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US Air Force pilots share what it takes to make the elite Thunderbirds team and fly F-16s just inches apart at near-supersonic speeds

October 25, 20240
Thunderbirds pilot Maj. Tyler Clark poses for the camera from the cockpit of an F-16 during flight.

US Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Paula Arce

Air Force Maj. Tyler “Slasher” Clark, a right-side formation pilot, said he was inspired to become a fighter pilot as a kid after seeing the US Navy’s Blue Angels and Thunderbirds.

“When you see the pilot get out of the cockpit, it was like, ‘Holy cow, someone is actually doing that,'” said Clark, who has been in the Air Force for 14 years.

“That’s when I knew exactly what I wanted to go do: one, fly fighters; and two, if the opportunity presented itself, I thought it’d be really cool to hopefully inspire that next generation by doing exactly what they did for me several years ago.”

The South Carolina native is the first Air National Guard pilot to join the demo team. Prior to joining the squadron, he flew the McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle as an evaluator and instructor pilot, logging nearly 2,000 flight hours.

Air Force Maj. Jeffrey “Simmer” Downie, one of two solo pilots on the demo team, spent about a decade flying the F-16 to qualify as a Thunderbird pilot.

After graduating from the Air Force Academy in 2013, he completed pilot training and fighter fundamental instruction. As an F-16 instructor and evaluator pilot, Downie logged over 1,600 flight hours, including nearly 400 combat hours in Afghanistan during Operations Freedom Sentinel and Resolute Support.

Thunderbird tryouts involve flying and interviews
US Air Force Maj. Jeffrey Downie, a Thunderbird pilot, steps out of the cockpit of an F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft.

US Air Force photo by Senior Airman Callie Norton

Thunderbirds require physical preparation to handle the intense G-forces they experience in the sky.

“Flying a jet like this is actually an extremely physical endeavor,” Downie said. “Think about a roller coaster or a car — when you take a turn really fast, you get pushed into the side of it. For us in these jets, all that pressure is actually going through the longitudinal axis, and we can pull up to nine times the force of gravity on our bodies.”

“With all my gear being 200 pounds, when I pull nine Gs, I feel like I’m 1,800 pounds. If I try to lift my arm up that weighs 10 pounds, it’s like I’m doing a 100-pound lift,” he continued. “And then we also do a straining maneuver in order to keep the blood up in our brain so we don’t pass out.”

The team shows off combat moves
Contrails are emitted from behind F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft during a performance.

US Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Patrick Evenson

Since the display team was formed in 1953, the Thunderbirds have seen nearly two dozen accidents, highlighting the risk of performing high-speed aerobatics in a supersonic jet.

“If there are any deviations from what is normal, you got to be ready and spring-loaded to get back into position because that’s what everyone else in the formation is trusting you to do,” Clark said.

In April 2018, Thunderbird pilot Maj. Stephen Del Bagno lost consciousness during a high G-force maneuver that required him to fly upside down. Though an investigation found that Del Bagno attempted to recover, the F-16 rapidly descended and crashed into the Nevada desert, killing him on impact.

“One of our mottos on the team is blind trust,” Clark said. “That’s something that we live by, and, unfortunately, people have also died by, so we want to make sure that we have that solid.”

The team’s biggest challenge
An Air Force Thunderbirds helmet is pictured atop an F-16 Fighting Falcon.

US Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Elizabeth Figueroa

Clark said the best part of the shows is meeting with fans after landing.

“We get to high-five these kids, shake their hands. I get to give little flags to some special kids in the crowd and let ’em know that this flew in my jet today,” he said. “Those special moments are when you meet the kids in the crowd that had that little sparkle in their eye, and they’re like, ‘Oh, there’s actually a person in that jet flying, and maybe that’s something I can do.’ After my time on the team, I’m going to look back and remember those moments.”