The 2008 Goodfellow AFB Air Fiesta Airshow started off the 2008 show season for the Thunderbirds this past weekend. To check out some glimpses of the Thunderbirds, this YouTube user posted small clips of some of the maneuvers from the March 15 show opener in San Angelo, TX.

Click here for the videos.

They look pretty solid for the first show of the year. Of course everything is flown in "training spread" and one wingspan line abreast etc, but I have to say that Reflection Pass looked darn good. I'm excited about seeing them in person now in only a few weeks...

I have to agree LD everything looked really solid. I heard from a member over on ASB that the Bomb Burst was a little off and the video of the crossover shows the timing was off a little there too, but not horribly and still looks very promising for the beginning of the season.

Might be a stupid question, but what is a wingspan line abreast?

and what is the training speed versus the show speed.

One wingspan = the width of the airplane. So, flying any formation with one wingspan separation would equal the spacing of one width of a plane between the planes.

Spread (not speed) vs. normal spacing is simply an "extra" 3ft between the wingtips. Later in the season they tighten the formations up a bit.

Yeah it is a little harder to notice as the Thunderbirds move closer together because they never get that really tight 18inches, but if you watch the blues progress throughout the season and compare a Diamond PIR picture from say the El Centro show to the Pensacola show you would notice an unbelievable difference.

Tightness is highly relative, airplane sizes vary and the "tightest" maneuver the Tbirds fly is anything Trail- (that's where the 18 inches is possible). That's really the Thunderbirds' forte, as they fly each one Trail maneuver in each inclination; in a turn, a roll and a loop! ...and to add a twist to it , they even make the diamond transition mid-maneuver each time.

If you want to see a really tight formation, you should look at the Blues or Tbirds in the A-4's or T-38's respectively. Even though in some ways they appear further apart (stacked in the case of the Blues or the Tbirds with lateral clearance); however, technically the pilots sat a lot closer to each other in the air than they do in today's aircraft. Plus, both the A-4's and T-38's had really fast roll rates and neither was fly-by-wire...

I have respect for all present and past, but I'll tell you this much; since learning to appreciate aerobatic formation flying, what really sets apart a good team is their ability to always look uniform and maintain their station as planned. To the average viewer, I realize this may be somewhat transparent as most people look and see only how close two objects appear to one another, but it takes great discipline to hold ones position, unshakably, even further out on the wing too...

Well said LD, I wasn't trying to imply that the tightness matters in any way though or that it makes the Blues better. I am a Thunderbird guy for one reason you kind of touched on, that being the timing of the Tbirds. Once the diamond exits the solos are inbound and when the solos are done turning and burning the diamond is back inbound. To me that is just flat out awesome, and something that the Blues don't have. Hah not saying there isn't things that make the Blues better because there is, but in my mind the "tightness" of the routine that the thunderbirds have is what sets it apart. Both teams fly relatively the same amount of passes, but last year I know Lt Col Robbins managed to pull off demos in roughly 28mins where as the Blues were around 37mins I believe.

But not turning this into a Blues vs. Tbirds thread, haha, both teams are amazing in their own respected ways.

Any of you guys going to the Punta Gorda show 5-6th Apr?
Metro

A definite maybe for me!

Sun 'n Fun in Lakeland, FL the following weekend is looking more likely.

Season opener step down of 2008...


Just a great shot... next year we won't be seeing this bird anymore.

LD, I may be wrong but I think that is just before the salute they do at the end of the demo not the step down before.

Good call... they do look a little ruffled!

Can't make the Sun 'n Fun show, but I am going to the Punta Gorda. My 2 sons can't wait. LD, I will leave you my cell phone number in a PM just in case you go to the Punta Gorda show. It would be nice to meet you and introduce you to my 2 sons that watch your VTB videos all the time.
Metro