Newest T-Birds Named

The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, commonly known as the Thunderbirds, recently announced incoming officer selections for the 2011 demonstration season and, once again, they’re all men.

Capt. Ryan Riley, an F-16 pilot stationed at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, will join the team as the left wing for the squadron as Thunderbird No. 2.

Capt. Nicholas Holmes, an F-16 pilot stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., will serve as the slot for the squadron as Thunderbird No. 4.

Capt. John Williams, an F-15 pilot stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., will take over as the opposing solo, Thunderbird No. 6.

Lt. Col. Jason Koltes, an F-16 pilot serving at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, will join the team as the operations officer, Thunderbird No. 7.

Capt. Joshua Hawkins, stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, will become the new executive officer, as Thunderbird No. 10 and Maj. Jason Moore, currently stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., will serve as the maintenance officer, Thunderbird No. 11.

Selection of the next public affairs officer, Thunderbird No. 12, is delayed until late summer due to the deployed status of one of the finalists.

Pilots selected for the team flying a different airframe will undergo several months of F-16 familiarization training before they begin practicing the aerial demonstrations with the current Thunderbird pilots.

The 130-person squadron is currently touring in their 57th year as the Air Force’s premier jet demonstration team.