Officials from the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, "Thunderbirds," have announced its 2010 airshow schedule.
The team's 57th show season is scheduled to take them to more than 65 shows in 27 states and Canada.
Lt. Col. Case Cunningham will join the team as commander and leader for the team and fly the No. 1 position.
Other officers beginning their first season with the team are Thunderbird No. 3, Capt. Chad Shenk, right wing; Thunderbird No. 6, Capt. Aaron Jelinek, opposing solo; Thunderbird No. 8, Maj. John Gallemore, advance pilot and narrator; Thunderbird No. 9, Capt Thom Bowden, flight surgeon.
The new team members will join returning officers Thunderbird No. 2, Maj. John Baum, left wing; Thunderbird No. 4, Maj. Sean Gustafson, slot; Thunderbird No. 5, Maj. Rick Goodman, lead solo; Thunderbird No. 7, Lt. Col. Derek Routt, operations officer; Thunderbird No. 10, Capt. Petrina Hanson, executive officer; Thunderbird No. 11, Maj. David Lemery, maintenance officer; Thunderbird No. 12, Capt. Jason McCree.
The Thunderbirds, originally known as the 3600th Air Demonstration Unit out of Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., was activated May 25, 1953.
The demonstration squadron is an Air Combat Command unit composed of eight pilots, including six demonstration pilots, four support officers, four civilians and about 110 enlisted people performing in more than 29 Air Force specialties.
The Thunderbirds' aerial demonstration is a mix of formation flying and solo routines. The pilots perform about 40 maneuvers in a demonstration. The entire show, including ground and air, runs about one hour. The airshow season lasts from March to November, with the winter months used to train new members.
"We are humbled to have the opportunity to travel the U.S and Canada this year, representing the 700,000 Airmen in America's Air Force," Captain McCree said.
Stay tuned to the MMP blog and check the Milcom Blog Guide to Airshows section on the right hand side of this blog for links to other schedules and field reports from readers during the airshow season.
This schedule is subject to change without notice and is weather permitting, for everyone's safety.
2010 Show Schedule
March 2010
March 20-21 Aerospace and Arizona Days - Davis Monthan AFB, AZ http://www.dm.af.mil/
March 27-28 Maxwell-Gunter Open House & Airshow - Maxwell AFB, AL http://www.maxwell.af.mil/
April 2010
April 10-11 Eglin AFB Open House and Air Show - Eglin AFB, FL http://www.eglin.af.mil/airshow2010.asp
April 17-18 Sun'n Fun Fly-In - Lakeland, FL http://www.sun-n-fun.org/
April 24-25 Barksdale AFB Open House and Air Show - Barksdale AFB, LA http://www.barksdaleairshow.org/
May 2010
May 01 Dyess AFB Open House & Air Show - Dyess AFB, TX http://www.dyess.af.mil/
May 02 Altus AFB Airshow - Altus AFB, OK http://www.altus.af.mil/
May 08-09 Shaw Fest '10 - Shaw AFB, SC http://www.shaw.af.mil/
May 15-16 Columbus AFB, MS http://www.columbus.af.mil/
May 22 Thunder Over the River - Grand Forks AFB, ND http://www.grandforks.af.mil/
May 26 US Air Force Academy, CO http://www.usafa.af.mil/
May 29-30 Southern Wisconsin Air Fest - Janesville, WI http://www.swairfest.org/
June 2010
June 05-06 OC Air Show 2010 - Ocean City, MD - http://ocairshow.com/
June 12-13 Québec International Air Show - Québec City, PQ Canada
June 19-20 Star Spangled Salute - Tinker AFB, OK http://www.starspangledsalute.com/
June 26-27 Rhode Island Open House and Air Show - North Kingston, RI http://www.riairshow.com/
July 2010
July 10-11 Gary's South Shore Air Show - Gary, IN http://www.garyairshow.com/
July 17-18 Duluth Air & Aviation Expo - Duluth, MN http://www.duluthairshow.com/2010/index.html
July 21 Cheyenne Frontier Days - Cheyenne, WY http://www.cfdrodeo.com/
July 24-25 Fairchild AFB Air Show - Fairchild AFB, WA http://www.fairchild.af.mil/
July 31 Rockford Airfest 2010 - Rockford, IL http://www.flyrfd.com/
August 2010
August 01 Rockford Airfest 2010 - Rockford, IL http://www.flyrfd.com/
August 07-08 Moffett Field Air Show - Moffett Field, CA
August 14-15 Abbotsford International Airshow - Abbotsford, Canada http://www.abbotsfordairshow.com/
August 21-22 Westfield International Airshow = Westfield (Barnes Air National Guard Base Open House), MA http://www.barnesairport.com/news/events-archives/77-westfield-international-airshow-returns-in-2010
August 25 Atlantic City Air Show - Thunder over the Boardwalk - Atlantic City, NJ http://www.atlanticcitynj.com/acairshow.aspx
August 28-29 Coney Island Air Show - Brooklyn (Coney Island), NY
September 2010
September 04-05 Thunder over the Blue Ridge Airshow - Martinsburg, WV http://www.martinsburgairshow.com/
September 11-12 Wings Over Pittsburgh - Coraopolis (Pittsburgh), PA http://www.wingsoverpittsburgh.com/
September 18-19 Wings over Whiteman - Whiteman AFB, MO http://www.wingsoverwhiteman.com/
September 25-26 McConnell AFB Open House 2010 - McConnell AFB, KS http://www.mcconnell.af.mil/
October 2010
October 02-03 California International Airshow - Salinas, CA http://www.salinasairshow.com/
October 09-10 Airpower Arkansas - Little Rock AFB, AR http://www.littlerock.af.mil/
October 16-17 Amigo Airsho - El Paso, TX http://www.amigoairsho.org/
October 23-24 Wings Over Houston Air Show - Houston, TX http://www.wingsoverhouston.com/
October 30-31 Cocoa Beach Air Show - Cocoa Beach, FL http://www.cocoabeachairshow.com/
November 2010
November 06-07 Lackland AirFest '10 - Lackland AFB, TX http://www.lackland.af.mil/airshow/index.asp
November 13-14 Aviation Nation 2010 - Las Vegas Air Show - Nellis AFB, NV http://www.nellis.af.mil/
Don't forget to checkout our eleventh annual MT Air Show Guide that will appear in the March 2010 issue of Monitoring Times magazine. It will be loaded with the latest frequencies (for U.S. and foreign teams), combined schedules, and radio equipment recommendations to make your air show experience an enjoyable and pleasurable one.
We are also running special issues throughout the season with aero and LMR frequency profiles at each military base the team will perform at. The first of those base profiles will be in the February issue of MT in our monthly Milcom columm.
The electronic web version of our March Air Show Guide won't be posted to the Monitoring Times website until late April to early May. This is done as a courtesy to our subscribers and readers who pay the freight. So get your copy of the March issue before it sells out when it is released in the last week of February. Better yet, get a year's subscription (available in print and electronic versions) and don't miss a single issue of Monitoring Times magazine.