6 (T-38A) crashed while performing the hi-lo Maneuver. 1 jet during flight formations, demonstrating the teamwork and precision of America's Air Force. Randi Winther, Director of Staff, 59th Test and Evaluation Squadron, Nellis AFB, NV. In rebuilding the Thunderbird Team, the Air Force recruited previous Thunderbird pilots, qualified each in the F-16A, and had them begin by flying "two-ship" maneuvers, then expanded the program one airplane at a time up to the full six airplanes. In 2007, during Maj. Malachowski's final season as a Thunderbird, the team selected its second female pilot, Captain Samantha Weeks, who flew the No. A pilot with the U.S. Air Force's elite Thunderbirds flight-demonstration team died Wednesday when the pilot's F-16 crashed near Nellis Air Force Base outside Las Vegas. The Arrowhead involves maneuvers in tight formation with as little as 18 inches (46cm) fuselage to canopy separation. Colonel Smith, of Rossville, Ga., who was 40 years old, had been commander of the team for three years. They are the Air Force's marquee recruiting and public outreach tool. LAS VEGAS, NV The Air Force Thunderbirds this week selected new officers and pilots who will join the squadron in September for the 2022 and 2023 air show seasons. Anyone can read what you share. Three new pilots were selected in addition to a flight surgeon and an operations officer. The suit for the pilot of the number 5 airplane has the number sewn upside-down. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Female Thunderbird pilot inspiring others to chase their dreams Christopher Boitz/Air Force, Artworkcourtesy ofAircraftProfilePrints.com. The Facebook Like button and social widgets are used to interact with the Facebook social networkand are provided byFacebook Ireland Ltd. His footage helped to determine the cause for the AFR 127-4 (the Air Force Regulation covering "Investigating and Reporting US Air Force Mishaps") accident investigation. Personal Information processed: Usage Data; Tracker, Losses and Aviation Safety / Military Aviation, Airshows / Losses and Aviation Safety / Military Aviation, Dario Leone and The Aviation Geek Club, 2016. It is the transport vehicle for several smaller rescue vehicles held in pods, although its capacity for heavy lifting makes it useful in its own right during many rescues. Pilot #7 is the operations officer and #8 is the narrator and coordinator of the show. [citation needed] Additional stops along the way included aerial demonstrations in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria's Graf Ignatievo Air Base, Italy, France and England, where the Thunderbirds participated in the Royal International Air Tattoo, the world's largest military air show. [19] Team members made recruiting appearances in the Las Vegas area that did not require travel. The Air Force team, like the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels, had switched to smaller aircraft after the 1973 oil crisis (the Navy switched from F-4 Phantoms to smaller A-4 Skyhawks). Major Michelle Curran, call sign "Mace," is the only female fighter pilot on the Thunderbirds, the Air Force's demonstration team. He flew more than 40 types of aircraft including fighter, reconnaissance and cargo planes. April 4, 2018: Major Stephen Del Bagno killed during a training flight. Ken Johansen, a member of the Geico Skytypers Air Show Team for more than a decade, died in the crash of his North American SNJ-2 in Melville, New York, on May 30. The 2007 European Goodwill Tour was the Thunderbirds's first visit to Europe after the 11 September attacks. The Thunderbirds will flew over Las Vegas to show appreciation and support for the healthcare workers, first responders and other essential personnel who are working on the front lines to combat COVID-19. From the end of the runway the four-ship Thunderbird team get ready to begin their takeoff roll with the words "Thunderbirds, let's run em up!" The 2009 Far East Tour took the team to multiple locations on the western border of the Pacific Rim and included performances in Hawaii, Australia, Malaysia, Guam, Thailand, Japan and South Korea. This is the third aircraft loss in less than 24 months for the team. Maj. Stephen Del Bagno died when his F-16 Fighting Falcon jet crashed during routine trainingon the Nevada Test and Training Range about 10:30 a.m., military officials said. Nicole Malachowski surprised audiences not just in the air, but especially when she stepped out of the cockpit of the fighter jet as the first woman to be . [4] However, the Air Force concluded that the crash was due to a jammed stabilizer on the lead jet. The team traveled abroad again in 1996, visiting Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovenia. In mirror formations, one Thunderbird must be inverted, and it is always number 5. Greenville, South Carolina, "Thunderbird Ejection Seat", catastrophic loss during pre-season training, National Museum of the United States Air Force, Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, 57th Fighter Weapons (later, 57th Tactical Training; 57th Fighter Weapons; 57th Fighter; 