Reserve aircrew delivers Thunderbirds team to international air shows

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Joe Yanik
  • 512th AW Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  A C-17 aircrew from the 326th Airlift Squadron transported the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds' 42-person support team and their equipment from Dover Air Force Base, Del., to two international air shows July 3-7.

The Thunderbirds are based at Nellis AFB, Nev., and they tour the United States and much of the world, performing aerobatic formation and solo flying in specially-marked F-16 aircraft. According to their website, the pilots perform approximately 40 maneuvers in a demonstration. The entire show, including ground and air, runs about an hour.

The F-16s followed closely behind the C-17 to the air show at Royal Air Force Waddington Air Base, Lincolnshire, England, then to the air show at Koksijde AB, Belgium, where the C-17 and Thunderbird jets were among the first international aircrafts to arrive. Maj. Jay Miller, aircraft commander for the mission, said a throng of plane spotters and news cameras were waiting there to greet them.

The administrators of the Belgian air show website posted media photos of the U.S. Air Force aerial demonstration team under the Early Arrivals section at http://www.mil.be/airshow/subject/index.asp?LAN=en&ID=1474. Upon landing, Miller demonstrated one of the Globemaster III's maneuvering capabilities.

"The Belgian ground crews were amazed by the turning radius of the C-17," said Miller. "After trying to find a place to park, [we] assisted their ground parking plan by performing a maximum effort 180-degree turn to park exactly in place."

Miller and crew member Capt. Joseph Kodnovich agreed on two memorable aspects of the air shows. The first highlight was the aerial demonstration of the Vulcan Bomber. This British aircraft is well known for its bombing missions of the Falkland Islands in the 1980s. The second was the opportunity for the Thunderbirds' maintenance crew to assist in servicing Belgian Michel 'Mitch' Beulen's F-16. Mitch is a well-acclaimed demonstration pilot in the military aviation community.

Even though the C-17 wasn't exactly the star of the show, Tech Sgt. James Grove, 326th AS loadmaster, said he was still glad to be part of the mission.

"The Thunderbirds were really the tip of the spear," Grove said. "And, it was pretty cool to support them; they were really appreciative."

Both crews from the 326th AS and Thunderbirds Squadron worked well together, he added.

After completing their mission in Europe, Miller recalled how well the Thunderbirds crew represented their country.

"They were a very proud group," Miller said. "They kept a good image, clean, sharp-looking."

In all, the 326th AS flew 47 hours that week including an additional mission to Afghanistan, where they transported the remains of five Marines to a U.S. base in Germany.

From hauling personnel, equipment and supplies to transporting America's fallen heroes, the 326th AS plays a pivotal role in the air mobility mission.