Flying High With The USAF Thunderbirds
The Thunder of Niagara Airshow has made it's triumphant return to WNY this weekend and includes one of the fastest, most elite flying teams in the world, The United States Air Force Thunderbirds. Made up of eight F-16s The Thunderbirds are sure to but on one heck of a show this weekend. We had the great pleasure to spend the day with some of the team and one lucky person from the office even got to go up in an F-16. Joe has been interested in jets and planes ever since he was a kids going to airshows and watching The Thunderbirds, now a dream has come true as he took tore through the skies today at over 500mph and pulled over 9 G's...that's 9 times the force of gravity! Say you weigh 200lbs, at 9 G's you weigh 1800lbs!
The Thunderbirds will be screaming through the skies of Niagara County throughout the weekend with shows on Saturday and Sunday. The Thunder of Niagara is a great way to spend a day or weekend with the family and learn alot about our military and it's history. In addition to the high horsepower fighters, there are also aerobatic demonstrations, a jet car, planes on display from WWII thru today. Check out what we have right here in our own backyard with some of the planes from the 914th and 107th Airlift Wing based at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station. Take a walk inside some of the enormous cargo jets and get up close and personal with bombers and fighters.
Gates open at 9am each day with a 9/11 Opening Ceremonial Procession at 11 with the action in the air starting at noon. Be sure to stop into the hangar and see the 9/11 Monument created right here in Buffalo by Steel Crazy Iron Art.
A huge THANK YOU to everyone involved in the airshow and especially the USAF Thunderbirds, they are a world class group of people that went above and beyond, making us feel like we were part of the team...and of course to Capt. Kristin 'Mother' Hubbard for taking care of Joe and bringing him back in one piece.
If you do go to the airshow this weekend, or even if you don't, remember what this weekend is about and take a moment to thank a service member, active or retired for giving all of us our freedoms that we enjoy and continuing to fight for them. If you see a police officer or firefighter or EMT, thank them for having the courage to run into the face of danger when so many others are running away.
Never Forget.