Gold medalists break the sound barrier aboard Thunderbirds
Jul 07, 2022 09:56AM ● By Becky Ginos
Thunderbird F-16 planes fly in formation at the Warriors Over the Wasatch Air Show held over the weekend at Hill Air Force Base. Photo by Roger V. Tuttle
HILL AIR FORCE BASE–Gold medalist Olympians Justin Schoenefeld and Ashley Caldwell are used to doing flips in the air – on snow – not in an F-16 Thunderbird flying high above the ground. The Olympic skiers were guests aboard the planes during a flight demonstration practice run Friday in preparation for the much anticipated Warriors Over the Wasatch Air show Saturday and Sunday at Hill Air Force Base.
“It was so insane,” said Caldwell when she was back on firm ground. “I didn’t know if I’d keep my food down. I can’t believe these guys do this all the time. It was tense.”
“It was crazy,” said Schoenefeld. “It was like an elephant on your chest and your vision goes away for a minute. We were going 4G’s and I thought that was crazy then we went faster and I thought ‘oh gee.’”
It was a real treat, said Lt. Col. Ryan Yingling. “It was unique and fun for us and fun for you guys. It was a blast. We got through everything and went into super sonic airspace and broke the sound barrier.”
They started training on the F-16 early this morning, said Jake Impellizzeri, Thunderbird eight. “It was information by firehose. I put Ashley through the wringer. We pulled 9G’s and 1.28 Mach. We did loops and rolls and she got some stick time. It was an honor.”
What they do in the Olympics showcases a beacon of excellence, he said. “It’s doing something greater than ourselves.That’s what they represent. It's an inspiration to our team that’s what we try to achieve in the Air Force.”
Caldwell said she’s trained her whole life to reach the Gold medal standard. “The Air Force sets a high bar. I give a high performance in skiing and these guys give a high performance in a different way. It’s two different worlds.”
An aerial doesn’t get any less scary, said Schoenefeld. “When I do a triple backflip I’m nervous every day. When we took off I thought ‘oh we’re about to go fast.’”
It was absolutely incredible, said Caldwell. “My Gold medal went through the speed of sound. This was the highlight of my post Olympic experience. It was a dream come true and now it’s off my bucket list.”
It’s hard to describe the indescribable, she said. “It’s like if a dragon and a unicorn had a baby strapped to a rocket ship. I’m so excited to be a part of this and I’m grateful for their service.” λ
