 Are I mean the moment you've been waiting for get off your phones if you're here But buckle up thrill of the lifetime the United States Air Force Thunderbirds about ready to start their ground show You start to see it there at some point here. We're gonna turn it over to the Air Force Thunderbirds narrator, but Debbie this is really the headlining act if you will and You know the Thunderbirds bring a lot to the show. Yeah, that's right Precision demonstration of the f-16 fighting falcon and sharply choreographed ground ceremony will showcase the pride and Professionalism of America's airmen. Yes, the Thunderbirds. They're gonna cut through the skies They're gonna be doing all kinds of cool stuff Colonel Anderlea the commander of the 388 he told us. Hey, that's my favorite airplane. Just the maneuverability We're gonna see all of that They're gonna be wingtip the wingtip for a large portion of the show Yeah, two solo pilots have the privilege of showcasing the maximum capabilities of the f-16 with their very own Precision routine that is cool. Yeah, so they fly in a four-ship and then a two-ship and then they go at some points Together all six and so really they're the Air Force's ambassadors and blew a huge recruiting tool For the Air Force show after show year after year They are one of the Air Force's premier recruiting tools and no doubt. We know why they're also world-renowned Goodwill ambassadors Yeah, I mean just 75 years of history for the Air Force and you know the nation the Air Force Thunderbirds This is gonna be a lot of fun to watch. I gotta ask that me. Have you ever seen the Thunderbirds live? I have seen the Thunderbirds live. Yes growing up in Utah now I was just looking up a few facts like do the Thunderbirds fight in combat And this says the squadrons f-16s are only slightly modified for air demos and could be made combat ready within 72 hours According to the Air Force the Thunderbirds f-16s still have all the capabilities of any other combat ready fighter Yeah So the Thunderbirds based out of Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada part of this 57th fighter wing and you know any of these pilots could be called up Depending on our our nation's needs But here they are out here recruiting the next generation of airmen and guardians as you get a look at the crowd trying to get Insta got some big old camera. Yeah, right. They sure do now what I thought was really profound that we were hearing is Bay Wolf Who is the pilot of the f-35 that we've been seeing out here today? She is not just a show pilot. She is an excellent skilled Ready trained for air combat if needed She's we were told that she could be deployed at any given time This is is kind of just when she gets to show off and show what the plane is capable of But I thought that was really important to mention that yeah all these airmen and pilots with the Thunderbirds Selected yeah, he really best of the best in the Air Force and a true honor to represent as the ambassadors in blue You know and perform this mission, but they could seamlessly rotate back in and do the Air Force's mission to fly fight and win so Pretty cool stuff here and can't wait to see this Demonstration that should be around a 35 minutes actual air routine We talked with to the Colonel Ryan yingling the operations officer Thunderbird number seven this morning when Matt was here You know he you could just sense, you know how honored all of these pilots are To not only fly, you know for the Thunderbirds, but just in general for the Air Force. Yeah, no it is very cool what an honor that they have gotten to this point in their career and What an amazing moment when they get to go and do this show which is always a crowd-pleaser always has to be perfectly precise as they get out and And still in a plane that we were told You know could head over to combat at any time Yeah, so these are the f-16s with a block 52 engine as Colonel Annerley told us the big engine So, you know capable of breaking the sound barrier So excited to see that and we're gonna see a lot of aerobatics that There's only a Debbie. That's really what's so unique about this There's only a I mean a Fraction of people in though in really the world who could pull off the stunts that the Air Force Thunderbirds Are able to do right highlight of this show for sure as we get to watch them and they're half an hour So what do we call it aerobatics? What do we call it as they head out there? Yeah, I mean one way it seems deluded There's aerobatics. I mean they're showing the f-16s capability. They're demonstrating American air power and resolved I mean just so many different things and You know not to be understated, but we've talked about it quite a bit today But just recruiting the next generation of airmen and guardians Yeah, cuz I gotta say if I was joining the Air Force, I probably won't want to fly an F-35 or Be part of the Thunderbirds I mean, I guess that's probably what everyone wants, right? Yeah. Oh for sure for sure I mean, how can you not come to the air show and Be you know inspired to serve You know after you watch this show, right, right? So they're getting ready and And really even look as they're walking as each person walks It is all so perfectly choreographed and this happens long before they get in the air even the pomp and circumstance of them getting in position and and having the routine and the schedule that they have as they help each other into the planes as they get ready as They stand at alert right there on the tarmac Yeah, so it you know, this is kind of the culmination this in part the actual show right they actually train all Off-season so like over the winter months And they actually go up a lot of people don't know this They