‘I trust them with my life’: A behind-the-scenes look at the Thunderbirds ahead of Hill Air Force Base air show
OGDEN, Utah (ABC4) – Maybe you’ve seen them, if not there’s a big chance you’ve heard them.
This weekend the United States Air Force Thunderbirds will perform at Hill Air Force Base in Ogden for the Warriors Over the Wasatch Air Show Air Show. When the Thunderbirds are in the sky, it gets loud, and video almost doesn’t do it justice.
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They fly in about 40 shows through the 8-month air show season and practice year-round. And a Thunderbird pilot says it takes a lot to make it on the team.
“It’s very competitive,” Major Jake Impellizzeri said. “Of the 135 personnel we have on this team, everybody competes and everyone is chosen.”
Major Impellizzeri, also known as “Primo,” flies Thunderbird 4. He flies in the slot position of the diamond formation.
Through the season, Major Impellizzeri acknowledged there’s a lot that can go wrong, but said in addition to training, he relies on one main thing.
“Blind trust,” he said. “When we do our show launch, the first thing you see is our maintainers watching out. I’m not looking at any of the switches, I’m blindly flipping switches, because I trust them with my life.”
Thunderbirds said they don’t do much of the preparation a normal combat Air Force Pilot would do, rather they rely on the maintainers. According to the Department of Defense, an aircraft maintainer is responsible for “pre-, post- and between-flight safety and function checks.”
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Chief Michael Dejournett, Impellizzeri’s Crew Chief for Thunderbird 4, agreed with Impellizzeri.
“It is our job to verify that everything is set up exactly how they want it to be,” he said. “Knowing that you have a life that is flying in the seat every single day, it kinda gives you an extra drive, an extra push.”
Dejournett told ABC4 News that trusting each other and working together during the shows is a bonding experience. He said he has met Impellizzeri’s parents, knows them, and has had conversations with them.
“You’re already in a pretty intense job but that pushes it even more to care,” Dejournett said.
They said that trust and teamwork extends to every Thunderbird crew member – all 135 of them.
“I trust them with my life, I trust they are ready to go,” Major Impellizzeri said. “They are the best maintainers in the entire United States Air Force.”
The Thunderbirds will join several other performers at the Hill Air Force Base from June 29 to 30. The Thunderbirds — which include eight pilots flying F-16 Fighting Falcons — perform across the world to represent the “pride, precision and professionalism” of the U.S. Air Force.
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