Thunderbirds as they show audiences the capabilities of Air Force men and women stationed all over the world. Put that all together and the ideals they seek become a reality and an inspiration to all who see them.
    Naturally, the most visible part of the Thunderbird aerial performance is the aircraft. The team is currently flying the Northrop T-38A Talon, the seventh different airplane to be flown by the team and the one used since 1974.

    After starting out in the F-84G Thunderjet in 1953, the team switched to the F-84F Thunderstreak in 1955. Both of the 84s were subsonic, however, and the team moved into their first supersonic aircraft, the F- 100C Super Sabre in 1956.
    The then-modern Super Sabres were used until the team transitioned into the F-105 Thunderchiefs for a short part of a season. Before that season was over, the Thunderbirds  were   back   into   the   F-

100s, this time using the "D" model. With five more years of Super Sabres, it was the most used aircraft for the team 1,111 shows were performed in the two models.
    In 1969 the team opened its season at the Air Force Academy with their new F-4 Phantoms which they flew until the "gas crunch" had the team move into the sleek, fuel-saving T-38 Talon.
    Highlights and accomplishments throughout the years include a myriad of awards which adorn the walls of the squadron's hangar at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, the team's home base since 1956. Plaques presented by various civic organizations and military squadrons are on display for the thousands of visitors who tour the squadron each year.
    Among the awards is the coveted Mackay Trophy, presented to the team in 1959 for their Far East tour as the Air Force's most meritorious flight of the year. There are also six Air Force Outstanding Unit awards and mementos presented by foreign and American leaders. The team was also proclaimed the first official Bicentennial organization in the Air Force in 1976 and was the only flying unit so recognized.
    Looking at attendance records, it becomes quite easy to lose that important element -- PEOPLE. People greeting the team with elaborate ceremonies. People smiling up at team members from hospital beds during goodwill visits. People standing on freezing flightlines in Alaska, scorching runways in South America and rain drenched concrete and mud to watch a demonstration. The team has per- formed at airport dedications, opening ceremonies, and at Air Force Academy graduation ceremonies. Occasionally, a television program includes the team on its schedule.
    During the 1980 show season, the Thunderbirds demonstrated their excellence in 87 air shows before more than 7 million people in 37 states, Canada, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
    For team members the daily activities of toting suitcases, pressing uniforms, inspecting aircraft, polishing boots and the hundreds of other behind-the- scenes tasks which must be done admittedly become routine. But they ' guarantee that there will never be a routine performance.