Cheyenne Frontier Days is one in every of, if not the, most well-known and recognizable western occasions on this planet. With 126 years of history and custom in its rearview mirror, the enduring Wyoming rodeo shares the tradition of the west and inspiration of the cowboy way of life with scores of holiday makers from all through the world. For it to be carefully aligned with one other American icon means a shared imaginative and prescient and dedication to longstanding excellence.
That shared imaginative and prescient and dedication comes within the type of the world well-known United States Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration squadron, which is understood throughout the globe as a workforce of a few of the finest pilots and exhibitions of expert flying on this planet. It is smart the primary public air present the USAF Thunderbirds participated in was held in 1953 on the Francis E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyo., and ran in conjunction and coordination with the already long-running CFD.
“This has been such an honor,” mentioned CFD General Chairman Jimmy Dean Siler in regards to the Thunderbirds’ shut ties with Cheyenne’s historic occasion. “We have been associated with the Thunderbirds, we are their longest running civilian show. Other than the Air Force Academy, it seems they always come here and we are so proud of that. We have such a good working team, between Cheyenne Frontier Days and the military. It is awesome.”
Francis E. Warren Air Force Base commander Colonel Catherine Barrington, left, and Cheyenne Frontier Days General Chairman Jimmy Dean Siler, proper, stand collectively throughout rituals and introductions earlier than the beginning of the 2022 Wings Over Warren air present on July 27, 2022. The air present, the USAF Thunderbirds workforce, and Cheyenne Frontier Days all have an extended relationship courting again to 1953.
The appreciation from the Thunderbirds is mutual.
“We’ve been doing it for 69 years,” mentioned Captain Kaitlin Toner (Thunderbird #12), a public affairs officer for the USAF Thunderbirds. “I think what is really special about this show is you come here to Cheyenne and you look at the community and you look at the ties between Cheyenne Frontier Days and the Wings Over Warren air show — technically two separate events — but you look at how they tie in together. You look at how the community and the base work together, and it is a sight to be seen. It is just incredible. So for us, coming to Cheyenne is kind of a no-brainer. We have to come here. It is something that we absolutely cannot miss.”
TRADITION AND HISTORY
Watching the Thunderbirds, who’re synonymous with the United States Air Force, show shut ties to Cheyenne Frontier Days, which is synonymous with the life-style of the American West, is to see a respectful integration of two cultures each steeped in custom and history.
“It is a cool feeling and a cool experience,” mentioned Major Jake Impellizzeri (Thunderbird #8), the advance pilot and narrator for the USAF Thunderbirds, when addressing the subject of the respect each cultures have for one another. “The Thunderbirds are well-versed in tradition; we have a long line of tradition (and) we love our history. We can connect over that. It is a common interest and common goal that you want to protect your history because it is so important. In 1953, this was our first civilian public performance as the Thunderbirds team. We have been here ever since and it is just awesome to see the history, where the Thunderbirds started and where we are now.”
Major Jake Impellizzeri, standing middle, Thunderbird #8, is the advance pilot and narrator for the United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds. Capt. Kaitlin Toner, left, Thunderbird #12, is a public affairs officer for the Thunderbirds workforce. During the July 25 follow session upfront of the 2022 Wings Over Warren air present on the F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyo, Major Impellizzeri carried out sound checks and rehearsed his narration portion of the Thunderbirds’ flight maneuvers for the upcoming July 27 air present whereas Capt. Toner communicated with Thunderbirds workforce members and coordinated PR along with her workforce, the bottom and the media.
Now in 2022, officers from F.E. Warren Air Force Base appreciated their position in bringing the 2 collectively for one more yr.
“It is an amazing opportunity,” mentioned Lt. Colonel Thomas McKnight, director of operations for the 319th Missile Squadron and Air Show Director for Wings over Warren, about internet hosting the USAF Thunderbirds and the air present at the side of CFD. “Wyoming traditionally contributes a lot of airman to our Air Force, so it is important to the community, it is important to our base and our mission and it feels nice to be able to give back and give the people something they enjoy. And hopefully we can inspire them.”
Lt. Colonel Thomas McKnight, director of operations for the 319th Missile Squadron and air present director for Wings over Warren, spoke to the media on July 25, 2022, whereas members of the USAF Thunderbirds workforce prepped within the background throughout a Thunderbirds follow session for the soon-to-be-held July 27, 2022 Wings Over Warren air present. “(The air show) is important to the community, it is important to our base and our mission and it feels nice to be able to give back and give the people something they enjoy,” mentioned Lt. Colonel McKnight.
Inspire they did, as preliminary estimates determine over 5,000 individuals confirmed as much as watch the 2022 Wings Over Warren air present on Wednesday July 27. Despite early fog and some delays and adjustments to this system resulting from climate situations the morning of the air present, the gang was undaunted.
“I just love the Thunderbirds, watching them perform,” mentioned Ben Hanlon of Arvada, Colo. Hanlon figured he has been coming to the Wings Over Warren air present for about 10 years, and his younger sons (Cohen, 10 years outdated and Everett, 7 years outdated) have additionally caught his ardour.
“They love it,” he mentioned with fun in regards to the boys’ enthusiasm for watching the Thunderbirds in motion. “They are mesmerized.”
