USAF Thunderbirds highlight ‘Soaring Into Solstice’ air show at Eielson
Published Tuesday, June 24, 2008
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Stumble It!FAIRBANKS — Those heading to Eielson Air Force Base for today’s free open house and air show will see one of the truly elite pilot teams in the United States.
The Air Force Thunderbirds’ “Soaring Into Solstice” demonstration is headlining the show, one of two the team will hold in Alaska this week — the group also performs this weekend in Anchorage.
Samantha Weeks, an Air Force major and lead solo pilot of the Thunderbirds, said Sunday that the Thunderbirds team has three roles: Represent the Air Force around the world, recruit potential airmen and help retain members of the enlisted force. The retention angle comes via the sense of pride and patriotism the team carries from base to base on the red, white and blue wings of the F-16 Thunderbirds.
“They’re proud of what we do, and we’re proud to represent them,” she said.
The team arrived last weekend in Fairbanks from Oregon.
The Thunderbirds’ eight pilots — six participate in each demonstration — all have combat experience. Their jets, however, are tailored for air shows and have had their weapons removed, said Maj. Anthony Mulhare. In place of a gun, each carries a device used to release smoke during a show.
“They’re just like in NASCAR, stripped down to go fast and be super-maneuverable,” he said Monday.
Pilots on the team perform about 40 technically challenging maneuvers during each demonstration. They start four miles apart for each maneuver before racing toward each other at hundreds of miles per hour — the “closure” rate is 1,000 miles an hour. The maneuvers typically end with a “knife edge” or a “four-point roll,” Weeks said.
The air show will also feature helicopters from Fort Wainwright Army Post and KC-135 Stratotankers, UH-60 Black Hawks and F-22 Raptors, according to the Air Force.
The military has promoted today’s air show well in advance. Reporters were invited to interview the team of pilots Sunday, and one accompanied Mulhare on Monday for a ride.
The F-16 can reach over twice the speed of sound and pulls turns tight enough to leave pilots and passengers experiencing centrifugal force equal to nine times the force of gravity. But one need only experience takeoff to abandon any comparison to the feeling of flying a commercial airline. And by the time the pilot banks into a vertical two-mile climb, accomplished in a matter of seconds, a trip in a Thunderbird becomes intense enough to leave the passenger with an adrenaline rush memorable for years — or a case of motion sickness that lasts the rest of the day.
Thunderbirds operations officer Rob Skelton offered a simple, but appropriate, description Monday of the experience of flying in the F-16, an aircraft built for dogfights: “It’s intense.”
Weeks said Sunday the pilots also take time when visiting places like Fairbanks to stop by schools or community-oriented organizations like the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
“It’s not just about performing a show and recruitment and representation,” she said. “It’s also about tapping into the human aspect within a local community.”
Today’s air show begins at 10 a.m. and runs until 5 p.m. The Thunderbirds demonstration begins at 2 p.m., following a half-hour recognition ceremony for the crew. The pilots will sign autographs after the demo is over.
The Air Force has a full schedule of events on Eielson’s Web site.
Community Discussion
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So who was the lucky reporter? Was it you, Chris? Come on. Fess up.
And did the pilot win his bet with his pals that he'd make you 'toss your cookies'? Don't worry, Chris. That is standard operating procedure to make the non- fliers toss their cookies...
Personally, the best part of acrobatic flight is to go straight up, cut the throttle, and just as you experience a moment of weightlessness at the top is to kick the rudder hard into a hammer head. Then with the nose pointing straight down open the throttle. One picks up a bit of speed that way. Then pull back hard on the stick and do a loop...
And those vipers can pull more than nine G's. Just not those sissy pilots...
Its a little tough to recuit potential airmen when most people have to work on the day when the open house is being held and cannot bring their children to the show.
Hosting it on Saturday would make sense if you wanted a full house of off base children.
Luckly I work graves and can make it.
What does this cost the taxpayers? I bet a bundle.
