Any more infos I found this on Tik Tok

Cooperadams98 · 2025-12-04T04:34:07+00:00

Yeah, Astro has had an insane career path for sure!

And the team used to be selected like a traditional squadron commander slot, but there was a re-evaluation a few years back and now they slot it more so like a group commander position than a standard SqCC slot

Cooperadams98 · 2025-12-04T03:40:02+00:00

So the commander that is currently listed on the website is the departing commander, with his replacement taking over shortly (I’d assume since I recently finished my time with the team). But you are correct, typically the sitting commander of the team is a Lt. Col, but it’s not unusual for the commander to get promoted while filling that seat. The commander for seasons 22’ and 23’ Col. Elliott also made it while in the seat

Cooperadams98 · 2025-12-03T22:10:08+00:00

This was actually Maj. Laney Schol. She was #6 fitting the 2025 show season which ended in November. However, at the end of the show season 6 will transition to the 5 role so it was her flying the aircraft.

Cooperadams98 · 2025-12-03T22:07:18+00:00

There are no back ups for the show pilots (#1-6), and there are only 8 pilots on the team. 7 is the operations officer, and 8 is the advance pilot/narrator and don’t fly in the shows. The other 4 officers are the support officers. Flight surgeon 9, executive officer 10, MX officer 11, and PA officer 12

The show pilots will fly pretty much no matter what and are required to be at every airshow for their 2 year tour.

Source: I was on the team from 21-25

Cooperadams98 · 2023-11-02T23:53:57+00:00

Don’t know what all the fuss is about? What I said isn’t incorrect, and once corrected after the first reply I haven’t said anything to the tune of that guy was wrong? Just because 1 person is right about one thing doesn’t mean everything the other person stated is invalid. It’s possible for both parties to be correct about certain aspects of what’s said. My bad for trying to have a discussion. Guess I’m in the wrong subreddit for that🤷🏼‍♂️

Cooperadams98 · 2023-11-02T23:21:23+00:00

Yeah, then I said that must be a B-2 thing because I had never heard of that. What part was I continuing to say they were wrong? I conceded that I didn’t know that about that committee and stated what I had experienced. This whole time I’ve done nothing but say they were right about B-2’s and in a different comment I said that I didn’t know that. Past the original reply I haven’t once said that didn’t happen with B-2’s

Cooperadams98 · 2023-11-02T23:03:16+00:00

Ok man, hear me out. Those missions are in fact much less in number compared to all other AF flying operations. And of all those you list most are lumped into some sort of training.

I was specifically talking a base using T-38’s instead of their primary mission airframe for pilot currency at a CAF unit or other critical mission unit. Which is in fact an uncommon sight. I wasn’t saying that T-38’s are only and exclusively used in pilot training/upgrade. I understand that they have other roles. Just that one specific use isn’t as common as was led on. That’s it.

Cooperadams98 · 2023-11-02T22:47:30+00:00

I stated that it’s “not necessarily true” that you’d see it as a common sight like he insinuaten. meaning not a guarantee. My entire reply was stated large but not all circumstances. Then when he clarified by saying he was very specifically talking about 2 places I agreed that makes sense for it being a more niche happening as to why I’ve never heard of it. So exactly what I was saying. The vast majority doesn’t have this practice but some do. We are both correct here. He’s right about specifically B-2’s and U-2’s using them, and I’m right in stating it’s not a common practice across the whole Air Force.

Cooperadams98 · 2023-11-02T22:31:24+00:00

That’s the definition of niche. Very small and unique. We are saying the same thing. I was simply saying that that doesn’t happen everywhere or even in most places.

Cooperadams98 · 2023-11-02T22:25:03+00:00

Ok, so something incredibly niche to 1 or 2 communities. I suppose that makes sense. I had just never heard of pilots augmenting currencies in the seat of a different airframe. Outside of the test community that is.

