a first time in the whole history of the Thunderbirds. The cause for the accident is not announced but I will leave the comments to the readers bearing in mind the fact that soon after this Nr. 3 is replaced by ex-solo pilot who flew at the squadron in 1997-1998. This accident interrupts the team's program for about a month spent in strenuous training.
On 14.09.2003 Thunderbird Nr.6 Capt Chris R. Stricklin crash in Idaho airshow. He successfuly eject shortly before plane crash to the ground. The crash happend during take off manouvre. Stricklin forget to reset his altimeter, causes to low to perform the manouvre.
In the 2006 season for the first time in Thunderbirds History, a woman demonstration pilot is chosen. This is Major Nicole Malachowski, that fly in Nr.3 position. On the next year a second woman demo pilot, Major Samantha Weeks is selected to fly in Nr.6 position. In this year, in this unique team structure, Thunderbirds made its long waiting European tour. On that tour on 1 July 2007 in Graf Ignatievo Air Base, Bulgaria, happend a birdstrike accident. Nr.2 hit the bird with its canopy, then he land and after 15 min. for checking for damages he take off again to join the diamond. Same case happends in april 23 same year in Barksdale Air Force Base airshow, but then #2 landed and only five Thunderbirds finishing the show. Bad luck for #2 this year.
From the 2009 season the Thunderbirds begin to use more powerful F-16 Block 52, which gives the pilots opportunity to perform for the first time ever in history, a diamond loop immediately after take-off.
Prehistory
The first aerobatic team of United States Air Forces (USAF) is created in 1927 and is called Three Musketeers. In 1932 is formed a new aerobatic team - Men on the Flying Trapeze. It is created to the Air Tactics School of the aviation corps in Maxwell Field, Alabama. It flies on four aircrafts P-12. This team exists till 1936 when it is disbanded.
In the next year to the same school is created the team Skylarks but it exists only one year. Only in 1949 the tradition USAF to have its own aerobatic team continues. This year are formed two teams. One of them carries the name Red Devils and is created in the Las Vegas airbase (later renamed on Nellis). It flies on five planes P-51 Mustang and exists only one year.
Another team created in 1949 to the Williams airbase, Arizona, is Acrojets. It flies on four planes Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star and later - on Lockheed's training version T-33. It exists till 1953.
In this 1949 United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) create their own aerobatic team which carries the name SkyBlazers. In 1950 from the crew of the 38th bomber wing based in France is created another aerobatic team which includes five bombers B-57 when one of them is a solo. This team named Black Knights is the first aerobatic team in the world which uses bombers, After a short existence is is disbanded. In the same year there is another team from the 94th fighter squadron named Sabre Dancers. It flies on four planes North American F-86A Sabre.
In 1953 the Air National Guard of Meryland creates its own team which flies on four planes F-51H (P-51) Mustang and is named Guardian Angels.
In 1954 another aerobatic team is created. It is called Sabre Knights and is from the crew of 325th fighter squadron based in Nellis. It flies on four planes F-86D.
Another team created in 1954 is Munute Men which flies on five planes F-86 painted in special demontrative aerobatic colors and carrying smoke generators for releasing white smoke. In 1956 this team becomes an official aerobatic team of the National Guard and exists till 1959.
In 1956 in the ranks of USAF are formed some other teams. One of them is in the airbase where the SkyBlazers are based - on the territory of West Germany. It is named Acrojets and flies on planes T-33. Another one which is formed the same year is Four Horsemen. It flies on four cargo planes C-130 from 774th cargo squadron and its aim is to demonstrate the capabilities of the aircrafts. It exists till 1960.
What are the Thunderbirds
The Thunderbirds,also known like America's Ambassadors In Blue, fly on 12 planes F-16C/D Block 52 - nine are from the C-modification (6 are demonstrative and rest are reserve) and three are two-seated from the D-modification. For a cargo plane is used one C-141 Starlifter. In the squadron serve 120 people - 12 officers, 4 civilians and 104 sergeants. The twelve officers have numbers with callsign Thunderbird. Thunderbird Nr. 1 is a leader and commander of the squadron. Pilots from Nr. 2 to Nr. 6 are aerobatic pilots. Nr. 7 is an operative officer and Nr. 8 is a commentator and coordinator of the show. Those are fighter pilots in the squadron but only six of them participate in the airshow. All eight pilots fly on the planes with corresponding numbers. Nr. 9 is the aeromedic, Nr. 10 - the chief of the headquarters. Nr. 11 - the chief of support and Nr. 12 - public relations (PR) officer.
