The US Air Force Thunderbirds T-38

The Thunderbirds are the air demonstration squadron of the United States Air Force (USAF), based at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, Nevada. They tour the United States and much of the world, performing aerobatic formation and solo flying in specially marked aircraft. The name is taken from the legendary creature that appears in the mythology of several indigenous North American cultures. They are the fastest flying (multiple jet) flight demonstration team in the world. 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 390 million people. Due to the 1973 oil crisis, the team only flew six air shows and was grounded for some time. However, in 1974 they switched to the more economical T-38 Talon. In 1982, the Thunderbirds suffered a catastrophic loss during pre-season training on 18 January. While practicing the four-plane diamond loop, the formation impacted the ground at high speed, instantly killing all four pilots. The cause of the crash was determined by the USAF to be the result of a mechanical problem with the #1 aircraft's control stick actuator. This resulted in insufficient back pressure by the formation leader on the T-38 control stick during the loop. Visually cueing off of the lead aircraft during formation maneuvering, the wing and slot pilots disregarded their positions relative to the ground. The team's activities were suspended for six months pending investigation of the crashes and review of the program, then reinstituted using the General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon. They upgraded to the F-16C (now produced by Lockheed Martin) in 1992. On 1 March 2013 the USAF announced that due to sequestration actions aerial demonstration team performances including that of the Thunderbirds would cease from 1 April 2013. See More.