Thunderbird War Bird - History 1988

Thunderbird History Event - War Bird - 1988

It was 1988; the USAF Thunderbirds were tasked by Gen Robert Russ, who was Tactical Air Commander (TAC) at the time, to put one of our Thunderbird aircraft into combat configuration in the allotted
(mandated) 72 hour period, a task never done before on the team.

To make a long story short, the maintenance boys and girls, worked their backsides off and had the aircraft ready in less than 72 hours with the only exception being that the jet wasn't painted (in the combat scheme).
The aircraft tail number selected for this event was Thunderbird Number 10 which was 81-0679.

A couple of interesting facts in this event, the aircraft originally came to the team from the factory (I don't know that date) painted in Thunderbird colors when it later left our organization in combat gray only to be returned to us from Hill AFB again repainted with Thunderbird Red, White, and Blue to be used during the training/show season of 1990.


For the 1990 Show Season that aircraft had been assigned to Thunderbird Crew Chief, TSgt. Dave Kramer and his Assistant Crew Chief who was a Hydraulic troop named SSgt. Mark Thome (Number Two in the Diamond). A couple of years later it (aircraft) left again along with all of the other "A" models and it would be assigned to a Singapore unit at Luke AFB (training organization).
It (tail number 81-0679) still remains the only Thunderbird aircraft to be painted combat gray and Thunderbird colors twice!

Funny enough, the nickname "Warbird" came about when someone (still unknown from within the team, who was possibly assigned to this conversion tasking) used their finger and wrote the word "Warbird in the gun residue while it sat in the hangar after its historic flight, the name "War Bird" stuck with the team and was used when the event was reported back to TAC/HQ. TSgt. Dave Kramer had made some "plates" to attach inside the cockpit that were later mounted on plaques for SSgt Mark Thome and Steve Henderson (there were many others whose names I can't all remember helped greatly in this project). The plaques stated "Warbird, Second to None" because of it flying in the number 2 position of the Diamond.

Major BJ Java (our Logistic Officer, Vietnam Vet pilot), who was #7 at the time, flew the jet, shot bullets and dropped bombs. The jet looked awesome being red, white and blue with a gun, bombs, missiles, and ECM pod fully functional. Thunderbird Msgt Charlie Saunders remembers being on the ramp when the jet returned from its sortie and BJ had that "big 'ol grin on his face".

The jet was a mess with all the gun gases (soot) that had stuck to that beautiful paint job, we (the team collectively) made Thunderbird history that day, the assigned Line Chief for this event was SMSgt Dennis Graham, Thunderbird photographer for this event was SSgt Chris Allen.

A picture of the jet flying overhead on the departure end loaded with four (captive) AIM-9P, six (live) BSU-49 500lb (retarded) bombs, and an ECM pod on the Centerline is provided. The pilot signed this photo after the historical event. I am hoping I can continue to gather the names of all the folks from the team that were involved, there were so many hard to remember them all, to those I missed, I am sorry and will try and add your name at a later date.

Wow - what was the tail #?

Removed because I screwed it up...BAD

Again from 1988 to 1990, we made history again and again. In 1989 we became the first team members who did not have to leave an aircraft behind at a show site due to maintenance issues - first time it was ever done, I was Pro-Super
(Maintenance Superintendent) managing that effort, lots of hard work and
dedication by all involved. Day shift Line Chief was Msgt Dennis Tucker

For my direct Swing Shift efforts, I was assigned to deploy with the US Navy Blue Angels
and act as an Exchange Maintenance Liaison, that was an amazing deployment,
I flew and participated in numerous Air Shows as a Thunderbird with the US
Navy Blue Angels, another history making event.

I was the third Enlisted person to do so, the first was Msgt Willie Cooper (1988), then Msgt Charlie Saunders (1989) and I was the third and last person to be assigned that role in 1990.


Looking back there were so many events, it is hard to remember them all, it was a thrilling assignment for sure, for us all.

Way cool picture, Meathook - Thanks! I guess those T-bird jets aren't as 'gutted' as I thought they were (or are they?). Did a complete fire control system have to be installed? How about a brief rundown of what was necessary to get it Combat ready? TIA.

No, they are not like the normal, everyday, flightline F-16 for sure (you make a valid point within reason). I'll hit some of the main highlights only, removed Smoke Oil System, had to reinstall all gun system components (barrels, drum, wiring etc). Radar was not an issue, it was in tact.

Weapons LRUs (worked, wiring was an issue, big issue too, lots of problems there) Speed Brake Switch was a pain (it developed problems). Full check of munitions system (performed), launchers and pylons installed (ops checked) Boresight C/W, ECM Pod installed (ops checked).

Biggest issue I remember was the wiring, cannon plugs, corrosion, chaffing issues we discovered once we dug deep into her belly (fuselage) surrounding the delivery system. Keep in mind, we only had (1) one weapons person assigned to the team, he really only worked Maintenance Control Issues, no real need for weapons if you think about it in our day to day acrivities. So he needed lots of help with this project which was done using active team members only.

I know there was much more, just cant remember right now, it's been a long time, 21 years since it was done. I now we really had to chat quite often to TAC/CC so we did NOT have to paint the aircraft for the "green world operations".

As it turned out, the aircraft in its present colors made for a fine show piece too and great photos taken by our photo guy SSgt Chris Allen (who took this photo as well). I'll check with some old team members I know, to see if they remember any other serious issues but we did it, we proved we could and it flew and "BJ" kicked a$$ with it.

Now that's Sierra Hotel

If only we had video of the bomb drops

Thanks for sharing that one - we'd probably never have seen it as there's nothing about it even in the Thunderbirds' museum in the hangar at Nellis.

Your welcome and your right, it was kept within the squadron. It was our first and only such test, no big deal was made of it really (pubically) but looking back, it was a big deal to prove the point that was promoted for wartime events, we were tasked and met that tasking.

Never was done before or since (in the teams entire history) so that makes it special to us and the USAF as a whole (I think as it should be).

Thanks for the kind words (and behalf of the team that pulled it off).

Hi, I looked at the aircraft database for 88-0001 and it came up as a RNLAF jet with no thunderbird history, did I miss something?

Meathook wrote:88-0001

Now that is a wrong serial, buddy

Probably FY 81 something.

Greetings,

Henrik.

I'll check it out today, and get back to you.....after all, it's been 21 years....I'll check with the guy that crewed it (hopefully, he remembers the tail number correctly).

Meathook wrote:...after all, it's been 21 years...

It couldn't have been that long ago, if it was, that would mean I'm gettin' old.....!!!! BTW, I have some video of the walk-around prior to the flight, rumors floated around that there was video of the bobm run but could never confirm.....

If you need I have the list of tail #'s, too. I just don't remember which one it was....

Smitty

Head is out of my butt now - tail was 81-0679

I hope you all enjoyed the information, sorry about the tail number, it is CORRECTED now

Smitty - I talked with Mark Thome, Charlie Saunders, Dane Anderson, Chris Allen, Allen Trump and Steve Thompson, all helped "square me away on the tail.

Chris Allen (who took the photos) has ten rolls of film surrounding this event - he took all the photos and is going to sent me a hand full of them. Once I get them, I will post them all for others to enjoy. yea...twenty one years ago - my goodness, where does the time go, we are getting old.

Hell, I will be 58 in September, freaks me out too, I dont feel it (thank goodness). Later buddy

I got copies of the videos from the video guy Jerry Gordon