The candidates for pilots must have at least 1000 flying hours on a jet fighter and must be pilots of F-16 at present. All candidates for members of Thunderbirds must have at least 3 years (but no more than 12 years) of military service. From all candidates are selected semifinalists who escort the squadron at the end of the season for better acquaintance and estimation on practice. At the end the best are selected. The candidates for pilots are examined on three F-16D. Exactly three aerobatic pilots are changed every year. Those flights include flights in formation and some basic combat maneuvers. The commander of the squadron chooses three new pilots who are approved by the commander of the combat aviation of USAF. Every new member of the squadron passes 21-days-long training course which contributes to his better integration. The officers in the Thunderbirds serve 2 years while the rest of the crew serve 3 or 4 years. They train from November to March and in the end of February are already ready for the showseason. Nevertheless the first demonstration for every season is held in the end of March. Till that time every one pilot must have about 100 flights. December is a month off and one week during the season is also rest week. This means that every day from November to March every pilot has approximately two ot three flights a day.
The ground staff of the Thunderbirds consists of:
1. Command - two senior sergeants who are responsible for the whole squadron. They are striving for providing good life and morale in the squadron.
2. Support - more than 70 people from the squadron working in 11 different specialties provide the technical status of the aircrafts. The support organization is divided on seven areas. After every 300 flying hours the aircraft is inspected closely five days long.
3. Showline - it consists of 22 high-qualified professionals in aircraft-supporting. Those are the people who take part in the ground show, i. e., they prepare the planes for take-off just before they fly in public. They are selected after the end of every season according to each one's professional qualification. Every one plane has its own support team with individual team commander. Team commanders and their assistants must fly with the aircrafts during the whole season providing non-stop readiness and good working order on particular demonstration place.
4. Providing team - provides supplying of technicians with spare parts and equipment needed.
5. Communication team - includes radio and video technicians. Video technicians work in a communication van located in a showcenter and record every single show for analysis after that and for the history. Radio technicians are the conection between the operative officer, the pilots and the control tower.
6. Administration - 8 people from the squadron who are responsible for information management, personnel, finances, documentation and correspondence for the team.
7. Management - 5 people from the crew who are responsible for accommodation and cargo load of the Thunderbirds and for organization of cargo planes.
8. Life-supporting crew - they are responsible for the pilots' equipment: helms, oxygen appliances, suites, parachutes and pyrotechnical cartridges of the catapult.
9. Public relations (PR) team - 8 people who responsible for public appearances of the Thunderbirds. They are specialists in the areas of graphic design, photography, journalistics and video production. The graphic designers prepare posters, stickers, fliers and other advertisement materials, the photographs of course take pictures, the journalists are responsible for contacts with media and public. They call at least two local media before the beginning of each show.
10. Civilians - there are four of them: one assistant of show's coordinator, one secretary of the commander, one representative of the plane's manufacturer - Lockheed Martin, and one representative of the engine's manufacturer - Pratt and Whitney.
Usually at the squadron serve between 10 and 15 women.
The Thunderbirds perform their show on six aircrafts. Four of them - called Diamond Four - fly in close formation demonstrating the precisement of the pilots. The rest two demonstrate the capabilities of the aircrafts during basic combat maneuvers.
The show coordinator Nr. 8 and the rest of the ground staff come to the place where the show will be held a few days earlier to take up with its preparation. The planes themselves arrive two days before the date of the show. The day before show they fly to become acquainted with the terrain. Usually the show is held at Saturday, eventually at Sunday.
During the show pilots perform about 30 maneuvers. The flight show lasts about 40 minutes. With the ground maneuvers the whole demonstration lasts 1 hour and 15 minutes.
To perform the show, there must be a visibility at least 9200 meters (10 061 yards or 30 183 feet) from the showcenter. If the lower limit of clouds is between 450 meters (492 yards or 1476 feet) and 1060 meters (1159 yards or 3477 feet) they perform a show with limited number of figures, mostly in a horizontal plane, i. e., without loopings and group tonos. That kind of show is called "flat". If the lower limit is between 1060 meters (1159 yards or 3477 feet) and 2440 meters (2668 yards or 8005 feet) they perform "lower" show including group tonos but without loopings. If the lower limit is above 2450 meters (2668 yards or 8005 feet) the Blue Angels perform their full show.
If one of the pilots gets sick for the time of the show, the rest of pilots fly without him. If the commander is not capable of flying the show is postponed. The Thunderbirds have not stand-by pilots because it is very hard for a pilot to learn to fly in every single position of the formation. During the air show the Thunderbirds do not use anti-overload suites.
The Thunderbirds do not perform over 88 shows in one year. Till now they did not ever postpone a show due to technical failures.
The aircrafts of the Thunderbirds are equipped with special power aggregate which supplies restoring of electricity and hydraulics in case of engine stop or traction lost. This helps the crashed plane to land safety. The aggregate uses hydrazine for fuel. Besides the roll of the cannon is removed and on its place is put the smoke reservoir. The smoke is released from a switch on the rood (the engine control lever). For fuel for smoke is used oil on paraphine base which is feeded to exhaust pipe when it mixes with the jet forming smoke. Another difference is presence of a chronometer in a pilot's compartment which gives the pilots an opportunity to measure every maneuver with accuracy and precision of seconds.
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