Airplanes are now built to carry a pilot and a dog in the cockpit. The pilot's job is to feed the dog, and the dog's job is to bite the pilot if he touches anything.

Arlen Rens, Lockheed Martin test pilot

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> If you ever get a chance to see the Thunderbirds in action you should. It is an amazing show..

It was a bright summer Friday, near noon, at Keesler AFB in Mississippi. I was walking back from the chow hall. I worked mid shift, so this was the start of my weekend already.

I've never been in actual combat, but when a shadow crossed the sun and there was a huge *BOOOM!*, reflex took over and I hit the deck. After a few seconds, I got up and moved forward to look around the corner and see what had happened, just in time to see the T-Birds diamond formation going vertical over the flightline, doing a few impromptu maneuvers to announce their arrival at the base for the open house/airshow that weekend.

Later that day I was on-shift as dispatcher at the Keesler Aero Club. Three of the Thunderbird pilots and one of our flight instructors, a WWII P-51 veteran, came in and checked out our Cessna 172. They said that whenever possible they check out a base's aero club aircraft to fly the local area and scope out their navigation points for their show.

After their flight, they came back in, checked in the plane, and left. At that point the flight instructor just sat down and started laughing, and said to me, "It's so funny, watching these jet jockeys try to figure out again what a rudder is for."

Okay, so maybe you have to be a pilot to get why that's funny. :)

Can't let every other country have all the fun...

Canada's Snowbirds!

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<blockquote>Is it actually possible to fly that close though? Surely not?</blockquote>

Yes it is.

When they flew the F-4 the wing tips of the Number 1 Bird was 32 inches from the cockpit of the 2 and 3 Bird. The # 4 bird was up under them. He was so close that the exhaust from the # 1 bird blackened his tail.

They still fly that close in the Diamond, but the exhaust of the F-16 is a whole lot cleaner :)

If you ever get a chance to see the Thunderbirds in action you should. It is an amazing show..

Is it actually possible to fly that close though? Surely not?

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<blockquote><blockquote>

Now that's an original, with correct shadows. </blockquote>

The images I got WERE from A Thunderbird site.. As for the shadows if the Sun was not high in the Sky (i.e early morning) the image I displayed would be correct. As evidence from the shadows of the wings and tail. The image you showed is with the Sun higher in the sky, again evidenced by the shadows on the wings and tail..

<blockquote>

Now that's an original, with correct shadows.

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Nice! Sure more would be good!

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USAF Thunderbirds

Want more :)

The RAF Red Arrows - the very best! Farnborough, Hamphire, England. July 2004.

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