'Ambassadors in Blue' begin European Goodwill Tour

  • Published
  • By Capt. Elizabeth Kreft
  • U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Public Affairs
GALWAY, Ireland --  Michael Patterson, a 64-year-old cattle farmer, was born and raised in Ballinlough, a county just outside Galway, Ireland. He's never flown in any aircraft, let alone one streaking across the sky at 500 miles per hour. Yet as he watched the Air Force Thunderbirds perform over his native skies June 24, Mr. Patterson felt the urge to touch the sky.

"I'd ride in one of those planes," he shouted, as the six Thunderbird red, white and blue jets performed their signature maneuvers for the 100,000-strong crowd. He leaned in to emphasis his excitement, "It's brilliant!"

Evidenced by the clapping, cheers and shouts, it was clear Mr. Patterson wasn't the only audience member at the Salthill air show impressed with the Thunderbirds' first performance over Irish soil.

"We drove 40 miles to see your show," said Brian Moylan, Mr. Patterson's neighbor and fellow farmer. "It's absolutely great to have you here."

In honor of their first visit to the land of Éire, the Thunderbird team added the Irish colors to their historic jet flag panels; a display of each banner from the nations where they've performed.

Six of the countries represented will see the team again in the next five weeks.

Ireland is the first stop on the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron's 2007 Goodwill European Tour. The team departed for Poland June 26, then the "Ambassadors in Blue" will continue on to perform in Romania, Bulgaria, Italy, France and the United Kingdom.

"That's been our team motto for years, and for good reason," said Lt. Col. Kevin Robbins, Thunderbird no. 1 and the team's commander and leader. "In the truest sense of those words, we are on this tour to represent the liberties every culture can share when they choose freedom as their founding principle."

"This trip brings so many opportunities for our team," said Maj. Ed Casey, Thunderbird no. 5 and lead solo pilot. "It's an exciting time knowing we have a chance to positively impact how people view our country and our military members."

As the 70-person Thunderbird crew brought their aviation display to life June 24, many spectators commented on the precision, grace or thunderous sound of the team's performance. But the most poignant thought came from Farmer Patterson, as he watched the pilots maneuver their jets in simultaneous aileron rolls.

"I've seen many scientific achievements in my day," he said with a grin. "It's an educational and informative experience really, to see the capabilities we have in defending democratic societies."

It's the 'we' in his statement that counts.