Curran soars as part of Air Force Thunderbirds


Medford native will take part in flyover at Daytona 500 to start 2020 show season, her second on the team
On February 16, Major Michelle âMaceâ Curran will begin her second and final year on the U.S. Air Force Demonstration team - âThe Thunderbirds.â
The team will do a flyover at the Daytona 500, kicking off a season of 36 different appearances at air shows and events all over the country. The Daytona 500 will be the teamâs only televised flyover for this yearâs schedule.
This year Curran will be the No. 5, Lead Solo Pilot. She will be responsible for commanding the two solo aircraft in coordination with the other four âdiamondâ jets airborne during performances. Curran majored in Criminal Justice at the University of St. Thomas and earned her commission in 2009 through Air Force ROTC. Prior to joining the Thunderbirds, she served as an F-16 instructor pilot at NAS JRB Fort Worth, Texas. She has logged more than 1,500 flight hours as an Air Force pilot, with more than 160 combat hours over Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedomâs Sentinel and Operation Resolute Support.
Curranâs first year on the team included four fly overs including the Super Bowl, 32 show locations with approximately 60 shows. The team runs a busy schedule with only one day off mid-week. Thursdays are spent traveling to show locations. The team flies their own F-16s to all show sites and air refuel en route when necessary.
After arrival at a new show site the team practices on Friday to get familiar with the location. The shows are usually two days, Saturday and Sunday. Monday is departure day as they head back to their home base near Las Vegas, Nev. where Curran lives with her husband, John. Tuesdays the team is back at their home base and practices up to two times in preparation for the next show. The Thunderbirds perform for people all around the world, displaying the pride, precision and professionalism of American Airmen. In every hour-long demonstration, the team combines years of training and experience with an attitude of excellence to showcase what the Air Force is all about.
The sharply choreographed, drill-style ground ceremony kicks off the demonstration by showcasing the attention to detail and esprit de corps that defines our enlisted members. As the jets take to the skies and fly only a few feet from wingtip to wingtip, the crowd gets a glimpse of the awesome skills and capabilities that all fighter pilots must possess. The solo pilots integrate their own loud and proud routine, exhibiting some of the maximum capabilities of the F-16 Fighting Falcon â the Air Forceâs premier multi-role fighter jet.
Show schedules include school, hospital, and community visits and local public relations appointments. According to her mother Ronetta Curran, it is a very grueling schedule from February to November.
Included during the season, reviewing applications, interviews, and the beginning prep for bringing in the new pilots and team members for the next show season.
During the off season from November through February is training, flying, and debriefing twice a day in preparation for the next show season.
The days in the life of a Thunderbird pilot are fast paced, hectic, and long. However, there are many great experiences/opportunities as well.
A few of Major Curranâs highlights included flying over the Super Bowl game, being on the sideline during the game, and celebrating on the field after the game, the fly over and Red Carpet for the Captain Marvel Premier, and flying down the Hudson River in New York City with other demonstration teams. While these are exciting once-in-a lifetime experiences, inspiring the next generation is the most rewarding. Major Curranâs favorite moment was when a little girl- maybe six or seven - came up to the autograph line after a show and said, âIâm going to take your job.â she responded with âYes! High five.â
During an air show Major Curran performs various maneuvers - the Reflection Pass, Opposing Knife Edge Pass, Calypso Pass and Vertical Rolls (the other solo does the sneak pass) to name a few, demonstrating the maximum capabilities of the aircraft.
For those wanting to see Curran and the Thunderbirds team fly in person, the closest regional shows to Medford are in Duluth, Minn. on July 18 and 19 and in Chicago on August 15 and 16.
The complete 2020 show season is as follows: February 16: Daytona 500, Daytona Beach, Florida (Flyover) Mar 14: Laughlin AFB, Texas â âFiesta Of Flightâ Mar 21-22: Luke AFB, Arizona â âLuke Days Air and Space Expoâ Mar 28-29: March ARB, Calif. â âMarch Field Air and Space Expo: Thunder Over the Empireâ April 4-5: Lakeland, Florida â âSun-N-Fun Fly In & Expoâ April 18-19: Maxwell AFB, Alabama â âBeyond the Horizon Air & Space Showâ April 25-26: Columbus AFB, Mississippi â âWings Over Columbusâ May 2-3: Fort Lauderdale, Florida âFort Lauderdale Air Showâ May 9-10: Beale AFB, Calif. â âWings Over Recce Town, USAâ May 16-17: Shaw AFB, South Carolina â âShaw Air and Space Expoâ May 23-24: Miami Beach, Florida â âMiami Beach Air & Sea Showâ May 28: Colorado Springs, Colorado â âUSAFA Graduation Fly Overâ June 6-7: Salinas, Calif. â âCalifornia International Airshowâ June 13-14: Ocean City, Maryland â âOC Air Showâ June 20-21: North Kingstown, Rhode Island â âRI ANG Open House and Air Showâ June 27-28: Hill AFB, Utah â âWarriors Over Wasatch Air & Space Showâ July 4-5: Battle Creek, Michigan â âBattle Creek Field of Flight Air Show and Balloon Festivalâ July 11-12: JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska â âArtic Thunder Open Houseâ July 18-19: Duluth, Minnesota â âDuluth Air & Aviation Expoâ July 22: F.E Warren AFB, Wyoming â âCheyenne Frontier Daysâ July 25-26: Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota â âEllsworth Air & Space Showâ August 1-2: Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota â âGrand Forks AFB Air Showâ August 15-16: Chicago, Illinois â âChicago Air & Water Showâ August 22-23: Avoca, PA â âWilkes-Barre/Scranton Armed Forces Airshowâ August 26: Atlantic City, New Jersey â âAtlantic City Thunder Over The Boardwalk Airshow August 29-30: New Windsor, New York â âNew York Air Showâ September 5-6: Gardner, Kansas â âKC Air Show 2020 September 12-13: London (Ontario), Canada â âAirshow Londonâ September 19-20: Huntington Beach, Calif. â âPacific Airshowâ October 3-4: Minden, Nevada â âAviation Roundup Airshowâ October 10-11: Edwards AFB, Calif. â âAerospace Valley Air & Space Showâ October 17-18: Fort Worth, Texas â âBell Fort Worth Alliance Air Showâ October 24-25: Rome, Georgia â âWings Over North Georgiaâ October 31-November 1: Orlando, Florida â âLockheed Martin Space & Air Showâ November 7-8: New Orleans, Louisiana â âNASJRB New Orleans Air Showâ November 14-15: San Antonio, Texas â â2020 JBSA Air & Space Show & Open House

