![]() Kevin Walsh, the Thunderbird's 2016-2017 operations officer, has temporarily assumed responsibility of the team until a new commander is selected, according to Air Combat Command. The Thunderbirds wouldnt be the elite team they are today without Airmen like Col. order of a group commander to fire a faltering flight com-. John Caldwell, the current Thunderbirds Commander/Leader. Heard at the time had more than 3,000 flight hours under his belt. come off a tour with the USAF Thunderbirds when I got the call to command a training squadron. It's about "showing them what their military is capable of," said Heard, who prior to joining the Thunderbirds, led an F-15 E squadron in combat as an expeditionary squadron commander. Air Force Academy graduation on June 2, 2016, attended by then-President Barack Obama.Ĭoincidentally, in April, Gonsalves took this reporter on a flight in Thunderbird 08.įollowing the flight, Heard told, "The Thunderbirds have a really important mission engaging the public." In 2016, the Thunderbirds had a mishap after an accidental throttle rotation led to a malfunction and subsequent engine stall that caused the No. Heard's approach to leading the team was resulting in increased risk within the demonstration which eroded the team dynamic."īoitz added, "Acting on these concerns, General Leavitt determined that new leadership was necessary to ensure the highest levels of pride, precision and professionalism within the team." "This decision was made based on inputs from throughout the 2017 show season," he said. Christopher Boitz, a spokesman for the squadron, said the leadership change was unrelated to the Dayton incident. The aircraft, valued at $29 million, was destroyed. Heard added, "From the Thunderbirds that were on scene. Gonsalves had "a lot of experience," Heard said, with 1,600 flight hours. Erik "Speedy" Gonsalves - flipped on a wet runway following a "familiarization flight" for a fellow Thunderbirds maintenance crew member.Īt the time, Heard defended Gonsalves' efforts to recover, given the circumstances. 6, was commander during one of the incidents.īefore the start of an airshow earlier this year in Dayton, Ohio, Thunderbird 08 - piloted by Capt. The B-1B Lancer 86-109, Spectre, that had an in-flight fire in one of its engines and a subsequent ejection seat failure has now been retired to Tinker Air. Heard's firing comes after two accidents involving Thunderbird aircraft in the last two years. Leavitt, of Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, said she determined new leadership was necessary to ensure the highest "levels of pride, precision and professionalism within the team." Thunderbirds Pilot Reflects Nearly a Year After Colorado Crash.Will the F-35 Be the Next Thunderbirds Jet?.Thunderbirds Gearing Up for First Overseas Trip in Years.Air Force’s top two demonstration teams – the Thunderbirds and the F-22 Raptor Demo Team – will be the featured performers when the 14th annual OC Air Show returns to the Ocean City beach and Boardwalk, June 19-20. ![]() ![]() Additionally, Bauer, his wife, Wendi, and daughter, Ava, were also named honorary members of the Ocean City Fire Department. Larry Hogan recently presented a governor’s citation to the southwest Pennsylvania native. More: OC Air Show 2021: Everything you need to knowīauer, who had initially decided not to come forward as the good Samaritan who saved the 2-year old's life, eventually changed his mind in part to meet some of the first responders who were dispatched to the scene of the May 2 crash. More: What we know about Route 90 bridge crash that sent toddler into the water More: Meet good Samaritan who rescued toddler in bay after Route 90 bridge crash She was thrown from a vehicle into the water after a crash that left a truck teetering on the bridge's guardrail. Jason Heard, the commander of the USAF Flight Demonstration Team, aka The Thunderbirds. “I am incredibly excited to be given this opportunity.”īauer, who is vice president of information systems for Atlantic General Hospital, jumped 25 feet from the Route 90 bridge into Assawoman Bay on May 2 to save a 2-year-old girl from drowning. A new report by Air Force Times' Stephen Losey adds some much-needed color to the abrupt removal of Lt. “This is such an honor to be chosen by the Thunderbirds as their ‘Hometown Hero’,” said Bauer.
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