Luke Air Force Base wrote:Thunderbolt selected for "THUNDERBIRDS"
56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
6/7/2010 - LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- The following officers have been selected for duty with the USAF AIR
DEMONSTRATION SQUADRON (USAFADS) "Thunderbirds" for the 2011-2012
demonstration seasons:
Capt. Nicholas Holmes, Slot Pilot, Luke AFB, Ariz.
Capt. Ryan Riley, Left Wing, Kunsan AB, Republic of Korea
Capt. John Williams, Opposing Solo, Nellis AFB, Nev.
Lt. Col. Jason Koltes, Operations Officer, Ramstein AB, Germany
Capt. Joshua Hawkins, Executive Officer, Ramstein AB, Germany
Maj. Jason Moore, Maintenance Officer, Tyndall AFB, Fla.
Congratulations to all the selectees!
Thunderbirds announce 2011 officer selections
Thunderbirds announce 2011 officer selections
Last edited by Lawndart on Wed Jun 30, 2010 2:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
Nellis Air Force Base wrote:Thunderbirds announce 2011 officer selections
U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Public Affairs
6/21/2010 - NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, commonly known as the "Thunderbirds," recently announced incoming officer selections for the 2011 demonstration season.
Capt. Ryan Riley, an F-16 pilot stationed at Kunsan Air Base, Korea, will join the team as the Left Wing for the Squadron as Thunderbird No. 2.
Capt. Nicholas Holmes, an F-16 pilot stationed at Luke AFB, Arizona, will serve as the Slot for the squadron as Thunderbird No. 4.
Capt. John Williams, an F-15 pilot stationed at Nellis AFB, Nevada, will take over as the Opposing Solo, Thunderbird No. 6.
Lt. Col. Jason Koltes, an F-16 pilot serving at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, will join the team as the Operations Officer, Thunderbird No. 7.
Capt. Joshua Hawkins, stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, will become the new Executive Officer, as Thunderbird No. 10.
Maj. Jason Moore, currently stationed at Tyndall AFB, Florida, will serve as the Maintenance Officer, Thunderbird No. 11.
Selection of the next Public Affairs Officer, Thunderbird No. 12, is delayed until late summer due to the deployed status of one of the finalists.
"Each person and position is carefully selected based on the individual's record of performance, capabilities in their particular field and a demonstrated commitment to excellence that matches the Airmen we represent every day," said Lt. Col. Case Cunningham, Squadron Commander/Leader and Thunderbird No. 1.
Pilots selected for the team flying a different airframe will undergo several months of F-16 familiarization training before they begin practicing the aerial demonstrations with the current Thunderbird pilots.
"Each year we have dozens of highly capable Airmen apply for each position," said Colonel Cunningham. "We select the most qualified individuals to join the team based on their overall capabilities and ability to represent all Airmen."
The Thunderbirds are currently touring in their 57th year as the Air Force's premier jet demonstration team. The 130-person squadron represents the nearly 700,000 Active Duty, Guard, Reserve and Civil Service Airmen serving at home and abroad. The Thunderbirds deliver the Air Force story at air shows around the country and the world each weekend from March through November.
