United States Air Force Thunderbirds

The United States Air Force Thunderbirds are an aerobatic team of the United States Air Force. The machines of the season are in the U.S. national colors of red, white and blue painted.

History

The squadron was established on 25 May 1953 as the 3600th Air Demonstration Unit at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale. The nickname Thunderbirds (English: Thunder Birds ), which was derived from the Native American culture, was quite fast for the official designation of the season.

The first machines were the squadron F-84 Thunderstreak, which was the best jetgetriebene aircraft for the U.S. Air Force at that time. 1956 joined the squadron on F- 100 Super Sabres, with the even supersonic aerobatics were flown for the first time. The use of the F -105 Thunderchief in 1964 was abandoned due to massive technical problems and because at that time there was considerable need for this machine for the Vietnam War, the squadron returned to the Super Sabres. The F- 4 Phantom was the summer of 1969 then, after 13 years, introduced as a squadron aircraft. During the first oil crisis in 1974 then in comparison to the Phantom much more fuel-efficient T-38 Talon was used. 1976, the 200th anniversary of the United States were the Thunderbirds to the official squadron, which occurred in all major events.

Currently flying the Thunderbirds F-16C Fighting Falcons, after the A- model introduced in 1986 and in 1992 was replaced by the current. Stationed the aerobatic team is in Las Vegas in Nevada since 1956, at Nellis Air Force Base.

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