57th) Wing, "Four Air Force Thunderbirds killed in crash", "AFHRA United States Air Force Thunderbirds lineage and history", First woman Thunderbird pilot proud to serve, Major Nicole Malachowski and Major Samantha Weeks, Sequestration measures cancel Thunderbirds' appearances past April 1, List of air show accidents and incidents#1981, "Thunderbird pilot ejects as F-16C crashes at airshow", "Thunderbirds fighter jet crashes in Colorado Springs after flyover at Air Force Academy graduation", "Thunderbird F-16 crashes after Academy graduation; pilot unhurt", "Faulty Throttle Contributed to Thunderbirds Crash: Report", "Blue Angels pilot killed in Tennessee crash", "Excessive speed blamed for Thunderbird crash in Dayton", "19 killed in plane crash in southwest Idaho", "Plane crashes into knoll, taking lives of 19 aboard", "2 Thunderbird fliers killed in rehearsal", "Two aerobatic jets collide, 1 falls, 2 die", "Crash of jet kills narrator for precision flying team", "Thunderbird jet crash kills team's leader", "Air Force identifies Thunderbirds pilot killed in F-16 crash in Nevada", "National Museum of the Air Force FactSheet: Four Horsemen", "Visiting the USAF Thunderbirds Museum at Nellis", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=United_States_Air_Force_Thunderbirds&oldid=1134782923, 24 September 1961: TSgt John Lesso of the Thunderbirds, 4 June 1972: Major Joe Howard, flying Thunderbird No. [7], "At the speed they were going when they came out of the loop, I just thought, "That's the end of that for them fellows,'" said W. G. Wood of Indian Springs, who witnessed the crash as he drove along US95. Wilbur L. Creech - General, United States Air Force 3 position, making her the first female to hold a pilot position in the team's 53-year history. [1] While practicing the four-plane diamond loop, the formation impacted the ground at high speed, instantly killing all four pilots: Major Norman L. Lowry (commander/leader), Captain Willie Mays, Captain Joseph N. "Pete" Peterson, and Captain Mark Melancon. >>PHOTOS: Thunderbird flips on its top at Dayton Air Show. The form of anonymisation is no longer acceptable. Thunderbirds pilot dies in F-16 crash in Nevada - ABC News Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. He stated that he erased the tape because it would likely be used for sensationalism purposes and he was concerned about the privacy of the victims' families. Behind the scenes at Thunderbird training Behind the scenes at Thunderbird training. CLEVELAND -- The commander of the Air Force Thunderbirds precision flying team died Tuesday in the crash of his T-38 jet, which apparently lost power when its engines sucked up . Personal Data collected: NonePlace of processing: Ireland Privacy PolicyOpt Out. Facebook Like button and social widgets (Facebook, Inc.). 6 opposing solo position.[17][18]. "Teammate and Executive Officer Ken Johansen was killed in the crash," said Brenda Little, a spokeswoman for the team. St. Thomas Alumna Flies High as Sixth Female Pilot in History of the The move to Nellis also resulted in the first assignment of buildings and hangar space to the team.[14]. The top-rated show "Qualifications of Man" did a one-hour feature on the Thunderbirds and resulted from a coordinated media pitch to the network and the Republic of Korea Air Force. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds have announced five new officer selections for the 2023-2024 air show seasons. Nearing the end the Diamond pulls straight up into the vertical to perform the signature "Bomb Burst," where all four aircraft break off in separate directions while a solo goes straight up through the maneuver and performs aileron rolls until 3 miles (4.8km) above the ground. [11] In the spring of 1955, under their second commander/leader (September 1954 February 1957), Captain Jacksel M. Broughton,[12] they moved to the swept-wing F-84F Thunderstreak aircraft, in which they performed 91 air shows, and received their first assigned support aircraft, a C-119 Flying Boxcar. The Air Force formed the Thunderbirds in 1953. Air Force identifies Thunderbirds pilot killed in F-16 crash By clicking on "Customise" you can select which profiling cookies to activate. The Thunderbirds were established 65 years ago and continue to perform in front of millions of people every year. World List 2.09M subscribers Subscribe 3.3M views 2 years ago #planecrash #worldlist #gonewrong From pilots going "too big" in their. David L. Hauck, 34 years old, a native of Mingo Junction, Ohio, who was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base outside Las Vegas, Nev, a spokesman. Thunderbirds Announce 2023-2024 Officer Selections [7][8] The cause of the crash was determined by the USAF to be the result of a mechanical problem with the No. The Air Force has identified the Thunderbirds pilot killed in an F-16 crash in Nevada on Wednesday as Maj. Stephen Del Bagno, an experienced pilot with more than 3,500 hours of flight time. Beginning in June 1982, the F-16 Thunderbirds were led by Major Jim Latham. Only three fatal crashes have occurred during air shows, two of them in