Where does time go?
Looking at the calendar I realize it was 25 years ago this week that I had the flight of a lifetime aboard Thunderbird 8. Yep, a real F-16 flown by the USAF Aerial Demonstration Team, the Thunderbirds.
A "Thumbs Up" before take-off.
One of the benefits of being News Director of KGWN-TV in Cheyenne at the time was seeing the team fly every year as part of Cheyenne Frontier Days. Most years, they'd take up a member of the local media or VIP for a ride. July 1987 was my year.
In the front seat was Capt. Bert Nelson, show narrator at the time. Capt. Nelson's story was an interesting one. He originally was an enlisted member of the Air Force, serving as a crew chief in England. He was able to secure an appointment to the Air Force Academy, got his commission and ultimately his role with the Thunderbirds.
I showed up on a warm afternoon with my camera crew, flight suit and no small amount of nervousness. I'd flown in high-performance planes before but nothing like the F-16B. (Two seater version of the F-16) I was fitted out with a G-Suit, my helmet and a plastic bag tucked inside my shoulder harness just in case the high speed maneuvers we were about to do didn't agree with my tummy! I was also taught "Egress" procedures in the remote case we would have to bail out of the aircraft.
When I strapped in, I understood what they mean when fighter pilots say they don't strap into an aircraft as much as they strap it on. The F-16 was then, and remains a powerful fighter plane. The Thunderbirds you see fly in the air shows are fully combat ready, and if the need would arise could be stripped of their brilliant paint schemes, painted over and take to the skies to defend our nation.
Just before take-off came the "Focus" moment when I flipped a switch on the left console to arm my ejection seat. Right then I knew I was doing something very serious.
Soon as we rolled down the runway, I got a quick lesson in what "Positive Thrust to Weight Ratio" means. The F-16 can climb, straight up while accelerating. Here's the view from the back seat as we fired up the engine and took off.
OK, I know the "Top Gun" music sounds a tad corny now, but this was done back in '87!
Normally a demonstration ride lasts about 20 minutes or so, but when Capt. Nelson figured out I wasn't going to get sick, and knew how to fly a plane he asked me if I minded staying up for a while. As show narrator he didn't often get the chance to really wring out the airplane, especially in the wide-open space we had over Wyoming and Colorado. It took me about 3 seconds to say "YES!" so we stayed up for over an hour. Capt. Nelson let me fly the aircraft through the whole suite of maneuvers, including snap rolls, high-speed/high "G" turns and the like. The control stick of the F-16 is on the right side of the console, much like a game controller. It doesn't actually move, but senses pressure and works like a normal stick in combination with the rudder pedals and throttle to fly like any other plane.
We pulled anywhere from 6-8 "G's" on several maneuvers, especially the tight turns and a couple of high-speed pull outs we need near the end of the flight. One "G" is the equivalent of your weight, the more "G's" the more you seem to weigh. The higher the "G" rating, your vision starts to tunnel out as well. The "G-Suit" by definition, is a "flight garment worn by astronauts and jet pilots that presses on the lower body to maintain the blood supply to the brain during rapid vertical acceleration."
Don't confuse what the Thunderbirds do as "stunts." Everything they do is a combat maneuver and if you fly fighters for a living, you darn well be be good at them!
But words just don't describe the experience, so here's another video clip:
While I didn't lose my cookies on the flight, I was physically exhausted at the end of it. Testament to the great mental and physical shape fighter pilots have to be in.
The memory of this flight will last me a lifetime, and looking back it seems like it was just yesterday. You only get one opportunity to do something like this and I don't plan on ever forgetting it!
So the next time you see the Thunderbirds fly, know what a skilled and dedicated group of fliers they are. They'll be the first to tell you they're not the best at what they do. What they will tell you is they represent the best.
Capt Bert Nelson, my wife Ronda, me and daughter Jennifer.
I'm not sure where Capt. Nelson is now but I bet it involves flying. I do know the Thunderbirds still fly today. If you haven't seen their show, make it a point to do so.
As a reporter I've had the opportunity for some other truly wonderful aviation experiences including takeoffs and landing aboard the Aircraft Carriers Kennedy, Constellation and Ranger plus some hops with the Wyoming Air National Guard as they trained for both low-level tactical airlift drops and their missions as slurry bombers. Most recently I've worked with Wings over the Rockies Air and Space Museum and EAA producing videos about the WWII B-17 Bomber, "Aluminum Overcast."