The link to Eielson's website doesn't work
The Friday, Saturday show with guest appearances by country music stars was reserved for the Anchorage community. When you live in a second class community you take what you can I guess.
[quote]What does this cost the taxpayers? I bet a bundle.[/quote]
Good question, I am glad you asked, but a better question is, "what would it cost us as a nation if we didn't have events like this?". Do us all a favor, go to the air show and shake the hands of everyone you see in uniform and tell them "thanks for your service". Its people like them that give you the right to complain about your taxes even though they pay them to, only they usually dont complain about it.
Now that's out of the way, I am looking forward to a good show today. Thanks to the Air Force for getting this put together, and thanks for all of the military and civilian communities members who have worked the long hours to ensure the success of this
To those who commented above me...honestly, how can you be negative about an airshow for crying out loud? You must have vinegar and arsenic running through your veins.
starman get a clue,
if you have a normal job you cant make the show unless you call in sick or take personal leave.
i was raised on eielson and enjoyed the event for 25 years but it was on weekends then.
i bet you live on base! are you going to the show? if so you must not work M-F 8 to 5 like most Americans.
yo must be stoned to make your comment.
I'm a Blue Angel's man myself, and against air shows in general. I, for one, think the Air Force Costs more than it's worth. The Militaries function is to kill people...anything else is BS. There are many (most in fact) good men and women in the service. I've been in twice myself, so I have several perspectives....one is what are we doing giving air shows instead of training them (servicemembers) to do their jobs...and have you seen any of the Clubs and the office's of the "Managers" work at? Better than anything we have in town...or could afford....it's just as easy to work on a steel desk as a teak or oak desk...and much cheaper. Fuel?...How many homes could have been heated this winter with the equivalent cost in fuel oil???
FairbanksGas:
"When you live in a second class community you take what you can I guess"
Be happy for what you got. You sound like you want to live in a second class city but get the perks of a first class city. Take your pick man! I bet you'd be all in a lather if you lived in Galena when the AF base was there. "Gee, when you live in a 3rd class city, I guess the air force only brings little kiddy peddle airplanes and have it on December 21st." How about this idea. You live here and go to Anchorage for the Big Show with all the fancy cowboy singers.
Why not have the event on Sunday? That way Anchorage gets theres and we still get a piece of the pie.
I used to go on a regular basis, in fact I looked forward to it and we made it a family fun day
is it still a go with the weather?
I called Eielson, and they said the air show is still a go for now, but if the weather worsens, they can reconsider. I've also fixed the link.
You people are amazing. Hambone - you haven't changed in those 25 years have you?
And I don't think they've ever been on the weekend.
I'm of the opinion - it's better then nothing.
I'm taking a half day to attend - with my rain coat even.
For a second rate city we sure have a lot of people sticking around.
Go to Russia or China or something - they are sure to schedule whats best for you there.
The current Thunderbird air show is the equivalent to if the Army had a cavalry unit with multi-million dollar prancing horses and saber demonstrations; a display of an outdated mindset and waste of money which would be better spent on replacing M-16/M-4s.
The Thunderbird air show was once a good idea but now it continues the wrong mindset in the Air Force. The focus is on fighter jets and dog fighting skills, neither of which is of high importance in the foreseeable future. The Air Force has always hated the A-10s (ground support aircraft) even though they are actually useful. And the Air Forces role in internet security and the role of their UAVs are much more important than F-16s, stealth aircraft, and the new F-22s. Just because it is high-tech does not mean that is it not out-dated. Secretary Gates has correctly been pressing the Air Force to adjust its priorities but they seem stuck in their zoom zoom past. Perhaps ordering the Air Force to eliminate the Thunderbirds would assist them in adapting to the current and foreseeable war environments.
I sat here reading all the comments and my mouth continued to drop.
Heaven forbid you take an afternoon off to go say thanks to the men and women who make it possible for you to go to work and make a living and defend your freedom.