jets: The first was the death of Major Joe Howard, flying Thunderbird No. The commander of the Air Force Thunderbirds precision flying - UPI Air Force Stunt Team'S Chief Dies in Crash Possibly Caused by Birds When he succeeds the bank decides to upgrade the alarm system. [9], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}363518N 1154048W / 36.5884N 115.680W / 36.5884; -115.680, 1982 Thunderbirds Indian Springs Diamond Crash, The deadliest Thunderbird accident was the crash of a team support, U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Air Demonstration Team, "Misjudgment held 'possible' in fatal Thunderbirds crash", "Air Force finds mechanical failure led to crashes of flying team", "The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, Turn 50, Part One", "Partial Videotape Erasure of 1982 Air Force Thunderbirds Crash (GAO/NSIAD-84-153)", Link access to USAF Mishap Investigation Report re 18 January 1982 "Diamond Accident", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1982_Thunderbirds_Indian_Springs_Diamond_Crash&oldid=1119514540, This page was last edited on 2 November 2022, at 00:14. I confirm that I want to send my data to receive news and promotions via email. Gene Devlin died in an F-105 crash on May 9, 1964. The first female Viper pilot relieved of duty after two weeks Photo courtesy of the Geico Skytypers Air Show Team. They have a total of eight different formations: The Diamond, Delta, Stinger, Arrowhead, Line-Abreast, Trail, Echelon and the Five Card. In total, twenty-one Thunderbirds pilots have been killed in the team's history. It was awarded nine Presidential Unit Citations in World War II. Hauck, a 1971 graduate of the Air Force Academy, had been with the Thunderbirds for a year. [24] Capt Hauck crashed while attempting to land his ailing T-38 after an engine malfunctioned and caught fire. Get the best aviation news, stories and features from The Aviation Geek Club in our newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. Eight officers serve as our highly experienced pilots, and four serve in critical roles from medical support to public affairs. The Thunderbirds, known formally as the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, suspended public performances for six weeks after Del Bagnos loss. Both the pilot, Lieut. The United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron "Thunderbirds" fly over Las Vegas, Nev., April 11, 2020. He served as a navigator with the 522nd Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing, McClellan Air Force Base, California, and McCoy Air Force Base, Florida, from February 1961 to March 1964. Pilot With Unit for a Year. Captain Jeff Kuss was performing the Split-S maneuver just after takeoff when he crashed. Below are some of the more notable members of the Thunderbirds: This article incorporates public domain material from the .mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#3a3;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}Air Force Historical Research Agency. The official USAF announcement reads as such: "A U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds pilot was killed when his F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed over the Nevada Test and Training Range today at approximately 10:30 a.m. during a routine aerial demonstration training flight. Their 3,000th air show was performed in 1990, and in 1991 the team went overseas to perform air shows in Switzerland, Poland, and Hungary. Feb. 17, 1970. An investigation of the crash was underway and the Thunderbirds' appearance this weekend at March Air Reserve Base in California has been canceled. OUR TEAM The officers and enlisted Airmen who make up the Thunderbirds embody professionalism and skill. The mishap took place during a practice of the High Show version of the Thunderbirds aerial demonstration in the south part of the NTTR. Schlichting is set to fly Thunderbird 3, becoming the teams right wing pilot. "[6], Initial speculation was that the accident might have been due to pilot error, that the leader might have misjudged his altitude or speed and the other three pilots repeated the error. Wreckage was strewn across a 1-square-mile area of the desert 60 miles north of Las Vegas. President Barack Obama meets with Thunderbird pilot Maj. Alex Turner at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo., Thursday, June 2, 2016, before returning to Washington, D.C., on Air . "Bill" and C.C. Dario Leone, Via Mazzini 45, 27030, Langosco (Pavia), VAT IT 02787650189. He was a Top Gun Instructor, a United States Air Force Thunderbird Pilot, as well as an F-16 Squadron Commander. Retrieved 30 August 2010. Google uses the Personal Data collected to track and examine the use of this Application, compile reports on its activities and share them with other services developed by Google. Our Team - Air Force The F-16 that crashed in the Nevada Test and Training Range on Wednesday morning belonged to the United States Air Force Flight Demonstration Team, more popularly known as the Thunderbirds. Enlisted personnel performed gate checks and base housing inspections. During this tour, the Thunderbirds performed at their first-ever air show in Ireland. