This story was located by FASF Aviation News Scout Virg Hemphill (L) and written by Ric Peterson
Video: Air France:Credits : Airborne Films for Air France and the French Air Force and the Patrouille de France. Keep you sound turned up to hear the video’s scoring. The Video length is 3:30.
This impressive video was shot on January 27th, two years ago, when a dozen jewels of French aviation met over the Camargue region of France. Eleven Alphajets from the Patrouille de France (the Patrouille is the French equivalent to our Thunderbirds and Blue Angels Military Exhibition Teams – but is the world’s oldest such team) and the last Air France 747 flew in formation as a salute to the Boeing Icon’s last days with the airline.
On 14 January 2016, Air France offered customers a tribute flight over the country’s landmarks. The flight number as AF747. More than 45 years after the first flight from Paris to New York on 3 June 1970 the Company saluted the Jumbo Jet’s last flight in style with a business class lunch along with champagne for all.
Since the early seventies, the Boeing 747 has been a showcase of modern innovations and has revolutionized air transport. Air travel became more widespread and we entered an era of mass tourism. For cargo, the Boeing 747 had pressurized holds, which were ventilated and protected against fire. Four times larger than the previous generation of Boeing, the 707, they could carry 122 tons of cargo! On both of my trips from Montreal to the Paris Airshow I flew on the Air France Combi 747.
Air France was one of the first airlines to operate this aircraft, making it the flagship of its long-haul fleet: New York, Montreal, the French West Indies, Reunion, Asia … most of the Company’s destinations have been served by the Jumbo.
Air France says, “We started innovating from the early seventies. The role of chief purser was created to coordinate the service and attention paid to customers in this aircraft which could carry up to 500 passengers. Inflight cuisine was of great importance, with menus designed by great French chefs: Paul Bocuse, Gaston Lenôtreand Pierre Troisgros. Finally, the cabin interior was designed by Pierre Gautier-Delaye, who paid particular attention to the comfort of the seat cushions and seatbacks.”
Thanks to “Fighter Sweep” we have this following news story about the two U.S. military aviation demonstration teams’ exhibition over NAS Pensacola, Florida, home of the Navy’s principal Flight Training Station. See the below 1:11 long video. You may ask, “what’s it mean to swap paint?” The video explains.
And why were the Thunderbirds joining up with the Blue Angels? It was the 71st Birthday for the Blue Angels, and the USAF Team crashed their party. They hadn’t done this since 2002. But it was a friendly exchange of not just greetings and airborne teamwork, but also of ideas and mutually similar experiences in the crowd thrilling exhibition business. For the “younger” Thunderbirds, it was their 70th birthday. This video is 1:53 long.
Air Force and Navy Flight Demonstration Teams join for group portrait at Pensacola, FL in celebration of the Blue Angels’ 71st Birthday.
Earlier, here below, is a USAF KC-135Tanker refueling the Navy’s Blue Angels exhibition team in mid-flight. This clip is 1:01 long, and shows some beautiful footage of the refueling action as it takes place. One of our more active FASF members, Col. Alan Fisher, accumulated many hours flying this same tanker during his USAF career.
The following story and first video is from official USAF PAO sources and also “Fighter Sweep.”
Earlier photo of then Major Nicole “Fifi” Malachowski in her official Thunderbirds uniform . . . If you click on her portrait above, it will take you to a Wikipedia biography of this top USAF female fighter pilot.
ABOVE: A video about Lt. Colonel Nicole “Fifi” Malachowski, the first female member of the actual USAF Thunderbirds official Demonstration Team. It is 3:30 long.
The above Video is of a talk by Colonel Nicole “Fifi” Malachowskito the “Fighter Sweep” group. It is quite a long program: 1:20:22 in length. Malachowski first appears in the video at the 9:00 minute mark.
Nicole “Fifi” Malachowski in flight gear.
The topmost inspirational video is about the first female US Air Force Thunderbird aerobatic pilot. The USAF Air Demonstration Squadron (“Thunderbirds“) is the air demonstration squadron of the United States Air Force (USAF). The Thunderbirds are assigned to the 57th Wing, and are based at Nellis AFB, Nevada. Created in 1953, the USAF Thunderbirds are the third oldest formal flying aerobatic team (under the same name) in the world, after the US Navy Blue Angels formed in 1946 and the prestigious French Air Force Patrouille de France formed in 1931.
The Thunderbirds Squadron tours the United States and much of the world, performing aerobatic formation and solo flying in specially marked aircraft. The squadron’s name is taken from the legendary creature that appears in the mythologies of several indigenous North American cultures.