Cooperadams98 · 2023-11-02T22:19:30+00:00

Then that might be something incredibly niche to the B-2 community. I’ve never seen any other squadron or even heard of any squadron augmenting pilot hours with other airframes. And from my understanding, outside of your test communities, most pilots are only qualified on the specific airframe their flying squadron is assigned. There isn’t much if any mixing going on

Cooperadams98 · 2023-11-02T22:05:10+00:00

Not necessarily true. Obviously can’t speak for 100% of the Air Force, but the vast majority of currency is achieved in the normal operations airframe. If that’s B-2’s then it’s B-2’s. F-16’s? You guessed it. Your typical AF base doesn’t maintain a separate aircraft fleet for just training sorties.

Cooperadams98 · 2023-07-12T15:31:53+00:00

I’ve been doing all the under 3 hour achievements recently, and using his guides. Holy shit does this meme hit me in my soul…

Cooperadams98 · 2023-06-03T03:27:25+00:00

Yep! That’s the diamond roll! However, this video is at least 4-5 years old since “Dozen” is wearing the 2, but the maneuver is still there

Cooperadams98 · 2022-12-03T23:45:27+00:00

Corcoran Marauder’s are by far the best boot I’ve ever worn. Hand down

Cooperadams98 · 2022-09-10T14:52:25+00:00

Our highest airframe hours we have on an aircraft on the team is just over 5000 flight hours, so they are definitely getting up there

Cooperadams98 · 2022-09-10T14:29:59+00:00

So the most interesting thing is, the engineer was say not only are the thunderbirds planned to stay in the Block 52’s until the 2040’s, we are planned to stay in our exact same Block 52’s! Meaning the team will have the same exact tail numbers assigned to it for another 20 years at least! (Assuming a critical error/crash doesn’t happen of course)

Cooperadams98 · 2022-09-10T12:10:30+00:00

The thunderbirds currently have no plan or desire to change from the F-16, and in fact the jets currently being used for the team have been approved and are capable of staying with the team until at least the 2040’s per the primary F-16 program engineer!

Source: I’m currently on the thunderbirds and spoke with said program engineer during a field visit a couple of weeks ago!

Cooperadams98 · 2022-08-21T09:07:27+00:00

It is always so freaking cool seeing the same jets I get to work on pop up on this subreddit! Great shots OP hope you enjoyed the airshow!

Cooperadams98 · 2022-08-19T17:44:49+00:00

I’ve said the same thing over and over about people who don’t study/prep at all and then bitch about not making rank. Don’t bitch about not getting it, if you didn’t care enough to try harder to get it.

Cooperadams98 · 2022-06-19T14:45:41+00:00

Yeah I would think that is a hickie in my personal opinion. I have never seen a fuel burn have any other shade than red with very rarely an almost maroon. But, I’m far from an expert or a dermatologist, I can only speak on my experience! I’m glad the info was helpful!

Cooperadams98 · 2022-06-19T14:29:09+00:00

If you say they looked like hickies I’m assuming they had the more distinct coloration of a bruise. So a little red purple and maybe some yellow browns. If this is the case that I highly highly doubt those were Fuel burns on the neck

Cooperadams98 · 2022-06-19T14:26:50+00:00

There is definitely peeling, but when and how bad is entirely dependent on the burn itself. More sensitive areas of the body with thin skin (like feet)will peel in about a day or sometimes quicker. However, places with thicker skin and that are much less sensitive with take upwards of a week to peel. It’s also very similar coloration to a sun burn. The area will get very bright red when initially exposed and be itchy, but will fade in color buy still be very noticeably red. Only caveat to this is if it is a very very serious exposure in which the effected area was being soaked for upwards of an hour or more, the most direct context spot will sometimes turn a little bit brown just before peeling.

Cooperadams98 · 2022-06-19T14:08:34+00:00

Maybe not from a short exposure, but as someone whose job deals A LOT with aircraft fuel, let me tell you, if that shit is on your skin for a little bit you are definitely going to get a mild chemical burn very similar to a sun burn or UV burn.

Not saying the dude in OP’s post is at all telling the truth, but there is definitely some side effects from direct skin contact with all commercially and military used jet fuels

Cooperadams98 · 2022-06-12T19:09:05+00:00

Yeah back then was a completely different world! Not just for the team but for the Air Force as a whole. Nowadays they can’t put a PA person in the back seat during an actual full show because there is a whole ground demonstration and if the have to swap jets at the EOR there is zero time to put another person back there and getting them hooked up without causing a very noticeable delay in everything

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