Photo Gallery Style: Thunderbirds

A collection of pictures from this weekend’s Boston-Portsmouth Air Show on Pease Airforce Base in Portsmouth, NH:

U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds

“The world-renowned U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will make a rare appearance in New Hampshire this summer.  Pushing their F-16 Fighting Falcons to the limit in a display of speed, skill, power and precision, the Thunderbirds will thrill you with their legendary show.

The Thunderbirds are the air demonstration squadron of the U.S. Air Force, based at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, Nevada. The squadron tours the United States and much of the world, performing aerobatic formation and solo flying in specially-marked USAF jet aircraft.

Officers serve a two-year assignment with the squadron, while enlisted personnel serve three to four. Replacements must be trained for about half of the team each year, providing a constant mix of experience. The squadron performs no more than 88 air demonstrations each year and has never canceled a demonstration due to maintenance difficulty.

This year’s team is led by Lt Col Case Cunningham, flying the No. 1 jet, leading all air demonstrations and commanding the 120-person squadron. Colonel Cunningham hails from Argyle, Texas.”

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