Thunderbirds

Just a few days after I purchased my digital camera, there was an air show at Hill Air Force Base.  This show ususally takes place on Memorial Day weekend every other year, and includes performances by the U.S. Air Force demonstration team, the Thunderbirds.  Unfortunately, on this day in May 2012, the weather was not cooperating.

By the time I arrived on the flight line it was pouring rain.  Fortunately the Air Force opened up a few hangars -- in addition to those featuring displays for the air show -- and the hardiest members of the crowd found a dry place to wait out the storm.  Many people decided to call it a day and go home.  Even before finding an open hangar, as I swam upstream against the mass exodus, I told myself that I was made of sterner stuff.  I was soaking wet by the time I found an open hangar.

There was a moment when it looked like the rain would stop, so I left the hangar to check out a V-22 Osprey.  While standing inside the cargo bay of the tiltrotor aircraft, however, the rain started up again.  Back to the hangar I went, even us some of the hardier few gave up and left.  This time the wait wasn't so long and the word was out that the Thunderbirds were going to fly.

Thanks to the rain, I found a spot front row center on the flight line for the show.  In fact, it was the best spot I had ever had for an air show.  Preceeding the Thunderbirds were and F-16 which demonstrated the aircrafts maneuverability, an aerobatic bi-plane, a racing pilot from the Red Bull air racing series, a heritage flight featuring an F-16 and a P-51, and an FJ2 Fury, a Navy version of the North American F-86 Sabre.  Unfortunately, a MiG 15 that was supposed to have a mock dog fight with the Fury was unable to take off.

Finally, the Thunderbirds began their show.  Due to the lingering cloud cover, the flight demonstration team opted to perform its low show.  This meant taking out the high stuff like the bomb burst.  But the low show is still very good, and you get plenty of afterburner noise.  The great thing about the afterburner is that you don't just hear it, you feel it.

The best shot of the day involved a maneuver where one of the solo pilots overtakes the four who are making a slow pass in a loose formation with their landing gear extended.  At one point the overtaking solo appears to fly through the diamond four formation.  To get this shot I had to anticipate when my camera would finish its autofocus and snap the picture.  Maybe I got lucky, but I got the shot.

Here are some more photos from that day: