United States Air Force Thunderbirds Flight Team at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility

United States Air Force Thunderbirds Flight Team at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility

The United States Air Force Thunderbirds arrive at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. The flight teams are stationed at Wallops while they participate in the Ocean City Air Show scheduled for June 11 and 12 in Ocean City, Maryland.

The United States Air Force Thunderbirds flight team prepares for practice flights at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. The Thunderbird F-16 jets are lined up in a row on the tarmac at Wallops Flight Facility's airfield. The Thunderbirds are mostly white, with a red tip and blues stripes.

On June 9, 2023, Wallops hosted a tailgate party for employees, friends, and family to watch practice demonstrations and meet pilots staging for the Ocean City Airshow.

An award-winning principal from Pocomoke High School has been selected to fly with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds as part of their “Hometown Hero” program that honors deserving local people. On Friday, June 9, at 11 a.m. (from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia) Jenifer Rayne will get to experience the ride of her life in the backseat of an F-16 with Thunderbird No. 8 Capt. Jeffrey “Simmer” Downie as her pilot. Principal Rayne gives a thumbs up from the cockpit of No. 8 Thunderbird before her 45-minute flight.

A United States Air Force Thunderbird takes off for the Hometown Hero flight at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. This year's Hometown Hero was Pocomoke High School Principal Jenifer Rayne flying with Thunderbird No. 8 Capt. Jeffrey “Simmer” Downie.

The United States Air Force Thunderbirds arrived at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia this week. The flight teams are stationed at Wallops while they participate in the Ocean City Air Show scheduled for June 11 and 12, 2023, in Ocean City, Maryland. Other teams being hosted at Wallops are the A-10 Thunderbolt IIS, F-18 Rhino team, and the F-35 II Demo team.

On Friday, June 9, Pocomoke High School Principal Jenifer Rayne flew with the Thunderbirds from Wallops as part of their Hometown Hero flights. She was chosen for receiving the Maryland State Education Association Human and Civil Rights Award for her work with the student-centered club Speak Up.

Learn more about The Thunderbirds:

https://www.airforce.com/thunderbirds/overview

Image Credits: NASA/Danielle Johnson/Patrick Black/Terry Zaperach

Release Date: June 9, 2023

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