Thunderbird History Event - WarBird - 1988

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Blaze
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Thunderbird History Event - WarBird - 1988

Post by Blaze » Mon Sep 28, 2009 3:30 am

Don't know if this has been discussed before (if it has sorry), but I find it very interesting! :)
Meathook wrote:It was 1988; the USAF Thunderbirds were tasked by Gen Robert Russ, who was Tactical Air Commander (TAC) at the time, to put one of our Thunderbird aircraft into combat configuration in the allotted
(mandated) 72 hour period, a task never done before on the team.

To make a long story short, the maintenance boys and girls, worked their backsides off and had the aircraft ready in less than 72 hours with the only exception being that the jet wasn't painted (in the combat scheme).
The aircraft tail number selected for this event was Thunderbird Number 10 which was 81-0679.

A couple of interesting facts in this event, the aircraft originally came to the team from the factory (I don't know that date) painted in Thunderbird colors when it later left our organization in combat gray only to be returned to us from Hill AFB again repainted with Thunderbird Red, White, and Blue to be used during the training/show season of 1990.


For the 1990 Show Season that aircraft had been assigned to Thunderbird Crew Chief, TSgt. Dave Kramer and his Assistant Crew Chief who was a Hydraulic troop named SSgt. Mark Thome (Number Two in the Diamond). A couple of years later it (aircraft) left again along with all of the other "A" models and it would be assigned to a Singapore unit at Luke AFB (training organization).
It (tail number 81-0679) still remains the only Thunderbird aircraft to be painted combat gray and Thunderbird colors twice!

Funny enough, the nickname "Warbird" came about when someone (still unknown from within the team, who was possibly assigned to this conversion tasking) used their finger and wrote the word "Warbird in the gun residue while it sat in the hangar after its historic flight, the name "War Bird" stuck with the team and was used when the event was reported back to TAC/HQ. TSgt. Dave Kramer had made some "plates" to attach inside the cockpit that were later mounted on plaques for SSgt Mark Thome and Steve Henderson (there were many others whose names I can't all remember helped greatly in this project). The plaques stated "Warbird, Second to None" because of it flying in the number 2 position of the Diamond.

Major BJ Java (our Logistic Officer, Vietnam Vet pilot), who was #7 at the time, flew the jet, shot bullets and dropped bombs. The jet looked awesome being red, white and blue with a gun, bombs, missiles, and ECM pod fully functional. Thunderbird Msgt Charlie Saunders remembers being on the ramp when the jet returned from its sortie and BJ had that "big 'ol grin on his face".

The jet was a mess with all the gun gases (soot) that had stuck to that beautiful paint job, we (the team collectively) made Thunderbird history that day, the assigned Line Chief for this event was SMSgt Dennis Graham, Thunderbird photographer for this event was SSgt Chris Allen. A picture of the jet flying overhead on the departure end loaded with four (captive) AIM-9P, six (live) BSU-49 500lb (retarded) bombs, and an ECM pod on the Centerline is provided. The pilot signed this photo after the historical event.
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Here is 81-0679 as she sits now in the Boneyard. :(
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Last edited by Blaze on Wed Sep 30, 2009 2:57 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Joker
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Post by Joker » Mon Sep 28, 2009 6:38 am

Really cool find Blaze! Very interesting article. I think it's cool to see the living proof that the USAF Thunderbirds, some of the F-16s they use may have been flown in combat. Also seeing the missile rails and other combat needed accessories on the aircraft allows you to define what has been taken off the aircraft. Very cool!
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Post by Gunner » Mon Sep 28, 2009 8:22 am

Thanks for sharing, Blaze. I had never seen this before... but it seems to me I have seen hard points on Thunderbirds - Hmmmm... :wink:
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Post by Luse » Mon Sep 28, 2009 11:26 pm

Blaze, that boneyard picture you posted, the 16 with the Oregon and Eagle on the tail, that was based in Klamath. The base has gone from the F-4 to the 16 to the 15. :shock:

1st time I have ever seen an actual 16 that was based here even in a picture.

Awesome find! 8)
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Post by Lawndart » Wed Sep 30, 2009 2:12 pm

Thanks for sharing the article Blaze, very interesting read! :D I saw another pic of the "Warbird" jet fully armed a few years ago somewhere.

Just out of curiosity what was the source of Meathook's article... F-16.net?
Last edited by Lawndart on Mon Aug 11, 2014 11:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Blaze » Wed Sep 30, 2009 2:43 pm

Lawndart wrote:Thanks for sharing the article Blaze, very interesting read! :D I saw another pic of the "Warbird" jet fully armed a few years ago somewhere.

Just out of curiosity what was the source of Meathook's article... F-16.net?
You're welcome! Yes it was F-16.net and I think this is the picture you might've seen.

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Here's the original thread -> Link
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Post by franc01sss » Fri Oct 02, 2009 9:40 pm

Easy question for you guys. Why you call it 81-0679 when we only see 81-679?
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Lawndart
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Post by Lawndart » Mon Aug 11, 2014 11:12 am

Same story, reposted by SIERRA HOTEL AERONAUTICS, and shared:
http://www.facebook.com/VirtualTbirds/p ... 9985669287
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