USAF Thunderbirds Orientation/Incentive Ride Programme

JZimms100 · Post by **JZimms100** » Sun Oct 01, 2006 4:10 pm

Hello All!

I wish everyone a wonderful weekend. While reading the forums here at virtualthunderbirds.com, I noticed discussion on whether or not USAF Thunderbirds knew the extent and nature of Virtual Thunderbird (VT) team.

My question, as an observer at this point, concerns the nature of the VT's future relations with the "real" Thunderbirds. In particular, I was wondering what the VT leadership, specific the Boss and the other pilots, would think about attempting to establish an Orientation Ride Programme with the USAF Thunderbirds. It can be my understanding that the Thunderbirds fly a select number of Media/Celebrity personalities per year. Would it be even slightly possible for an Orientation Flight opportunity to exist for the members of the Virtual Thunderbirds? Has this been investigated at all yet?

Such an incredible opportunity this would be for the VT Family, who carry on the Thunderbird Spirit so well!

Thank you all!

Good Luck,

Brian.

JZimms100 · Post by **JZimms100** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 4:56 pm

A Quick Question for Convertible (#7) and Cobra (#8 );

As we were on the subject of Orientation rides, I thought to ask if the Virtual Thunderbirds fly an Incentive/Orientation Flight profile much like the real-life #7 or #8 Thunderbirds do?

Is it possible now, or would it be posible in the future, for the VT Team to give "Virtual" Incentive/Orientation Rides over a server... much in the same fashion as the current team members fly together? As in, the individual receiving the Virtual Incentive/Orientation ride would be able to "ride" (and observe) in the back seat of the D-model?

Thank you to all!

Good Luck,

Brian

Post by **Lawndart** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 6:29 pm

To answer your first post: We're not at liberty to discuss any of those kind of matters. Let's just leave it that we (the VTB) are not unacquainted with them (the RTB)..........

To answer your second post: Backseat ride: No (Lock-On limitation). Tryout: Yes (fly different airplanes with us). In the future (and using Fighter Ops instead of Lock-On): Incentive rides (backseat observation flights) will be possible to conduct!

Airshow fan · Post by **Airshow fan** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 7:08 pm

Ooh! I will have to take one of those!

x15 · Post by **x15** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 7:07 am

Lawndart wrote:To answer your first post: We're not at liberty to discuss any of those kind of matters.

Your response infers that there is a possibility, and if you are not at liberty to discuss this stuff could you have answered no instead of making an inferrence?

JZimms100 · Post by **JZimms100** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 11:30 am

I most positively took what Lawndart said to mean that there certainly IS a possibility for F-16 Incentive/Orientation flights with the real Thunderbirds in the future! What a great motivation for aspiring Virtual Thunderbirds! I would love to hear what the Boss has to say about this subject.... very exciting indeed!

Does anyone "in the know" have an idea of approximately when this Programme may begin? Boss?

Post by **Lawndart** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 1:48 pm

x15 wrote:Your response infers that there is a possibility, and if you are not at liberty to discuss this stuff could you have answered no instead of making an inferrence?

People, don't read into this too much! All I said was we're not unacquainted... (that doesn't imply anything aside from that we're not "strangers")! Would you prefer I said absolutely nothing at all? Just trying to throw you guys a bone, without crossing a line that we're not willing to cross due to the respect for those we represent/reproduce. If you guys prefer to hear nothing at all, then we won't say squat anymore.

There's something called implied endorsement and basically means that no one can on behalf or being part of the Air Force can give their "approval" to an outside organization (like us). So, the "official" answer as it says on our FAQs on our website is: No, we are not in any way associated with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, however... (read the FAQ). That's really all I was saying. It has nothing to do with backseat rides per se.

Let's just drop the "program" thing as JZimms100 is talking about. We are not accredited members of the media or press here and the incentive rides are for selected members of the press mainly or others that can aid in the Thunderbirds main mission as Air Force recruiters! With that I'm not saying at all that we're not helping in that regard. We most certainly are, but the rides are offered to more readily available public media people (news, magazines etc) and/or celebrities to create buzz and good will.

JZimms100 wrote:Does anyone "in the know" have an idea of approximately when this Programme may begin? Boss?

Bottom line, there is no incentive ride program. How do I know? Because I am (one of) the people "in the know"...!

If the above question was in reference to simulation incentive rides: The answer in my previous post still stands... i.e. not until the simulation software we're using supports it. Which means, when there's a new sim or newer version of whatever current sim we're using that has a feature to allow backseat rides, we can do so. When? Your guess is as good as mine! There currently isn't a sim that allows this...

lqcorsa · Post by **lqcorsa** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 4:53 pm

There currently isn't a sim that allows this...

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 with the FSNET addon allows "this".

BonJobie · Post by **BonJobie** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 12:08 am

Since everyone wants to hear from the Boss on this matter, I will tell you that we have contact with the person who actually arranges those flights and we have never once intimated that we wanted an incentive flight. That's not what we are about. Incentive flights, as LD explained, go to media and famous celelbrities like Tiger Woods, Clinton Portis, Tim McGraw, et. al. We are famous within a very small community, that's it. Oh yeah, incentive rides are also given to Honorary Thunderbirds which are selected yearly by the Team for their efforts to promote the Thunderbirds and the mission of the US Air Force. And there are only 52 of these people at the present time. So, again, we do not have any official connection with the Team; however, we do communicate with them. Reference our trip to Las Vegas one year ago, pictures in our gallery on the main website.

Bon

JZimms100 · Post by **JZimms100** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 7:51 pm

Hello Boss, thank you for the timely reply to my question! Sir, it seems as though indeed these contacts the VT Family has with the Thunderbirds will pay off in time with Orientation Flights in the back seat of their F-16Ds. Very Super! Again, what a great recruiting tool you as the VT Leader/Commander has at your fingertips..what a great opportunity!

I congratulate you all again on a job well done!

Good Luck!

Brian.

JZimms100 · Post by **JZimms100** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 7:41 pm

Any news on the development of the Virtual Thunderbird (VT) Family receiving Incentive/Orientation rides with the Thunderbirds?

Post by **Lawndart** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 7:47 pm

There is no such thing. I thought that was clear as mud...

Take my word for it!

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