Posted on 05/07/2010 9:03:41 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE - You could hear them coming long before you could see them, but that didn't stop people from looking up whenever they heard the distinctive roar of several jet engines.
The Air Force Thunderbirds arrived Thursday afternoon to get a feel for how their performance flights will go during ShawFest this weekend. The eight-member Thunderbird squadron has not performed in Sumter since 2005.
But they will once again fly over Shaw Air Force Base as part of ShawFest 2010.
Other than the Thunderbirds, the Army Golden Knights and the Navy FA-18 Super Hornet demonstration team will also perform, representing three branches of the military.
Also performing is the Air Force Viper East F-16 demonstration team, which is stationed at Shaw; the Misty Blues All-Woman Skydiving team; and the 1958 Lockheed T-33 Vintage Thunderbird.
Shaw's gates will open at 7:30 a.m. and performances will start at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Lt. Col. Dan Palubeckis, director of ShawFest 2010, said times for each performance are not set because they all depend on weather and maintenance issues.
He said that, for example, because there could be low cloud cover on Saturday morning, some of the performances have to be moved around. And, he said, if a performance runs a little long, it "becomes cumulative." But Maj. Rick Goodman, the No. 5 or "Lead Solo" pilot for the Thunderbirds, said the crowd is in for a great show.
Goodman and the No. 6 pilot are the two performers who most often fly on their own or with each other to showcase combat tactics. The other four pilots who fly often are in a diamond formation, showing precision flight and the trust between the pilots.
Goodman said his favorite part of his performance is a move called the crossover break, where he and the No. 6 pilot fly from behind the crowd toward each other, narrowly missing each other in midair. "It looks like we're going to hit, but we don't," he said.
Watching it "makes my heart pound," he said, but he doesn't get nervous while performing the maneuver "because we practice it so much." There will be parking available on and off base. There are shuttles running from places such the Sumter Mall into Shaw for the festival.
For people who are driving to the base, there are two civilian entrances: the main gate and the commercial gate. The commercial gate is not normally open for public access, but it will be on Saturday and Sunday. It's located off U.S. 76/378, closer to the city of Sumter side of the base.
People with Department of Defense identification cards, such as former or current military members, can use the Frierson Road gate. The north gate will have restricted access.
Once inside, people will be directed to on-base parking locations.
Shaw AFB. Sumter SC.
I have seen the Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels. The Blue Angels fly circles around the T-birds.
Anchors Aweigh
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ch1UAXp8h8Q&feature=related
~~~ PING ~~~
I have been aboard the JFK when Big John was going at least 32 knots through seas that rough.
Agreed. The one and only time I saw the Thunderbirds, I felt the heat from the fireball created by the #6 plane hitting the ground.
Whoa! Scary stuff.
What was the deal with the chopper at the end of the deck getting drenched? I would think the seawater is not too good.
Well I have seen both. T Birds once and BA maybe 2 or 3 times. The T Birds are good but...no one else is the Blue Angels. They are scary good.
So which is better? I give the Blue Angels the edge...not the flying or the formations, really, but the script seems more polished and the announcer does a better job at building suspense.. If you haven't seen them, I highly recommend taking in an air show when one comes anywhere within a couple hundred miles of where you live. Go early, take plenty of sunscreen, snacks, and drinks. It is always hot and the lines are always long at the refreshment stands and you won't want to miss anything...
It's not, but once the seas started coming over the bow like that, who are you going to send to move it? I imagine it was parked there to be out of the way, but available for a quick launch.
As a former Zoomie, I agree. Thunderbirds were cool. Blue Angels were jaw-dropping.
Man, that Super Glue works better than I thought.
Thunderbirds are Go!
As much as I hate to admit it, I agree with you.
Had a funny experience a few years ago....
I was approaching a light in the right hand turn lane doing about 30 mph about 150 ft from the light to turn. When all of the sudden a black bwm jumps out of a gas station driveway and literally pops into the one car space between me and the car in front. WTF? Instinctively I went to hit my brakes but realized the guy had not only negotiated popping into the slot ( that didnt look like a slot to me) but was able to perfectly pace us so we didnt adjust our speed in the least....
I was about to honk then I realized something magical happened. Right then I saw on his license plate frame......
Thunderbirds alumni.
Instantly my anger for the recklessness i had perceived gave way to awe upon realizing that that was skill in slow motion to this guy. His instincts and reflexes are tuned to perform in thousands of a second, since he can make this same move while upside down, racing at 600+. So you never know the impresion you will make.
They usually have a “thrill seeker” personality, and when not accelerating in a jet engine, are accelerating on a fast motorbike or sports car.
People with long repeats in their dopamine receptors tend to always need to “push the envelope” to get the same thrill.
People with short repeats in their dopamine receptors tend to be very sensitive to dopamine and are the type who know what they like and do the same thing over and over again, and like it just as much the 100th time as the first.
It takes all kinds.
:)
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South Carolina