Thunderbird stumping for recruits on NW
by Don Owens, reporter

    “We need pilots,” a Thunderbird told approximately 200 students and staff, during a recruiting and public relations visit on NW Campus earlier this month.

   Maj. Douglas Larson, number two in command of the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, more commonly known as the Thunderbirds, said the Air Force needs another 1,200 pilots.

   “We perform precision aerial maneuvers to exhibit the capabilities of modern high-performance aircraft to people throughout the world. Our squadron exhibits the professional qualities of Air Force people who fly, maintain and support these aircraft,” he said.

   The Thunderbirds were in town to perform at an air show at Alliance Airport.

   The Air Force usually requires that pilots have a four-year degree by their 27th birthday, but because of the shortage, the Air Force will consider applications of people who have not reached their 30th birthday, Larson said.

   The Thunderbirds squadron is an Air Combat Command unit comprised of eight pilots (six are demonstration pilots), four support officers, four civilians, 115 active-duty enlisted people and two National Guardsmen performing in more than 27 different career fields.

   A Thunderbirds air demonstration features six aircraft performing formation flying and solo routines.

   The four-aircraft diamond formation demonstrates the training and precision of Air Force pilots while solos highlight the maximum capabilities of the Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, Larson said.

   “The F-16 is an excellent aircraft. Although it’s not the most powerful fighter in the Air Force, it suits our needs perfectly. I can put a bomb dead center through that window (pointing to a three-foot by three-foot window in the hangar) from 20 miles away,” he said.

   In the future, the Thunderbirds will probably convert to the new Joint Strike Fighters, Larson added.

   “I fly left wing in the diamond formation. We pilots in the diamond formation are like the main event in a circus, and the solo pilots are like the clowns,” he said.

   The pilots perform approximately 30 maneuvers in a demonstration. The entire show, including ground and air, runs about 75 minutes.

   The demonstration season lasts from March to November, with the winter months used for training new pilots.

   “While flying in a demonstration, our wing tips are anywhere between 18 to 36 inches apart, at speeds of over 400 miles per hour. During shows, we travel at mach 0.94, or just under the speed of sound. However, the F-16 has top speeds of over 1,500 miles per hour.

   “During shows, the aircraft pulls up to nine G’s, or nine times the force of gravity. My right arm weighs 20 pounds, but at nine G’s, it weighs 180 pounds. Think of holding that much weight on one arm for an hour,” he said.

   “Next month will end our season, and I will be training my replacement. I am going back to school to get my master’s degree courtesy of the Air Force and the excellent benefits they have,” Larson, who is completing his tour with the Thunderbirds, said.

   Officers serve a two-year assignment with the squadron while the enlisted corps serve three to four years. Nearly a third of all personnel is replaced each year, providing a constant mix of experience levels.

   The squadron performs approximately 80 air demonstrations each year and has never canceled a performance due to maintenance difficulty.

   “I do not even look at the outside of my plane. I fully trust in my crew that my plane is at peak operational levels. That says a lot about our support staff, and you have excellent facilities right here in this hanger for your maintenance students. You are the caliber of people we are looking for,” he said.

   The Thunderbirds were officially activated May 25, 1953, as the 3600th Air Demonstration Unit at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.

   During a June 1953 contest at Luke Air Force Base, the name “Thunderbirds” was selected because of the strong regional folklore and Indian culture of the southwestern United States, where Luke AFB is located. Indian legend has it that thunder and lightning were caused by these great birds: thunder by the flapping of their giant wings and lightning by opening and closing of the birds’ eyes. Thunderstorms were said to be battles between great birds and predatory monsters.

   In 1956, the unit moved to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, and has been based there since.

   During a question-and-answer session, Larson talked about the future of unmanned aircraft now in use.

   “The Predator, an unmanned surveillance craft, has been used with great success in recent combat,” he said.

   “There are plans for future combat aircraft with greater capabilities, but I do not see the time when a man will be totally removed from the cockpit,” he said.

   Larson and several Air Force recruiters presented a poster-sized color photograph of the Thunder-birds flying in their Delta formation to the campus Aviation department.

   Floyd Curtis, associate professor of aviation maintenance, gave TCC aviation department baseball caps to the Thunderbirds.