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As Thunderbirds chief enlisted manager, Hughes will provide advisory skills to the commander about aircraft maintenance and be the enlisted force manager for two years

Upon enlisting as an F-15 Strike Eagle crew chief in 1997, Chief Master Sgt. Jason Hughes, 23d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (AMXS) chief enlisted manager (CEM), dedicated 20 years to servicing six airframes.

Now, as explained by Airman 1st Greg Nash, 23d Wing Public Affairs in his article Newest Thunderbird continues Moody legacy, he’s accomplished another aspiration by becoming the newest member of the U.S. Air Force (USAF) Thunderbirds.

“I’m humbled beyond words and the excitement is overwhelming in a great way,” said Hughes. “The Thunderbirds are the face of the Air Force and the chance to help tell their story and all of our individual stories to inspire and attract future generations of Airmen is the most exciting thing.”

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Hughes added. “It’s hard to put into words and realize that this is actually happening. I’m excited to represent the Air Force on the grandest stage. It feels like a dream.”

Before this dream became a reality, Hughes was focused on other career opportunities on the horizon. Among these opportunities was the chance to work with the A-10 and rekindle his childhood passion.

Enticed by Moody’s A-10 mission, Hughes landed in South Georgia to be the 74th Aircraft Maintenance Unit’s lead production superintendent.

After many years of contributing to the Flying Tiger’s historic heritage and achieving several milestones, Hughes says the stars finally aligned to pursue another challenge. As the chief enlisted manager at the 23d AMXS, he saw an opening for the same position for the Thunderbirds and felt compelled to apply.

“I applied and had to go through a phone interview and then was asked to come to an air show and interact with the [Thunderbirds] team for another interview,” said Hughes. “I was nervous and excited the whole time but, no matter the results, I viewed it as an opportunity to interact with the best of the best in the Air Force. They were very professional, yet awesome and fun to be around. I wanted to be able to experience that camaraderie.”

According to Hughes, this esprit de corps was reminiscent of the Flying Tiger’s. The people, leadership, impact of the mission and support from the local community reminded him of his favorite assignment as a Moody Airman, which he credits with preparing him for his transition.

“The mission tempo at Moody forces you to be at your absolute best,” said Hughes. “You can’t get done with one thing without preparing for two more. We’re a very busy, well-oiled machine that maintains a high standard. We’ve generated the best aircraft and personnel and have a track record of success to get the job done. I want to bring Moody’s culture of excellence and extend it to the Thunderbirds.”

As the incoming Thunderbirds CEM, Hughes will provide advisory skills to the commander about aircraft maintenance and be the enlisted force manager for two years.

“I’ll be guiding Airmen in career fields I’ve never had close interactions with but it will be a fun challenge that I’m looking forward to,” said Hughes. “It will help broaden my experiences because I’ll not only have to get more acquainted with various jobs but also help the Airmen progress in their career to be successful not only as Thunderbirds but for their future endeavors as well.”

Hughes will take on the role of managing 120 enlisted personnel spanning from 25 various career fields. Upon arrival with the team, he’ll also will reunite with a familiar face, former Moody A-10 pilot, Capt. Erik Gonsalves, Thunderbirds narrator pilot.

According to 23d AMXS commander, Lt. Col. Bobby Buckner, this reunion highlights what Moody is achieving.

“It’s amazing what the base is accomplishing and it shows that we’re executing [23d wing commander] Col. Kunkel’s priority of developing courageous leaders,” said Buckner. “We’re building world class leaders and it reflects in the results of what our people are doing. Both Gonsalves and Hughes deployed with [the 23d AMXS] and were tested in combat operations, deployment operations and exhibited excellence at home station on a tough ramp. It just shows that they’re deserving. “

While Hughes doesn’t foresee what the future may hold, he says he’s honored to have been entrenched in the fight for Moody’s A-10 mission and that he’ll fully cherish the opportunity of donning the prestigious Thunderbird flight suit.

Photo by Senior Airman Daniel Hughes, Airman Gregory Nash and Charles Ramey / U.S. Air Force

The USAF Thunderbirds honored Jonathan Bauer, a man who jumped off a bridge to save an 18-month-old girl who plunged into a bay during a car crash, with a flight aboard their twin-seat F-16D in Maryland.

The US Air Force (USAF) Thunderbirds honored Jonathan Bauer, a man who jumped off a bridge to save an 18-month-old girl who plunged into a bay during a car crash, with a flight aboard their twin-seat F-16D in Maryland.

As reported by ABC News, Bauer sprung into action on May 2, 2021, when he and his daughter were out running errands and saw a truck swerve that caused a five-car accident on the Route 90 bridge.