actually go spend a week or two with the Navy's Blue Angels team And they they train together and learn from each other and to help tweak their shows So that's pretty cool too, right? No, it is very cool And and every move they make every every thought that they make while they're in that airplane I mean what an aircraft number one to be flying in and then number two to be with the that team that you're flying with making sure everyone is perfectly in sync and Perfectly on their game. Yeah, that joint training with the Thunderbirds really reflects today's Operational environment in the Department of Defense that we operate increasingly in joint environments, especially in theater You know supporting combatant commanders around the world. So pretty cool. Oh, guess what they're firing it up I know I could see it at Debbie's face just got really excited. Yeah, she did They are firing up those engines So we should be shifting to the narrator for the Air Force Thunderbirds soon We'll see if we get that sound But that's a great show from the Air Force Thunderbirds, but they're getting ready to taxi out and another unique thing about the Thunderbirds Debbie that I I don't think a lot of people know is Before a typical Air Force pilot when they show up to go fly a sortie They meet the crew chief on the ground and that the pilot themselves will do a walk around of the aircraft checking things like Structural integrity and and different aspects of the aircraft before they take off But what's unique about the Thunderbirds is is the pilots when they come out They just get right up on the ladder right up in that jet and that goes to the trust Knowing that these are the best crew chiefs in the world and so it just really demonstrates that Commitment to excellence that we've heard all day, you know One of the Air Force's core values is three core values in the Air Force integrity first excellence and all we do You know and all those things matter so just seeing that on full display here today As the Air Force pilot gets into a plane where typically at most Air Force bases They'll do a walk around to the plane and that but they don't trust their features obviously It's just a tenet of the Thunderbirds So the Thunderbirds perform precision aerial maneuvers demonstrating the capabilities of Air Force high performance aircraft to people throughout the world Of for us here today the squadron exhibits the professional qualities the Air Force develops into people who fly Maintain as support these aircraft Yeah, I mean just incredible what they can do in the air and you know the Thunderbirds Part of the air combat command, but there's eight pilots and four support officers so 12 Officers in total but over 130 enlisted personnel in 25 different career fields. I mean just really an expansive operation so what we will see over the next 30 minutes is a demonstration a Mix of formation flying as solo routines the four aircraft diamond formation Demonstrates the training and precision of Air Force pilots while the solo aircraft highlight the maximum capabilities of the F16 As you see some of that precision demonstration just by the ground crew. I mean look at the pride in Professionals how sharp those even the ground movement is and this just seems synonymous with patriotism independence day as We get ready to celebrate over the next couple of weeks And what a way to kick things off here this afternoon. I don't know about you Debbie But I'm thinking back and I'm like, maybe I should go back and be You should do it. It seems pretty cool Wow, this squadron will perform about 75 demonstrations each year and More than 300 million people in all 50 states and 58 foreign countries have seen the red white and blue jets in more than 4,000 aerial demonstrations. Yeah, I mean that's something we haven't talked about but that that distinctive Air Force Thunderbirds and even the way Their logos painted underneath the jet so when they fly overhead, I mean it is very distinctive like if you see a Thunderbird jet You're like, oh, yeah, yeah, you definitely know. Yeah, the Thunderbirds were officially activated in 1953 The first aircraft was the straight-wing f-84 g Thunder jet a combat fighter bomber that is in action in Korea. Yeah Yeah Yeah, they've actually changed planes a few times throughout their history They've been flying this f-16d model for quite a little while now Getting great close-ups there. You see the crew chief un-chalking the wheels as they get ready to taxi out But every move of this event is actually choreographed scripted. They talked about it earlier. They got inspiration from Disney, right? You know always tweak in the show. So every time you come up to your Thunderbirds You haven't seen the new show. It's something right, right, which that's exciting. Yeah Makes it unique, you know, whether you've seen the Thunderbirds, you know five times or this is your first time It's gonna be a great show The Thunderbirds made their television history in 2003 while celebrating their 50th anniversary The commander leader started the Coca-Cola 600 by broadcasting live from Thunderbird number one as he said gentlemen Start your engines Yeah, that's pretty cool. I mean the Thunderbirds you see them all the time, right? They do Super Bowl flyovers My commander actually in our education training command my former commander went out to Daytona and the Daytona 500 about a year and a half two years ago and supported that event with the Thunderbirds and that was Really awesome. That is and You know with that salute they're about ready to taxi out so We are again moments away from seeing the Thunderbirds Fly across the skies here in Utah and what an absolute privilege to have this right here in our state Wow