Happy anniversary, U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds

Seventy years of high-flying drama and excitement

May 1, 2023 By Julie Summers Walker

We’ve been fascinated by flight for more than 100 years, but it was after World War II that what we really needed was a need for speed—to borrow a famous movie line—and the excitement of seeing our armed forces exert the air power that won a war.

70th anniversary

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson

In the 1950s the team used F–84F Thunderstreaks modified with smoke tanks and red, white, and blue drag chutes. Since 1953, the Thunderbirds team has served as the premier U.S. Air Force air demonstration squadron, flying in incredibly tight formation. U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Cory Bush

In the 1950s, airshows became an exciting part of our cultural landscape as well as a powerful recruitment tool for the military. The U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels came first in 1946, and the U.S. Air Force, which had several aerobatics teams, formed the Thunderbirds in May 1953, and performed its first show that July. The Thunderbirds are members of the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, part of the 57th Wing. The squadron was originally based at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, a region with strong Native American traditions. In many tribes the thunderbird is a supernatural creature with tremendous strength and power. The objectives of the squadron are to support recruiting and retention for the U.S. Air Force as well as strengthen public perception and morale. The Thunderbirds fly F–16 Fighting Falcons, which have been the team aircraft since 1983. Today, the Thunderbirds are based at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. A Thunderbird squadron comprises eight pilots, four support officers, three civilians, and approximately 130 enlisted personnel. The team flies formations as well as solo flights. In formation, the the lead airplane can be just 18 inches from the canopy of the next aircraft. The airplanes reach speeds of 700 mph; the average speed in a demonstration is 400 mph. The demonstration is a mix of six aircraft flying in formation. The team performs at airshows throughout the country.

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