Bauer ran over to the truck, leaning over the overpass’s edge above Assawoman Bay. A man who got himself out of the truck pointed down to the water, where a child struggled to stay afloat.

“When I looked over, I saw the car seat … and then about 6 feet away from the car seat was a little girl. She was on her back, completely floating, head completely out of the water, arms moving, legs kicking,” Bauer said to ABC.

According to a statement by the Ocean City Police Department, the child was “ejected from a pickup truck with her car seat, landing in the bay below.”

Bauer jumped off the bridge and dropped more than 25 feet into the bay below to save the toddler.

A nearby boat picked him up and the child was handed over to first responders once they reached land. She was flown to Johns Hopkins Children’s Hospital in Baltimore and said to be in stable condition after the incident, officials said.

No one knew at first who’d saved the child because Bauer initially didn’t want to be named.

On Jun. 19, 2021, Bauer was honored by the Air Force Thunderbirds before the Air Show in Ocean City.

“His selfless act shows the best America has to offer, and we’re proud to have honored him with a flight today,” the Thunderbirds said in a post that appeared on their Facebook page on Saturday praising his brave rescue.

Bauer checks flight aboard the team F-16D consisted of formation flying and some basic fighter maneuvers.

For more interesting news and info about US Air Force Thunderbirds and other display teams check out the Aerobatic Display Teams website.

Photo by U.S. Air Force / Thunderbirds Facebook Page

The T-28B participated in an airshow at Leszno-Strzyzewice Airport, Czech Republic, and was returning to the Flying Bulls home base, Hangar 7 at Salzburg-W. A. Mozart Airport.

On Jun. 20, 2021, the T-28B Trojan belonging to the fleet of The Flying Bulls Salzburg crashed near the town of Jickovice (Czech Republic) south of Prague, killing one of the two occupants and seriously injuring the second person aboard.

According to Aviation Safety, the T-28B (Registration OE-ESA, Manufacturer Serial Number 200-250) participated in an airshow at Leszno-Strzyzewice Airport, Poland, and was returning to the Flying Bulls home base, Hangar 7 at Salzburg-W. A. Mozart Airport.

The T-28B was built to succeed the T-28A Trojan, entering production in 1949 for the US Air Force (USAF). In this low-wing monoplane with retractable landing gear and Wright radial engine students and instructors would sit behind each other in one cabin. The Flying Bulls T-28B was built in 1954 and stayed with the US Navy in Washington D.C. as a training plane until 1965.

She was later sold to a private owner and restored. However, she found her true admirer much later, when Sigi Angerer spotted her in Oklahoma City. After tough negotiations, the T-28B was finally purchased. But that was just the beginning of the adventure.

According to The Flying Bulls website, to transport the T-28B to Europe, Angerer first flew the plane to California and then had her taken apart and stored in a 40-foot container, before being taken to Texas by land. From there she was shipped to Hamburg, Germany. Basel-based Swiss company Jet Aviation then took on the task to piece her back together again.

While still bearing US markings, she landed in Innsbruck in 1987 and it wasn’t until later that she was entered into the Austrian Aircraft Registry. She finally made it to Salzburg, where she has been since 2001. The legendary T-28B marked the beginning of a truly fascinating collection of airworthy planes that today take center stage at many air shows.

Since 2016 the aircraft wore characteristic olive-black coloring along with the “NAVY” lettering.

Photo by The Flying Bulls

The original sound of the jets gives you the chance to appreciate the sheer power of the team F-18 Hornets

Called Blue Angels – Ultimate Action Video 2014, the thrilling footage in this post features a lot of exciting flying sequences showing the F-18 Hornets belonging to the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron performing high-g turns, formation flying, and very fast low-level passes.

What makes this video even more spectacular is the original sound of the jets which gives you the chance to appreciate the sheer power of the team F-18 Hornets.

Noteworthy, as announced earlier this year, the Blue Angels are slated to upgrade to Super Hornet soon.

As the actual jets, the new aircraft will be modified into a configuration specific to the Blue Angel’s role that requires the installation of a smoke generator and the removal of the fighter’s gun and missile launchers.

Still, the Rhino (as the Super Hornet is dubbed by its aircrews) is something more than the Legacy Hornet’s younger brother. When it is strictly compared to the F/A-18A/B/C/D, the F/A-18E/F is 25 percent larger and the two General Electric F414-GE-400 engines have increased the aircraft thrust by 35 percent over the older model. Moreover, an enhanced fuel capacity boosts the Super Hornet mission range.

Nevertheless, all these improvements have made the “Super” heavier than the “Legacy” Hornet and because of its extra weight making the Rhino, the new aircraft of the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron could be a difficult task.