Then Major Malachowskistanding under afterburners of an F-15 Fighter, the aircraft which she was assigned to fly at the time.
When Nicole Ellingwood (her maiden name) went to High School in Santa Maria, California, she was an active member of both the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) and also engaged in the High School’s Air Force Junior ROTC (JROTC) program, as well. Quickly displaying her skill as a leader, young Ms. Ellingwood rose to the highest Cadet rank attainable, that of full Cadet Colonel. She started working on her pilot’s license before graduating from high school, and achieved her pilot’s license at the age of 16. Nicolegraduated from Western High School in Las Vegas in 1992 and went on to the United States Air Force Academy from there. Obviously highly motivated, Nicolegraduated at the top of her pilot’s training class in the Air Force.
Below short ( 3:58) video at Air Show includes Nicole giving ride to CNN reporter Alex Quade.
On 1 March 2013, the USAF announced that due to budget cuts, aerial demonstration team performances would cease indefinitely, effective 1 April 2013.[1] On 6 December 2013 the Thunderbirds announced their 2014 schedule and the resumption of their appearances.
Overview
The Thunderbirds Squadron is a named USAF squadron, meaning it does not carry a numerical designation. It is also one of the oldest squadrons in the Air Force, its origins dating to the organization of the 30th Aero Squadron, formed at Kelly Field, Texas on 13 June 1917.
Officers serve a two-year assignment with the squadron, while enlisted personnel serve three to four years. As the squadron performs no more than 88 air demonstrations each year, replacements must be trained for about half of the team each year, in order to provide a constant mix of experience. In addition to their air demonstration responsibilities, the Thunderbirds are part of the USAF combat force and if required, can be rapidly integrated into an operational fighter unit.
Since 15 February 1974 the Thunderbirds have been a component of the 57th Wing at Nellis AFB. Since 1953, they have flown in front of more than 300 million people. F-16 Fighting Falcon The Thunderbirds performing the crossover break. The Thunderbirds perform aerial demonstrations in the F-16C Fighting Falcon, and they also fly two F-16D twin-seat trainers. The F-16 has been the demonstration aircraft for the Thunderbirds since the 1983 season.
In January 1982, several members of the squadron were killed in what became known as the “Diamond Crash” of T-38 Talon aircraft which the squadron had flown since 1974. Partially as a result of that accident, the squadron switched to the F-16A, and sat out the 1982 airshow season and spent that year retraining and transitioning over to the new aircraft to ready themselves for the 1983 season.
The F-16, however, had been considered for transition prior to the accident. In rebuilding the Thunderbird Team, the Air Force recruited previous Thunderbird pilots, qualified each in the F-16A, and had them begin by flying “two-ship” maneuvers, then expanded the program one airplane at a time up to the full six airplanes.
Beginning in June 1982, the F-16 Thunderbirds were led by Major Jim Latham. The team continues to fly the F-16, having switched from the F-16A to the F-16C in 1992. Only a few minor modifications differentiate a Thunderbird from an operational F-16C. These include the replacement of the 20 mm cannon and ammunition drum with a smoke-generating system, including its plumbing and control switches, the removal of the jet fuel starter exhaust door, and the application of the Thunderbirds’ glossy red, white, and blue polyurethane paint scheme. All of the modification work is performed at the maintenance depot at Hill AFB near Ogden, Utah.
Other than those modifications, the aircraft are taken from the standard USAF inventory as production fighters, and can be returned to an operational squadron in short order without any major modification. General Dynamics F-16A/B Fighting Falcon During the switch to the F-16A the Thunderbirds acquired new block 15 aircraft which they operated from 1983 to 1991, making the team one of the last USAF units flying the older F-16A’s before transitioning into new C’s.
They also operated the two-seat F-16B during this time for training new pilots and for VIP flights, these being replaced by the F-16D when the rest of the squadron transitioned to the F-16C. Two F-16s demonstrate a Reflection Pass Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Fighting Falcon (Block 32) The block 32H/J aircraft currently assigned to the Thunderbirds were built in 1986 and 1987, and operated by the Thunderbirds from 1992 to 2008. At their retirement, they were some of the oldest operational F-16s in the Air Force. Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Fighting Falcon (Block 52) In the 2009 show season the Thunderbirds transitioned to an updated version of the F-16 fighter. The Block 52s have an upgraded avionics package that brings the Thunderbird fleet into alignment with the rest of the worldwide F-16 fleet.
