Luke pilot to join Thunderbirds

  • Published
  • By Stephen Delgado
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  September will be a memorable and special month for Capt. Michael Fisher, 310th Fighter Squadron flight commander and F-16 instructor pilot.

The veteran pilot was selected to be part of the Thunderbirds as Thunderbird No. eight, which will carry a myriad of responsibilities and duties. This position on the Thunderbird team is a two-year tour of duty.

"Thunderbird No. eight is the advance pilot and narrator position," Captain Fisher said. "The advance pilot travels to the air-show site a day ahead of the rest of the team to ensure that everything is ready for the team, and takes care of last-minute details and coordination. I will narrate the performance during the air show and also give media flights and flights to hometown heroes."

The road to becoming a Thunderbird was long and involved a lot of steps. It took more than six months.

"I submitted my application in January, which consisted of letters of recommendation, a personal letter stating, 'Why I want to be a Thunderbird,' and personnel and flying records," he said. "I made the semi-finals list in March, and the semi-finalists traveled to Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., to be with the Thunderbird team that was doing an air show there. We had the opportunity to shadow them for the week. Our activities involved going on school visits, public relations events, sitting through briefings and debriefings, and interacting with the enlisted Airmen."

Not only that, Captain Fisher said there were numerous interviews including the Thunderbird team and Brig. Gen. Terrence O'Shaughnessy, 57th Wing commander, Nellis AFB, Nev., the home base for the Thunderbirds.

April came with even better news for Captain Fisher because he was named as a finalist, which would involve more interviews and traveling.

The finalists traveled to Beale AFB, Calif., for more interviews while the Thunderbirds were there for an air show.

"We interviewed again with General O'Shaughnessy, as well as Maj. Gen. James Hyatt, Air Force Warfare Center commander, Nellis AFB. From there we traveled to Nellis to shadow the team during a practice at Creech AFB, Nev., and interviewed with the panel of 12 Thunderbird officers.

"Essentially, the selection process is an all-access pass that allowed us to learn as much as possible about how the team accomplishes its mission while giving them an opportunity to get to know us and determine if we would be a good fit for the team."

Captain Fisher is no stranger to the F-16. He has been flying this aircraft for seven years -- 18 months of that time at Luke. He is scheduled to report to his new assignment in September.

His interest in becoming a Thunderbird was born while he was a safety observer on the Pacific Air Forces Demonstration Team.

"We traveled throughout Southeast Asia showcasing the F-16 and the Air Force to different cultures with limited interaction with the United States or the military," he said. "It was a great experience being able to get to know them and share our experiences with them."

In all, Captain Fisher said being chosen to be a Thunderbird is a wonderful blessing.

"God has truly blessed me with this opportunity, and all the credit goes to Him," he said. "I am both excited and humbled to represent our Airmen and the Air Force with the Thunderbirds."