by Tech. Sgt. Jake Richmond
U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron Public Affairs
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (AFNS) -- The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds announced their 2012 show schedule Dec. 7.
The team is set to perform more than 60 demonstrations in 33 locations, including two shows in Canada.
The team, officially known as the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, will again kick-off their season by performing a flyover for the 54th running of NASCAR's Daytona 500 on Feb. 26. The remainder of the schedule is listed below:
Please note that the air show schedules posted to this blog are subject to change without notice and shows are conducted weather permitting, for everyones safety.
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.
Don't forget to checkout our 13th annual Air Show Guide that will appear in the March 2012 issue of Monitoring Times magazine. It will be loaded with the latest frequencies (for US and foreign teams), combined schedules, and radio equipment recommendations to make your air show experience an enjoyable and pleasurable one.
The web version of our March guide won't be posted to the MT website until mid to late April. 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 subscription and don't miss a single exciting issue of Monitoring Times magazine.
Ed Blog Note: If you attend any of these events with your scanner in hand, I could use your field reports on the frequencies that the team is using. See my latest MT Airshow Guide (link in air show reference sidebar) for what we have reported in the past. If you have anything to share, please contact me at the email address in the masthead of this blog. Your field reports are important to us to keep the annual MT Air Show Guide current.
2012 Show Schedule
February 2012
Feb 26 Daytona 500 Flyover, Daytona Beach, FL
March 2012
Mar 8 Nellis AFB, NV
Mar 17 MCAS Yuma, AZ
Mar 24-25 TBD
Mar 31 Sun ‘n Fun, Lakeland, FL
April 2012
Apr 1 Sun ‘n Fun, Lakeland, FL
Apr 14-15 Davis Monthan AFB, AZ
Apr 21-22 Barksdale AFB, LA
Apr 28-29 Fort Lauderdale, FL
May 2012
May 5-6 Shaw AFB, SC
May 12-13 Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ
May 19-20 March ARB, CA
May 23 Colorado Springs, CO (U.S. Air Force Academy graduation flyover)
May 26-27 Hill AFB, UT
June 2012
Jun 2-3 Rockford, IL
Jun 9-10 Ocean City, MD
Jun 16-17 North Kingstown, RI
Jun 23-24 Indianapolis, IN
Jun 30 Battle Creek, MI
July 2012
Jul 1 Battle Creek, MI
Jul 7-8 Gary, IN
Jul 21-22 Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA
Jul 25 Cheyenne, WY
Jul 28-29 Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, AK
August 2012
Aug 4-5 Hillsboro, OR
Aug 11-12 Abbotsford, ON
Aug 17 Atlantic City, NJ
Aug 25-26 Brunswick, ME
September 2012
Sep 1-2 Davenport, IA
Sep 8-9 Sacramento, CA
Sep 15-16 Scott AFB, IL
Sep 22-23 Salinas, CA
Sep 29-30 McConnell AFB, KS
October 2012
Oct 6-7 Fort Worth, TX
Oct 13-14 Daytona Beach, FL
Oct 20-21 El Paso, TX
Oct 27-28 Moody AFB, GA
November 2012
Nov 3-4 Homestead ARB, FL
Nov 10-11 Nellis AFB, NV
"We are excited about the upcoming season and representing our fellow American Airmen," said Lt. Col. Greg Moseley, who will command and lead the team in the 2012 show season. "We feel honored to tell the story of U.S. Air Force Airmen serving on the front lines of freedom around the world. We will proudly represent each Airmen with the same pride, precision and professionalism in which they perform their duties each and every day."
As of 2012, the Thunderbirds will have been in existence for 59 years, dating back to 1953 when the team flew the straight-winged F-84G Thunderjets. This season will mark the 30th season the squadron has performed in the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the Air Force's premier multi-role fighter aircraft.
The Thunderbirds team is an Air Combat Command unit composed of eight pilots, including six demonstration pilots, four support officers, four civilians and more than 100 enlisted people serving in about 30 Air Force job specialties.
A Thunderbirds aerial demonstration is a mix of formation flying and solo routines. The pilots perform approximately 40 maneuvers in a demonstration. The entire show, including the beginning ground ceremony, lasts about one hour. The air show season lasts roughly from March to November, with the winter months primarily used to train new team members.