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. The first F-16A Fighting Falcon in Thunderbird colors arrived at Nellis AFB, Nevada, on 22 June 1982. Pilot killed after US Navy Blue Angels jet crashes in Tennessee 2023 Cox Media Group. By JOHN J. SPETZ. Smith ejected from the plane, but his parachute did not deploy. Captain Jerry D. S. Bolt, [USAF Academy] Class of 1964, was killed in an aircraft accident 73 miles north of Nellis AFB, NV on 21 December 1972. 4, crashed over the, Organized as: 3600th Air Demonstration Team, 25 May 1953, Organized as: 3595th Air Demonstration Flight, 19 November 1956, Constituted as: USAF Air Demonstration Squadron, and activated 13 February 1967, Consolidated on 19 September 1985 with 30th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), first organized on 13 June 1917, 3600th Fighter Training Wing, 25 May 1953 23 June 1956, USAF Advanced Fighter School, 19 November 1956 25 February 1967, USAF Tactical Fighter Weapons Center, 25 February 1967, Nellis AFB, Nevada, 19 November 1956 25 February 1967, North American F-100 Super Sabre, 19641966, North American F-100 Super Sabre, 19671968, This page was last edited on 20 January 2023, at 16:43. Gene Devlin's F-105 crash on May 9, 1964. A U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds pilot crashed his F-16 Fighting Falcon in April after experiencing a gravity-induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC) during an aerial maneuver over the Nevada Test and . Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He was in his first season with the Thunderbirds flight demonstration team, after serving with the 58th Fighter Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida as an F-35A stealth jet evaluation pilot. Passenger Technical Sargent Kenneth Cordova is trapped during the crash but uninjured. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Del Bagno, along with five other elite Thunderbird pilots, was practicing an aerial maneuver called the High Bomb Burst Rejoin, and flew inverted for about 22 seconds at about 5,500 to 5,700 feet above ground level, where he experienced up to negative two G-forces, the report said. "He was an integral part of our team and our hearts are heavy with his loss. Air Force identifies Thunderbirds pilot killed in F-16 crash in Nevada Updated on: April 5, 2018 / 6:58 PM The squadron was almost torpedoed on its troop ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean. He was an integral part of our team and our hearts are heavy with his loss. In Captain Marvel, Brie Larson plays Carol Danvers, an Air Force fighter pilot who uses the special powers she gains during an accident to save the galaxy. One of the Thunderbirds' standing engagements is the annual commencement ceremony at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Del Bagno, whose call sign was Cajun, was an experienced F-35 pilot, whose love of flying, enthusiasm and excitement for his first season with the Thunderbirds was apparent to all. Broughton was hand-selected by Catledge to replace him, and is the only captain to serve as commander/leader of the team. Behind the scenes at Thunderbird training, WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio facebook feed(Opens a new window), WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio twitter feed(Opens a new window), WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio youtube feed(Opens a new window), NewsCenter 7 had rare access to Thunderbirds just weeks before crash, PHOTOS: Thunderbird flips on its top at Dayton Air Show, As a community, we are just crushed; Southern Ohio township mourns loss of 4 in murder-suicide, At least 1 person injured after being hit by Dayton police cruiser, Reality star Honey Boo Boo inside speeding car involved in chase with deputies in Georgia, Sedan crashes into Springfield home, damages utility poles, wires, Dayton breaks 70-year-old rainfall record following storm; Cincinnati, Columbus receive record rain, EEOC Statement for WHIO-TV and WHIO-AM/FM. >> MORE:NewsCenter 7 had rare access to Thunderbirds just weeks before crash. Erik Gonsalves was injured when, during landing, Thunderbird No. The aircraft, a T-38A Talon jet, crashed in an open field about 250 yards short of the south end of the base runway at 3:18 P.M. The Thunderbirds pilot died during a routine training flight at the Nevada Test and Training Range around 10:30 a.m., the Air Force confirmed in a statement. The Thunderbirds were practicing at Indian Springs Air Force Auxiliary Field, Nevada (now Creech Air Force Base) for a performance at DavisMonthan AFB, Arizona. / CBS/AP. On 19 September 1985, the USAF Air Demonstration Squadron was consolidated by Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA) with the 30th Bombardment Squadron, a unit which was organized on 13 June 1917.