And by the way, not everyone works a 8-5.
While the Thunderbirds are the main attraction they're not the only thing going on at the base today.
Edlw.... um the militaries function is not to kill people. In any SOP I've read it doesn't say:
OBJECTIVE: Murder all who stand in our way.
Oh and.... these airmen train everyday... I suppose it would be too much to ask for them to let the public on base to see what it is they do everyday... what were they thinking... (hope you sensed the sarcasm)
I also suppose they shouldn't have any benefits, like a nice club to attend to on their time off, I mean really all they're doing is fighting everyday to protect us.
FairbanksGas: nice job slamming this community... and the Air Force. You don't like it MOVE.
i will say this....yea it kinda sucks that it's on Tuesday, but it's better than no show at all.
Often as I read the comments here, if every home town newspaper had a comments section, would they all read the same? That much I don't know but I do know there sure are a lot of people that have nothing better to do than complain about everything and anything they don't understand or agree with.
Dissent is a good thing. Dissent without a viable solition is nothing but complaining.
I fully support the Air Force. I think it's a good and necessary thing. I support better salaries for the military and for sure, better VA and educational benefits. I hope a very generous measure of the GI Bill floating through Congress passes. That said, I think our already high defense budget should focus on defense. Not stuff like air shows and military bands. I know someone who entered the miitary specifically to play a musical instrument in a military band. He's toured the world playing and gets to retire after 20 years with a full pension. Why does the military need these bands, air shows? We as a nation cannot afford this.
MEL 1776, let me know where the next geek meet of video gamers and radio controlled airplane jocks is and I'll see if I can schedule it in to my day just as soon as I get back from the real air show! I know that those guys are the future of our defenses but boring to watch! Does everything need to be 100% relevant to be relevant? When is the last time the Fairbanks Fire Department had to use that huge ladder fully extended? But they sure tout it around for show and tell don't they. You may be correct that the function of the Air Force is changing but you are dead wrong about why they shouldn't show off what they got. Maybe you and your boys in lace-ups who feel jilted could come up with a mock infantry ballet out on the flight line when they are re-fueling to show us civvies what military is really all about. Americans want shock and awe, we're not Canadians, give it to us!
Here's today's news release from Eielson public affairs:
Thunderbird Performance not impacted by weather
354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE -- Eielson Leadership has determined that forecasted weather will not impact today’s Airshow/Open House agenda. All scheduled events will still take place at this time. However if weather conditions deteriorate, acts are subject to cancellation.
Due to the limited cover during the Airshow; visitors are asked to dress accordingly to the weather conditions.
I don't have the 8 hours to go to an Air Show out there and I don't have the additional 4 hours required to get out of the Air Show. I hope their traffic control has improved since the last Air Show I went to.
To theabowman - military bands are very important to soldiers' morale. There is a great deal more to music than many realize, it is very powerful, so powerful in fact that the effects of music on humans will never be fully understood or explained. To put it simply, there is a reason that music is everywhere - from grocery stores, background noise in t.v. shows, commercials, etc. (just take a minute, if you'd like, to think of how much music the average person hears in a day counting background music) - this reason is that it definitely impacts ones thinking, mood, mindset, and even the physical and Spiritual body. Army Bands build esprit de corps in a way that no other thing can; it's amazing, actually, but something that's probably not too often realized or thought about by many. Here's a link to the history of Army Bands http://bands.army.mil/history/default.as... and here is a link to Army Bands Online http://bands.army.mil/.
Mrs. Wayne Hunter - wife of an Army Bandsman
Just returned from the Air Show. WOW. I've seen it a dozen times and couldn't have enjoyed it more. Weather - not a factor. People - Great.
Traffic - piece of cake - got on and parked within minutes and out and on the hwy within minutes.
I look forward to the next one - any day of the week.
GREAT JOB EIELSON - LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT ONE.
More statics and demos next time ;-)
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