The Need for Speed

The United States Air Force Thunderbirds Demonstration Team shows the superior flight capabilities of the F-16 Fighting Falcon

The citizens of the U.S. are fully aware of the heroic soldiers that fight to keep their freedom alive, yet it is rare to see them in action outside of a Hollywood film or a news reel. People must trust the government and the media to tell them that the country's men and women in uniform are the best and most capable in the world. Sometimes, it may feel as though it's all so far detached from the everyday lives of civilians that it's only a shadow of reality – a glimpse into a world unknown to the masses.

That is why demonstration teams like the United States Air Force Thunderbirds exist – to show the people of the United States, in person, what their military can do and the heightened abilities of their soldiers. Witnessing the superior skill level, professional competence, and precise maneuvers that the Thunderbirds demonstrate helps to reinforce citizens' pride and confidence in the U.S. Armed Forces.

The F-16 is a compact, multi-role fighter jet capable of air-to-air and air-to-ground combat. It can locate targets in all weather conditions and carry out operations during lowvisibility situations. The plane can travel more than 500 miles, accurately deliver weapons, defend against enemy aircraft, and return to its starting point in one flight. The F-16's combat radius and maneuverability surpass those of all potential enemy aircraft.

When designing the F-16, engineers relied on advanced, proven and reliable systems from the F-15 and F-111. They combined the technologies to create a smaller, less expensive and lighter fighter jet. An internal navigation system supplies steering information for the pilot, and UHF and VHF radios and an instrument landing system ensures safe and accurate maneuvering. In addition, there is a warning system and countermeasure pods in the case of airborne or surface electronic threats.

Additional improvements were made to allow the F-16 an unrestricted forward, upward, side and back vision through a bubble canopy. The pilot's ability to control the aircraft were also assisted by the "fly-by-wire" system, in which electrical relay commands take the place of traditional cable and linkage controls. In place of a typical center-mounted controller stick, the F-16 employs a side stick to enhance accurate control during high G-force combat maneuvers.

The F-16 is manufactured under an agreement that includes the United States and four NATO countries: Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway. Together, the countries initially built a combined 348 F-16s for their air forces. All five countries are responsible for the manufacture of components that are used in the aircraft. The program offers long-term benefits such as technology transfer among the nations involved, and a common-use aircraft for NATO countries. It also increases the supply and availability of repair parts, therefore improving the F-16's combat-readiness.

The Thunderbirds push the F-16s to the extreme to show their audiences that the U.S Air Force is capable of performing intense maneuvers. They use the oldest F-16 model in the Air Force, to ensure that the newest and most up-to-date models are available for combat.

The F-16 Blocks are indications of production improvements. The Block 30/32s that the Thunderbirds use are the second set of Blocks since the upgrade to F-16C/Ds from the original F-16A/Bs.

"F-16s get broken down by blocks, and we use Block 32s, so they're pretty old planes," says SSgt. Patrick Mahoney, #4 crew chief of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. In terms of maintaining the aircraft, "older aircraft equals older parts, and a lot of stress is put to the aircraft. Since they've been around for so long, we've been finding cracks and problems, but nothing we can't handle."

"There are many different variants of the F-16," explains Maj. Chris Austin, #2 Pilot of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. "The Air Force flies Blocks 30s, 40s, and 50s. Blocks ending in ‘0' are GE Engines, Blocks ending in ‘2' are Pratt and Whitney engines."

The Thunderbirds' Block 32 F-16s were mostly built in the mid- to late-80's, according to Maj. Austin. "They're old jets, and we beat them up pretty good. We perform them hard every time. We fly anywhere from within three to five feet of each other, from 190 knots all the way up to about 620 knots," Maj. Austin says.

The Life of a Thunderbird

 Impressive as it is, needless to say the F-16 can't fly itself. The Thunderbird pilots not only represent the U.S. Air Force in demonstrations, but they had to log many combat hours prior to joining the team. For example, Maj. Austin has flown the F-16 for 11 years, including seven combat deployments and over 500 combat hours.

"For me, I think that's a really important part of being on this team – that you have that credibility when you come to the team. You can fly the precision maneuvers and you can do all of that stuff, but the bottom line is, you're a real warrior from the Air Force. You're a real combat fighter pilot when you come here," he says.

Maj. Chris Austin flies the #2 Left Wing position for the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. Photo Credit: Heather TunstallIn conjunction with inspiring younger kids and adults alike to join the U.S. Air Force, the Thunderbirds hope to show the country and its allies the true faces of the soldiers.

"Our goal is to represent as well as we possibly can the 500,000 men and women in the United States Air Force," Maj. Austin says. "We want to tell their story, and we want to show it in a way that you know they live their lives on a day to day basis with as much professionalism, discipline and teamwork as they possibly can."

"As a team, and even as an individual, when you have the uniform on, you're the Air Force and you're the Thunderbirds," SSgt. Mahoney says. "It's a pretty big responsibility. We come out here to represent every other airman in the Air Force. This isn't about representing me, or the pilots, this is about saying ‘this is what your Air Force does.' Because for people who have never lived near a base, or people who have never seen [fighter jets] before, when we roll into a town and they see us, they say ‘Wow, this is what the Air Force is about. This is what they do. This is where my tax money goes.'"

In a typical year, the team will have seven months of air shows, with one location per weekend. The other five months of the year is reserved for training new members of the team. Training includes a 100-ride syllabus that pilots must complete. "The average fighter pilot in the Air Force flies about 180 – 200 hours per year. The Thunderbirds fly about 500 hours per year, so it's a lot of flying," explains Maj. Austin.

Flying the F-16 is a passion for Thunderbird pilots, and they have to earn it through a highly competitive selection process and many years of experience. There are no spare pilots on the Thunderbirds team, due to the fact that each pilot must have an inherent trust for the other pilots. This bond and highly professional skills are necessary to operate the F-16.

Last year, the Thunderbirds made history by introducing the first female demonstration pilot, Maj. Nicole Malachowski. This year, Maj. Samantha Weeks was added to the team as the second female demonstration pilot in history. The 2007 officers include Maj. Austin, Maj. Malachowski, Maj. Weeks, Lt. Col Kevin Robbins, Maj. Ed Casey, Maj.Scott Poteet, Maj. Rob Skelton, Maj. Tad Clark, Flight Surgeon Maj. (Dr.) Dan Mirski, Executive Officer Capt. Amy Glisson, Maintenance Officer Capt. Charles Ploetz, and Public Affairs Officer Capt. Elizabeth Kreft.