NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev.- 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.
Commander/Leader, Lt. Col. Steve Andersen, who is in his second season with the Thunderbirds, sets the platform for all formation flying.
"From the rush of four jets screaming down the runway in unison during the diamond take off, to sending my three wingmen different directions in hopes we cross back together at the same time during the bomb burst, I am responsible for putting everyone where they need to be on the showline," Andersen said. "No two shows are identical because a timing correction may speed-up or delay our next maneuver, and the winds always push us around. All in all, it makes for an interesting time everywhere we go."
Flying off Colonel Andersen's wings are Maj. Darryl Roberson and Capt. Tony Seely. Aswingmen they must stay even with each other while maintaining an 1 8-inch to three-foot distance between their inner-wing tips and those of the lead aircraft.
"There's no time for a warm-up," Roberson, a Desert Storm veteran who is in his second year onthe left wing, said. "It's tight formation flying as soon as the wheels leave the ground. So many variables go into flying each position of the air demonstration that none of us are interchangeable. For example, in the diamond roll, I have to push my aircraft down to get out of the way as Tony pulls his aircraft up to get over the top."
To stay even with each other, the wingmen use the same set of reference points. "We stay focused on the boss at all times and line up a point on our aircraft with a point on his," Seely, a former F-117 pilot in his first season, said. "In a maneuver such as the arrowhead loop, most people think we're flying off the slot aircraft. However, the boss is still our primary reference and we use the slot to cross-check our spacing. "
Stacked beneath the three-ship formation and directly behind the lead aircraft, slot pilot Maj. Jeff Fiebig rounds out the diamond formation.
"I get a face full of three jets moving fast and close," Fiebig, a Desert Storm veteran and "TopGun" recipient at every operational unit he's served in, said. "There is little room for error because I'm flying very close under the lead aircraft," the first-year Thunderbird pilot said. "It takes intense concentration to fly in the slot because I have to gauge the amount of G-forces and power the boss will use in each maneuver and compensate accordingly. Trust in my wingmen is also important, because I pass very close under Darryl and Tony on several manuevers. To do that, I need to be confident that they're going to hold a steady path."
In addition to showing the public the skill of the Air Force's pilots, the team is also responsible for demonstrating to American taxpayers the qualities of the aircraft they pay for. Thunderbird solo pilots accomplish this mission by highlighting the maximum capabilities of the F-16C Fighting Falcon.
"I enjoy pushing the F-16 to its limits," said Lead Solo, Capt. John Keith "J.K." Switzer, aformer Thunderbird narrator who now leads the solo repertoire. Teamed up with Opposing Solo,Capt. Russ Quinn, the two dazzle onlookers as they counter the diamond on the show line.
As solos, each has several unique maneuvers. Quinn's favorite is the maximum performance turn.
"In the max-performance turn, I'm pulling up to 9Gs, or nine-times my body weight while making a 360-degree turn in a 3,000-foot radius," Quinn said. "It truly shows what a great airplane the F-16is in terms of turn performance."
Switzer enjoys tactical surprise. "We'll get the crowd looking one way with a diamond maneuver and I'll sneak in from behind. The challenging part is trying not to break the sound barrier. This maneuver truly shows that 'once you hear me, it's too late."'
The calypso pass and cross-over break show the exceptional precision of pilot and plane.
"The calypso is a challenging and precise maneuver. I fly on the bottom and must be perfect to get the correct look," Quinn said. "During the calypso, I'm inverted where down is up and left is right,"Switzer said. "But, people can see that there is a number "5" and not an upside down "2" on my aircraft."
The cross-over break follows the calypso.
"This is the time J.K. and I get the closest with converging flight paths," Quinn said. "It's a real eye opener from my cockpit when he passes in front of me." "The cross-over break is close," Switzersaid. "But it is an example of the complete trust Russ and I have in each other."
Even though many look at what Thunderbird pilots do as death-defying, their air demonstration is a mirror-image of the every-day Air Force.
"Safety is considered first and foremost," Andersen said. "Each show consists of a series of maneuvers that every Air Force fighter pilot learns in his or her initial training. The only difference is that we fly them in tighter formation and closer to the ground.
"Being a Thunderbird is intense and meticulous, but very few get the chance to flourish the colors of freedom in the way that we do," Andersen continued. "I believe if you get people to take pride in their country, they take pride in themselves. We carry the torch that lights the path for the next generation of airmen, citizens... and dreamers."