2006 Thunderbirds team includes first female pilot

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NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (AFPN) --  U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, “Thunderbirds,” officials announced their new pilots for the 2006 demonstration season which includes the first female demonstration pilot in the 52-year history of the Thunderbirds.

Capt. Nicole Malachowski, of the 494th Fighter Squadron at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, joins the team as the first female demonstration pilot on any U.S. military high performance jet team.

Lt. Col. Kevin Robbins, from the Air Force Weapons School here, was selected to be the lead pilot and the squadron commander.

Capt. Ed Casey, of the 56th Training Squadron at Luke AFB, Ariz., was the other new demonstration pilot named to the team.

Capt. Tad Clark, of the 52nd Operations Support Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, is the new advanced pilot and narrator.

Returning pilots include Majs. Rusty Keen, Steve Horton, Brian Farrar and Jeremy Sloane.

The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron is an Air Combat Command unit comprising eight pilots, six of whom are demonstration pilots; four support officers; four civilians; and about 120 enlisted Airmen in more than 29 career specialties.

A Thunderbirds’ demonstration is a mix of six aircraft performing formation flying and solo routines. The four-aircraft diamond formation demonstrates the training and precision of Air Force pilots, while the solos highlight the maximum capabilities of the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

The team's first performance was June 8, 1953, at Luke. Since then, the Thunderbirds have flown for more than 310 million people at 3,944 air demonstrations in all 50 states and more than 60 foreign countries. (Courtesy of ACC News Service)