U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Perform at 1999 National Championship Air Races

With a home base at Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas, the six-man team of Thunderbird pilots perform 36 precision aerial maneuvers in their 40-minute aerial program which is a mix of formation flying and solo routines.

History
The Thunderbirds were officially activated May 25, 1953, as the 360th Air Demonstration Team at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. The unit's first aircraft was the straightwinged F-84G Thunderjet, a combat-proven fighter-bomber that had seen extensive action in the Korean War. Early in 1955, the Thunderbirds transitioned to the swept-wing F-84F Thunderstreak.

In June 1956, the team moved to its current home at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. At the same time, the Thunderbirds traded the veteran F-84 for the world's first supersonic fighter, the F-100 Super Sabre - the aerial platform that would serve the Thunderbirds for 13 years. The F-100 years were memorable. In the middle of the F-100 era, the team changed briefly to the F-105B Thunderchief. After only six shows in 1964, due to an extensive modification that became necessary on all Thunderchiefs, the Thunderbirds transitioned to the F-100D, a jet that was capable of air refueling, which allowed the squadron to fly greater distances in less time.

From 1969 to 1973, the Thunderbirds flew the Air Force's frontline fighter of the time, the F-4E Phantom II. In five seasons, the team performed more than 500 demonstrations while traveling to 30 of the 50 states, Canada, Central America, and Europe.

In 1974, the Thunderbirds converted to the T-38A Talon, the world's first supersonic trainer aircraft. The T-38 was more fuel efficient and less costly to maintain than the larger F-4. The team flew nearly 600 demonstrations during eight seasons with the Talon.

Early in 1983, the Thunderbirds reinstituted their traditional role of demonstrating the Air Force's frontline fighter capabilities. Transitioning to the F-16A Fighting Falcon allowed the team to demonstrate the very latest in fighter technology. In 1987, the Thunderbirds became the first U.S. demonstration squadron to perform in a communist country, as the team visited China. In 1991, the team traveled to Europe for the first time since 1984.

In 1992, the Thunderbirds transitioned to the F-16C for their aerial demonstrations. The Squadron was the last active-duty unit to convert to the upgraded model. The conversion took place simply because the team represents the rest of the Air Force and every frontline F-16 squadron employs the F-16C. The switch also made sense for logistical and combat-conversion reasons.

The 40th anniversary air demonstration season was abruptly cut short after a pilot injury. The commander/leader was unable to fly the final 14 scheduled air demonstrations due to a lower back injury. The lead jet position serves as the platform for all the maneuvers performed during an air demonstration and as leader, his style of everything - from making the majority of radio calls to his steady inputs of airmanship - is critical to the success of every performance.

The 1994 demonstration season proudly ushered in the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron's fifth decade. The Thunderbirds flew 67 air demonstrations in front of more than 6 million people. Traveling to the Far East in August, the squadron's 26-day "Thunder Over the Pacific" tour showed 1.3 million spectators in Alaska, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Guam, and Hawaii the capabilities of American air power.

F-16 Fighting Falcon
The Thunderbirds switched to the F-16A Falcon in 1983 and at the present time fly the F16-C Falcon, a modernized version.

A highly-maneuverable, multi-role fighter which has proven itself to be one of the world's best precision tactical bombers and air-to-air combat aircraft, the F-16C Fighting Falcon is an American-made fighter-bomber, built by General Dynamics (currently Lockheed). The Falcon's specs include:

• 49 feet, 6 inches long
• 31 foot wingspan
• 16.7 feet in height
• 3.700 pounds gross weight at take-off
• 1,500 mph (mach 2+) maximum speed
• 50,000 feet ceiling

In an air combat role, the F-16's maneuverability and combat radius (distance it can enter air combat, stay, fight, and return) exceed that of all potential threat fighter aircraft. It can locate targets in all weather conditions and detect low flying aircraft in radar ground clutter. In the air-to-ground role, the F-16 can fly more than 500 miles, deliver its weapons with superior accuracy, defend itself against enemy aircraft, and return to its origin base. An all-weather capability allows it to accurately deliver ordinance during non-visual bombing conditions.

The F-16 can withstand up to nine G's (nine times the force of gravity) wit its internal fuel tanks filled - greater than any other current fighter aircraft. The cockpit and its bubble canopy are designed to give the pilot unobstructed forward and upward vision, and greatly improved vision over the side and to the rear. The seat-back angle was expanded from a standar 13 degrees to 30 degrees, increasing pilot comfort and G-force tolerance. The pilot has excellent flight control of the F-16 through its "fly-by-wire" system. Electrical wires relay commands, replacing the cables and linkage controls.

Avionics systems include a highly accurate inertial navigation system in which a computer provides global positioning and steering information to the pilot. The plane uses UHF and VHF radios plus an instrument landing system. It also has a radio/threat warning system and modular counter measure pods to be used against airborne or surface electronic threats. The fuselage also has space for additional avionics systems.

Pilot Training
Months of preparation, years of training and a lifetime of dreaming are condensed into an hour and 15-minute Thunderbird air demonstration. These shows are designed in hopes they will inspire the young, instill confidence in the old, and make Americans everywhere proud of their Air Force.

Approximately 30 maneuvers in a mix of six aircraft performing formation flying and solo routines go into a Thunderbird air demonstration. The four-aircraft diamond formation represents a practical demonstration of the skills and training of every U.S. Air Force fighter pilot. This includes everything from basic loops, rolls and formation flying , to advanced air combat tactics.