All great stuff. But ...at the top of the heap, is that one day 25 years ago where I got to fly an F-16.
Thanks again to the United States Air Force for this extraordinary opportunity!
Looking at the calendar I realize it was 25 years ago this week that I had the flight of a lifetime aboard Thunderbird 8. Yep, a real F-16 flown by the USAF Aerial Demonstration Team, the Thunderbirds.
One of the benefits of being News Director of KGWN-TV in Cheyenne at the time was seeing the team fly every year as part of Cheyenne Frontier Days. Most years, they'd take up a member of the local media or VIP for a ride. July 1987 was my year.
In the front seat was Capt. Bert Nelson, show narrator at the time. Capt. Nelson's story was an interesting one. He originally was an enlisted member of the Air Force, serving as a crew chief in England. He was able to secure an appointment to the Air Force Academy, got his commission and ultimately his role with the Thunderbirds.
I showed up on a warm afternoon with my camera crew, flight suit and no small amount of nervousness. I'd flown in high-performance planes before but nothing like the F-16B. (Two seater version of the F-16) I was fitted out with a G-Suit, my helmet and a plastic bag tucked inside my shoulder harness just in case the high speed maneuvers we were about to do didn't agree with my tummy! I was also taught "Egress" procedures in the remote case we would have to bail out of the aircraft.
When I strapped in, I understood what they mean when fighter pilots say they don't strap into an aircraft as much as they strap it on. The F-16 was then, and remains a powerful fighter plane. The Thunderbirds you see fly in the air shows are fully combat ready, and if the need would arise could be stripped of their brilliant paint schemes, painted over and take to the skies to defend our nation.
Just before take-off came the "Focus" moment when I flipped a switch on the left console to arm my ejection seat. Right then I knew I was doing something very serious.
Soon as we rolled down the runway, I got a quick lesson in what "Positive Thrust to Weight Ratio" means. The F-16 can climb, straight up while accelerating. Here's the view from the back seat as we fired up the engine and took off.
Normally a demonstration ride lasts about 20 minutes or so, but when Capt. Nelson figured out I wasn't going to get sick, and knew how to fly a plane he asked me if I minded staying up for a while. As show narrator he didn't often get the chance to really wring out the airplane, especially in the wide-open space we had over Wyoming and Colorado. It took me about 3 seconds to say "YES!" so we stayed up for over an hour. Capt. Nelson let me fly the aircraft through the whole suite of maneuvers, including snap rolls, high-speed/high "G" turns and the like. The control stick of the F-16 is on the right side of the console, much like a game controller. It doesn't actually move, but senses pressure and works like a normal stick in combination with the rudder pedals and throttle to fly like any other plane.
We pulled anywhere from 6-8 "G's" on several maneuvers, especially the tight turns and a couple of high-speed pull outs we need near the end of the flight. One "G" is the equivalent of your weight, the more "G's" the more you seem to weigh. The higher the "G" rating, your vision starts to tunnel out as well. The "G-Suit" by definition, is a "flight garment worn by astronauts and jet pilots that presses on the lower body to maintain the blood supply to the brain during rapid vertical acceleration."
Don't confuse what the Thunderbirds do as "stunts." Everything they do is a combat maneuver and if you fly fighters for a living, you darn well be be good at them!
But words just don't describe the experience, so here's another video clip:
The memory of this flight will last me a lifetime, and looking back it seems like it was just yesterday. You only get one opportunity to do something like this and I don't plan on ever forgetting it!
So the next time you see the Thunderbirds fly, know what a skilled and dedicated group of fliers they are. They'll be the first to tell you they're not the best at what they do. What they will tell you is they represent the best.
I'm not sure where Capt. Nelson is now but I bet it involves flying. I do know the Thunderbirds still fly today. If you haven't seen their show, make it a point to do so.
As a reporter I've had the opportunity for some other truly wonderful aviation experiences including takeoffs and landing aboard the Aircraft Carriers Kennedy, Constellation and Ranger plus some hops with the Wyoming Air National Guard as they trained for both low-level tactical airlift drops and their missions as slurry bombers. Most recently I've worked with Wings over the Rockies Air and Space Museum and EAA producing videos about the WWII B-17 Bomber, "Aluminum Overcast."
All great stuff. But ...at the top of the heap, is that one day 25 years ago where I got to fly an F-16.
Thanks again to the United States Air Force for this extraordinary opportunity!
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