[9]. The team continues to fly the F-16, having switched from the F-16A to the F-16C in 1992. ^ "GAO: April 2007: Tactical Aircraft: DOD Needs a Joint and Integrated Investment Strategy". Death 24 May 1986 (aged 39) . Jeffrey Simmer Downie, T-38C IFF Instructor/Evaluator Pilot and Chief of Standardization/Evaluation, 435th Fighter Trainer Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, TX, Thunderbird 10: Capt. John Durham's genius and the death of the 'Russia hoax' . Major Lauren "Threat" Schlichting '12 is one of only six female pilots in the 69-year history of the squadron and the second female Thunderbird to have graduated from the University of St. Thomas. [13], The Thunderbirds' aircraft were again changed in June 1956, to the F-100C Super Sabre, which gave the team supersonic capability. Although an official inquiry was ordered, Gen. W.L. Created 70 years ago in 1953, the USAF Thunderbirds are the third-oldest formal flying aerobatic team (under the same name) in the world, after the French Air Force Patrouille de France formed in 1931 and the United States Navy Blue Angels formed in 1946. The squadron was withdrawn to Australia, being reformed and later attacked Japan as a B-29 Superfortress squadron in 1945. In this file photo, Maj. Stephen Del Bagno, Thunderbird 4/Slot Pilot, preforms preflight checks in his F-16 Fighting Falcon at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Jan. 26, 2018. Pilots #2 to #6 are demonstration pilots: #2 is the left wing, #3 is the right wing, #4 is the slot, # 5 is the lead solo and #6 is the opposite solo. In June 2005, the Thunderbirds selected Major Nicole Malachowski for the No. They also performed the first American military demonstration in a communist country when the team visited Beijing, China, in 1987.[3]. 27 July 1960: Capt J.R. Crane, advance pilot and narrator for the team, was killed during a solo proficiency flight at Nellis. 1982 Thunderbirds Indian Springs Diamond Crash - Wikipedia Thunderbird 2 is International Rescue 's heavy-equipment transporter, used primarily for missions dealing specifically within the Earth's atmosphere. A pilot with the Navy's elite Blue Angels squadron was killed Thursday in Tennessee just hours after an Air Force Thunderbird pilot was forced to eject from his jet in Colorado, authorities. Clicking on "Accept" authorises all profiling cookies. Jim Jannette, director of public relations for the Thunderbirds. Those conditions also lessened the effectiveness of his anti-G force straining maneuver. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Photo credit: Master Sgt. The other pilots, in accordance with their training, did not break formation. The switch saw an alteration of the flight routine to exhibit the aircraft's maneuverability in tight turns, and ended the era of the black tail on the No. Fear of Landing - Ejection 0.8 Seconds Before Impact Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds - The Official Gerry Anderson Website Bolt Hall, the 99th Force Support Squadron building, is named for Capt Jerry D. S. Bolt who crashed 21 Dec 1972 while a Thunderbird team member. It also signaled a shift in their performance routinefor example, the Cuban Eight opening routine was dropped, and emphasis was placed on low, screaming flyovers and demonstrations of takeoff performance. This practice remained in force through the 1973 season. 4 (slot). Pulling 7 G's in an F-16 -Smarter Every Day 235 SmarterEveryDay 19M views 2 years ago Almost yours: 2 weeks, on us 100+ live channels are. There's pieces of wreckage all over. To that, he responded: "Hang on we have a bunch of people down there". Four pilots were killed when their planes went down at Thunderbird Lake. Thanks to engineer Brains, one of the world's leading scientific minds, iR is among the most . WAVY Archive: 1982 Hampton Thunderbird Pilots Death - Peterson The Air Force's premier air. The pilot ejected and was medically evaluated. Performances resumed in 2014.[20][21]. His death rocked the Air Force, and especially the Thunderbird community, which grieved his loss. Witnesses said that after passing over the spectator area, the jet turned and headed toward the runway with its landing gear down. FT. GEORGE G. MEADE (AFNS) -- Since 1953, the Air Force's air demonstration team, the Thunderbirds, have captivated spectators across the world and showed its audiences what the Air Force's aircraft are capable of. The squadron exhibits the professional qualities the Air Force develops in the people who fly, maintain and support these aircraft. During the Korean War, the 30th attacked North Korean targets with B-29's. In 2009 the Thunderbirds hired their first-ever Air National Guard pilot, Lt. Col. Derek Routt as Thunderbird No. The United States Postal Service honored the Air Force's 50th anniversary as a separate branch of the military in 1997 with a limited edition stamp featuring the Thunderbirds. July 2002 - January 2004, Thunderbird Opposing Solo Pilot, Nellis AFB, Nev 12. Family remembers pilot, a Reno native, who died in Las Vegas crash This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. Today, we remember and celebrate the life of Maj. Stephen Del Bagno. Place of processing: Ireland Privacy Policy. July 27, 1960: Captain J. R. Crane killed during a solo proficiency flight.