The standard Wings Over Warren air present, carried out on the Francis E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyo., brings 1000’s of individuals out early within the morning to view it yearly, together with a excessive share of households with youngsters. These two younger boys being interviewed by an area Wyoming tv station, Cohen, proper, 10 years outdated, and Everett, left, 7 years outdated, have been coming to the present with their dad for about 10 years. “They love it,” mentioned dad, Ben Hanlon of Arvada, Colo., about his sons’ responses to watching the USAF Thunderbirds carry out. “They are mesmerized.”
Impressing, connecting with, and inspiring new generations is a central theme for the USAF Thunderbirds workforce and an enormous a part of why they started collaborating in civilian air reveals again in 1953, with CFD being the very first one.
“We are going to showcase (our) pride, precision and professionalism,” mentioned Major Impellizzeri about 2022’s air present. “Not only the Thunderbirds, but the Air Force as a whole, the military as a whole, and the Cheyenne Frontier Days community as a whole.”
Captain Toner took that thought one step additional.
“We are looking to inspire people to be beacons of excellence,” summed up the USAF Thunderbirds public affairs officer. “We want to show people excellence in the form of a demonstration, excellence in the attention to detail that you see on the ground; anything that will inspire folks to just be the best version of themselves. Even if it is just being a better person, being a better parent, being a better community member or friend, that is really what it is all about.”
Five USAF Thunderbirds present the enduring paint job on the underside of their F-16 Fighting Falcon jets as they fly overheard in tight formation throughout a follow session in preparation for the upcoming Wings Over Warren air present at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming on July 2022.
USAF Thunderbirds practiced a well-liked solo maneuver with one F-16 right-side up and one the other way up in shut proximity as they ready for an upcoming July 27, 2022, air present at F.E. Warren Air Force base in Wyoming.
Practicing for the upcoming 2022 Wings Over Warren air present held yearly at the side of Cheyenne Frontier Days, a quartet of USAF Thunderbirds F-16 Fighting Falcons fly throughout the sky in a formation so shut to one another that it seems to be simply two extra-long jets within the sky.
A formation of 5 F-16 Fighting Falcons piloted by the USAF Thunderbirds workforce soars out of the clouds like they had been born from them because the elite Air Force pilots practiced maneuvers in preparation for the upcoming 2022 Wings Over Warren air present in Wyoming on July 27, 2022.
A excessive velocity, shut proximity flyby maneuver is demonstrated by two USAF Thunderbirds pilots throughout a follow session in preparation for the 2022 Wings Over Warren an air present on the F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming. Showing the acute flight velocity, in addition to the ability required for this maneuver, the observe and pan pictures methodology of taking pictures this picture reveals one of many F-16 Fighting Falcons, foreground, to be stopped and sharp, whereas the opposite, background, is displaying motion and motion blur from the velocity and sideways roll.
Almost creating the looks of a single, lengthy plane, the USAF Thunderbirds fly an extended sequence in extraordinarily shut formation throughout the sky in the course of the 2022 Wings Over Warren air present on the F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyo., on July 27, 2022.
USAF Thunderbirds demonstration squadron performs a detailed formation, excessive velocity maneuver in the course of the 2022 Wings Over Warren Air Show on the F.E. Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyo., (July 27, 2022). The Thunderbirds advance pilot and narrator described their proximity on this formation to be 18 inches away from one another
Although low fog was burning off within the morning, the sky remained foggy and hazy sufficient that the USAF Thunderbirds pilots carried out their “low show” for the 2022 Wings Over Warren air present held yearly at the side of the Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo and western celebration in Cheyenne, Wyo. The standard Delta Burst maneuver with the six pilots flying on July 27 was a sign the air present was practically completed.
The sight of quite a few rodeo queens ready to climb right into a Wyoming Army National Guard helicopter on the grounds of the Francis E. Warren Air Force Base earlier than the beginning of the 2022 Wings Over Warren air present was extra proof of the shut ties between the army base and Cheyenne Frontier Days in placing on the long-running occasion that occurs yearly whereas Cheyenne Frontier Days is going on.
Members of the USAF Thunderbirds floor workforce huddles up for a dialog with their commanding officer earlier than the beginning of the 2022 Wings Over Warren air present on the Francis E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyo. “You look at how the community and the base work together, and it is a sight to be seen,” mentioned Captain Kaitlin Toner of the Thunderbirds. “Coming to Cheyenne is kind of a no-brainer. We have to come here. It is something that we absolutely cannot miss.”
Families with youngsters patiently waited in lengthy traces for an opportunity to see up shut and private — in addition to sit within the helicopter pilots chairs — this latest mannequin HH60M Blackhawk hospital helicopter the Wyoming Army National Guard delivered to the 2022 Wings Over Warren air present. “Basically a flying ambulance,” because it was described by Sergeant First Class Popp, can maintain six litters at a time with one other two seats within the again for ambulatory individuals. Four flight crew are additionally a part of the complement the Blackhawk medical helicopter can maintain.
A trio of USAF Thunderbirds F-16 Fighting Falcons climb in shut formation in a excessive maneuver in preparation for an upcoming air present in Wyoming (July 2022). While the July 25 follow session included most of these steep climbs and excessive maneuvers, the July 27 Wings Over Warren air present’s climate was not as cooperative and the Thunderbirds went to their “Low Show” format, which integrated a heavier share of attention-grabbing low passes in tight formations.
