The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds announced their 2012 show schedule Dec. 7.
The team is set to perform more than 60 demonstrations in 33 locations, including two shows in Canada.
The team, officially known as the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, will again kick-off their season by performing a flyover for the 54th running of NASCAR’s Daytona 500 on Feb. 26. The remainder of the schedule is as follows:
March 17: Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz.
March 31 and April 1: Lakeland, Fla.
April 14-15: Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.
April 21-22: Barksdale AFB, La.
April 28-29: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
May 5-6: Shaw AFB, S.C.
May 12-13: Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
May 19-20: March Air Reserve Base, Calif.
May 23: Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force Academy graduation flyover)
May 26-27: Hill AFB, Utah
June 2-3: Rockford, Ill.
June 9-10: Ocean City, Md.
June 16-17: North Kingstown, R.I.
June 23-24: Indianapolis, Ind.
June 30 & July 1: Battle Creek, Mich.
July 7-8: Gary, Ind.
July 21-22: Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
July 25: Cheyenne, Wyo.
July 28-29: Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska
Aug. 4-5: Hillsboro, Ore.
Aug. 11-12: Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
Aug. 17: Atlantic City, N.J.
Aug. 25-26: Brunswick, Maine
Sept. 1-2: Davenport, Iowa
Sept. 8-9: Sacramento, Calif.
Sept. 15-16: Scott AFB, Ill.
Sept. 22-23: Salinas, Calif.
Sept. 29-30: McConnell AFB, Kan.
Oct. 6-7: Fort Worth, Texas
Oct. 13-14: Daytona Beach, Fla.
Oct. 20-21: El Paso, Texas
Oct. 27-28: Moody AFB, Ga.
Nov. 3-4: Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla.
Nov. 10-11: Nellis AFB, Nev.
“We are excited about the upcoming season and representing our fellow American Airmen,” said Lt. Col. Greg Moseley, who will command and lead the team in the 2012 show season. “We feel honored to tell the story of U.S. Air Force Airmen serving on the front lines of freedom around the world. We will proudly represent each Airmen with the same pride, precision and professionalism in which they perform their duties each and every day.”
As of 2012, the Thunderbirds will have been in existence for 59 years, dating back to 1953 when the team flew the straight-winged F-84G Thunderjets. This season will mark the 30th season the squadron has performed in the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the Air Force’s premier multi-role fighter aircraft.
The Thunderbirds team is an Air Combat Command unit composed of eight pilots, including six demonstration pilots, four support officers, four civilians and more than 100 enlisted people serving in about 30 Air Force job specialties.
A Thunderbirds aerial demonstration is a mix of formation flying and solo routines. The pilots perform approximately 40 maneuvers in a demonstration. The entire show, including the beginning ground ceremony, lasts about one hour. The air show season lasts roughly from March to November, with the winter months primarily used to train new team members.
