2009 Atlantic City - USAF Thunderbirds

Post by **Lawndart** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 12:34 pm

Just started watching these videos by Steve Holzinger for a few references, and ended up watching the entire show(s). What always strikes me is timing, and as often as we discuss timing down to the second in our own debriefs for each and every pass, these guys get it spot on almost every single pass, or do they...!?

Diamond 360 plus Solo Rejoin in 1:23 (17 seconds tight). The Solos do a great job of still making it in for the Delta BUP, but not soon enough and the pass is flown without smoke as the Solos go from route to diamond spacing throughout the pass. Pretty good fix if you ask me, and the average air show fan would never catch it, but that was a pretty grave timing mistake. Hey, what can you say... it's practice day!

(Come show day, they repeat the same timing mistake again, but this time only 7 seconds tight instead of 17).

This is why I enjoy watching practice shows! When you already have a lot of meat on the bones, seeing the real guys "off beat" and making corrections is great and shows that a good show is very elusive at best, and requires unbelievable attention to detail.

Practice High Show plus some additional passes.

High Show.

Razgriz · Post by **Razgriz** » Thu Oct 01, 2009 11:36 pm

I actually went to this the day of the show, but the Tbirds never showed due to fog.

Post by **Lawndart** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 1:52 am

According the the video description on YouTube, the second video embedded in the original post is from the "show day" on Wednesday August 19, 2009.

The first video embedded in the original post is the "practice day" flown on Tuesday August 18, 2009.

Razgriz · Post by **Razgriz** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 1:25 pm

Lawndart wrote:According the the video description on YouTube, the second video embedded in the original post is from the "show day" on Wednesday August 19, 2009.

The first video embedded in the original post is the "practice day" flown on Tuesday August 18, 2009.

There were 2 show days, one day (the day I went) they didn't show.

Post by **Ray** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 1:37 pm

Their pass in review looks a little looser than ours, #4 is quite a bit further aft and up.

I also noticed in their transition from the arrowhead to diamond that #4 really goes low when #2 and #3 move foward. Does our #4 drop down like that?

Post by **Lawndart** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 1:39 pm

Razgriz wrote:There were 2 show days, one day (the day I went) they didn't show.

According to the show schedule on the Thunderbird website, they were only scheduled for a show on Wednesday August 19, 2009, and not back-to-back show days. (Atlantic City is usually a one day show event in the middle of the week each year).

Post by **Lawndart** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 1:48 pm

Ray wrote:Their pass in review looks a little looser than ours, #4 is quite a bit further aft and up.

Maj. Gustafson appears to be "out" in this particular pass, but otherwise he flies to the right of centerline (up from a ground observer's perspective). Also, notice how #2 goes "out" moments before they hit the shoreline. Wonder if there was a bit of texture in the air that got the best of both of them as they crossed the line between land and sea?

Ray wrote:I also noticed in their transition from the arrowhead to diamond that #4 really goes low when #2 and #3 move foward. Does our #4 drop down like that?

No. 4 should ease forward a bit, because: 1) The Slot position is further aft and down than the Arrowhead position, and; 2) This also creates more (wingtip) separation when the wingmen move up, forward, and down into Diamond again.

Sawamura · Post by **Sawamura** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 10:35 am

At 07:13 - 07:15 in the practise video, does #2 use the airbrake for a short moment?

Razgriz · Post by **Razgriz** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 8:50 pm

Sorry for reviving an old thread, but in the first video, the Bon Ton Roulle (6:55) is totally screwed by #2.

Burner · Post by **Burner** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 8:59 pm

Razgriz wrote:Sorry for reviving an old thread, but in the first video, the Bon Ton Roulle (6:55) is totally screwed by #2.

Thanks #7???

Razgriz · Post by **Razgriz** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 9:27 pm

Burner wrote:
Razgriz wrote:Sorry for reviving an old thread, but in the first video, the Bon Ton Roulle (6:55) is totally screwed by #2.
Thanks #7???

It's in my blood.