Combat Rescue Crews give Thunderbird pilots a lift

  • Published
  • By Capt. Cathleen Snow
  • 920th Rescue Wing
Ft. Lauderdale Air & Sea Show --  Air Force Reserve Combat Rescue Airmen from the 920th Rescue Wing out of Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. gave Air Force Thunderbird pilots a lift at this year's Ft. Lauderdale Air and Sea show May 4.

A 301st Rescue Squadron HH-60G Pave Hawk crew and a 920th maintainer advanced to the Ft. Lauderdale Airport and readied a Pave Hawk helicopter or Jolly for their special passengers.

With rotors turning, Lt. Col. Antonio Cunha, 920th Air Show Commander, escorted five pilots from the Air Force's elite aerial demonstration team across the tarmac to board the Jolly.

Senior Master Sgt. Stephen Schwartz, 301st RQS Flight Engineer, harnessed them in with safety belts and used a combat load configuration to ready them for their flight to Miami's Opa Locka Airport approximately 12 miles south where their F-16 Falcons were parked so they could fly a practice demonstration prior to the weekend air show.

Due to the heavy highway traffic in the area that day, they asked the 920th if they would take them to their aircraft to avoid any delays.

The 920th Rescue Wing Airmen also participated in the air show performing a combat search and rescue demonstration complete with an A-10 Warthog escort and an HC-130 aerial refuel of two Jollies at once.

"As Air Force pilots and an Air Force team, everything we do is done together; it's a joint effort," said Thunderbird 1, Lt. Col. Kevin Robbins. Flying an active duty demonstration team aboard an Air Force Reserve helicopter reveals this team concept.

Combat Rescue Flight Engineer Schwartz said the Thunderbirds were very thankful. "There were a lot thumbs up hand motions and a lot of smiling going on."

The Thunderbirds were on hand at this year's Air & Sea Show May 5-6 to represent the 513,000 Airmen serving in the United States Air Force and to get the message out about the troops serving overseas.

Their mission is to present precision aerial maneuvers to exhibit the capabilities of modern high performance aircraft and the high degree of professional skill required to operate those aircraft