"Once A Thunderbird...", Promotional Film circa '73-74

Discussions about the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron
Post Reply
User avatar
Lawndart
Virtual Thunderbird
Posts: 9290
Joined: Tue Mar 29, 2005 8:36 am
Location: Mooresville, NC

"Once A Thunderbird...", Promotional Film circa '73-74

Post by Lawndart » Wed Aug 10, 2016 4:44 pm



The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds (USAF Air Demonstration Squadron) are the topic of this McDonnell Douglas promotional film. Titled “Once a Thunderbird…” the color film dates from the early 1970s and opens with scenic views of the Western United States when we come upon a decorated U.S. Air Force captain, who reminds us: “For a hundred centuries, before the white man set foot on the craggy rocks of New England, these vast reaches were peopled by the Red Man … Like all men they feared nature, declaring natural calamities to be the work of the gods, especially thunder and lightning … which were the work of their great god, Thunderbird.” The lengthy preface, and the reminder that the god Thunderbird “was a force for good, not evil,” gives way to five jets streaking across the sky as “the dream became reality.”

Comprised of 95 officers and enlisted men, the film explains at mark 3:55 that the Thunderbird Squadron moves through the sky “in a fantastic aerial ballet, flashing man-made aerial lightning … then calling forth the thunder.”

The planning and execution of such precision aerial wizardry is not easy, the viewer is reminded. “Each year, hundreds of applicants from throughout the United States Air Force vie for openings in this elite squadron,” we are told at mark 05:05, as the film details the selection process, including the three months it takes to review the applicants and select about 20 semi-finalists. From there, five finalists are selected.

“These finalists must be able to meet the public well and be good at public relations,” it’s explained at mark 06:00. “And of course they must be outstanding pilots.”

While pilots get nearly all the glory, the promotional film also heralds “the backbone” of the squadron — the enlisted personnel who make up the maintenance crew and support personnel who keep the aircraft flying. Introduced at mark 06:25, the narrator reminds us that “these are the dedicated professionals who have perpetuated one of the proudest Thunderbird records: not one flight demonstration has ever been canceled because of maintenance difficulties.”

Based in the desert southwest, the “home of the legendary Thunderbird,” the squadron can log as many as 100,000 miles in a single year, the viewer is told starting at mark 07:40, with more than 100 flights in front of millions of spectators worldwide. As the narration continues, scenes of the Thunderbirds in action fill the screen, we are told pilots also visit orphanages, hospitals, and schools to meet “young America.”

Yet, it’s still the flight demonstration that captures the attention of audiences, and at mark 09:00 we’re shown a group of pilots as they march to their aircraft and prepare for takeoff. Each show consists of five Thunderbird pilots and lasts about 30 minutes, we are told. Four pilots form a diamond formation upon takeoff and are joined a few seconds later by a solo pilot. “I demonstrate the tight, high-G turn radius of the airplane. I demonstrate the maximum rate rolls … and upside down flying … my job is demonstrate the maximum performance capabilities of the airplane, whereas the diamonds job is to show the beauty of precision aerobatics,” a pilot explains starting at mark 10:00.

The film continues with explanations of the duties of the team leader and the slot pilot (who flies behind the leader and between the two other aircraft), while the viewer continues to be treated to scenes both from the ground and from cameras mounted on the aircraft, and sees maneuvers including the “roll back to arrowhead” (at mark 12:47) and the spectacular “bomb burst” (mark 14:45).

We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example like: "01:00:12:00 -- President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference."

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
Post Reply