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USAF Thunderbirds Show Tattooed Underbellies to Stunned Mississippians

The end of last month officially brought with it the start of the 2022 air show season in the United States. For American military aviation enthusiasts, that meant the Wings Over Columbus 2022 Airshow, held at the Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi.
USAF Thunderbirds flying over Columbus AFB 18 photos
Photo: USAF/Senior Airman Jake Jacobsen
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All the major and active demo teams, but also some regular Air Force units, were on site for the event. Spectators got to see the A-10 Warthog team, going for a heritage flight with a P-51 Mustang, the 62nd Airlift Wing with their Globemasters, or the Wings of Blue parachute team. There even was a car show on the premises of the air base.

The stars of the event were undoubtedly the Thunderbirds, the Air Force’s demo team fielding their red, white and blue F-16 Fighting Falcons.

It was the team’s first major public outing this season, one that comes after a grueling training program that saw the pilots, planes, and support personnel conduct some 50 practice shows before actually going out for the real deal.

One of the maneuvers made by the F-16s at Columbus can be seen in the photo we have here, released last week by the USAF as part of its weekly update on its forces’ dealings. Four Thunderbirds are shown flying exactly over the Senior Airman holding the camera, confidently exposing their tattooed underbellies for all stunned spectators below to see.

The world’s third oldest aerobatics team (established in 1953) will continue to fly this year all the way until November. The season comprises over 30 outings at air shows across the United States.

In April, the USAF Thunderbirds were present at the Shaw Air & Space Expo in South Carolina, and will move at the end of the month to show their skills at the Fort Lauderdale Air Show in Florida.

The full schedule of Thunderbirds appearances can be studied at the following link.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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