Return of the Thunderbirds

An elite air show will mark the Air Force's 60th anniversary

The Thunderbirds will zoom over Waikiki next September to help celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the U.S. Air Force.

The well-known red, white and blue F-16 Fighting Falcon jets will mark the last of six nationwide celebrations on Sept. 15.

F-16 FIGHTING FALCON JETS Primary function: Multi-role fighter Builder: Lockheed Martin Corp. Thrust: 27,000 pounds Length: 49 feet, 5 inches Wingspan: 32 feet, 8 inches Speed: 1,500 mph (Mach 2) Ceiling: Above 50,000 feet Range: More than 2,000 miles Armament: One M-61A1 20 mm multi-barrel cannon with 500 rounds; external stations can carry up to six air-to-air missiles, conventional air-to-air and air-to-surface munitions and electronic countermeasure pods Unit cost: $18.8 million Crew: One Source: U.S. Air Force

Col. Rojo Herrera, who is coordinating a series of events planned Sept. 12-15, said the Waikiki air show would be held the same day as the 2007 Aloha Week parade.

The parade will be held in the morning and the Thunderbirds are expected to fly in the afternoon.

The Waikiki Sunset on the Beach movie that weekend is expected to have an Air Force theme, Herrera said.

The Air Force also has plans for several activities on Sept. 14, including a concert and the Air Force Ball at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Displays of Air Force equipment will be staged at Fort DeRussy during the week, when retired Air Force generals who have served in the Pacific theater are expected to make presentations.

Gen. Paul Hester, Pacific Air Forces commander, said Gov. Linda Lingle has already declared September 2006 to 2007 as Air Force Year.

Hester said the Air Force "wants to say thank you to the citizenry of Hawaii and Honolulu ... as they opened up their broad arms and welcomed us into the community."

The Thunderbirds last performed in Hawaii three years ago, but the air show was held at Hickam Air Force Base. In 1997 they performed over Waikiki, flying only inches from each other.

The Air Force's official air demonstration team was created on May 25, 1953, designated the 3600th Air Demonstration Unit and activated at Luke Air Force Base at Arizona.

The F-16 has remained the choice of the Thunderbirds for the last 20 years. The unit is comprised of 12 pilots and more than 100 enlisted airmen.

The current team of pilots includes Maj. Nicole Malachowski, the first female pilot in the 53-year history of the elite air demonstration squadron.

Three years ago, an F-16 crashed during a Thunderbird air show at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. The Air Force said the Sept. 14 crash was caused by pilot error. The pilot ejected eight-tenths of a second before impact.

CORRECTION Saturday, December 9, 2006 » A U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds F-16 crashed at an air show on Sept. 14, 2003, in Idaho. A Page A3 article Tuesday incorrectly reported the crash was this year. Please see the applicable Corrections Page for more information.