My favorite moment was when this little girlshe was probably six or sevencame up to the autograph line after a show and said, Im going to take your job. I was like, 'Yes! WAYS TO SEE LONG ISLANDS BETHPAGE AIR SHOW AT JONES BEACH DESPITE WEATHER, 16TH ANNUAL BETHPAGE AIR SHOW AT JONES BEACH, LONG ISLAND, HONORS SPIRIT OF MEMORIAL DAY, PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS FROM 15THANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY BETHPAGE AIR SHOW AT JONES BEACH, LONG ISLAND, 2021 Travel Features Syndicate, a division of Workstyles, Inc. All rights reserved. Together, (It was not known whether Sundays show would also be canceled for weather). Curran outlined what its to be a contemporary Air Force officer for a lot of outsiders, offering a helpful perception into the Air Force expertise and showcasing the alternatives of an Air Force profession. Just 2% of pilots are women. I started to grow an Adventure Mindsetone of curiosity, openness to new things, and a completely fresh perspective on failure. She reminds me that not all Thunderbird team members or officers are pilots, and there are many women performing important ground duties. She also contributes to "60 Minutes. Col. John Caldwell is the Commander/Leader of the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron. He performs snap rolls, inverted flat spin Bull Air Force sky diving team had Amy Chmelecki. The F-16, he says, is basically an engine with wings it can fly at supersonic speed (though the FAA no longer allows it at air shows). run where they evade the enemy by actually flying into each other to create Drawing on over a decade in high-performance aviation and her own transformation, Mace teaches audiences what they are capable of when they let go of fear, lean into vulnerability, and make bold choices. We lift each other up, we accomplish more as a team. USAF Maj. Michelle Curran, call sign "Mace", arrives at Selfridge ANGB in Mt. I suddenly struggled to succeed for the first time in my life. . MACE uses her experience in high performance, teamwork, risk assessment, and debriefing to inspire clients to overcome their own challenges and increase performance using the tools of Flawless Execution. I also realized I was in a unique position to use my own story and what I had learned to empower others. The call sign tradition is celebrated by aviation communities across all military branches. After nearly a decade of active service, including deployments to Afghanistan and Japan, Curran applied to the Thunderbirds. speeds of up to 220 mph that keep his peers and his fans in awe. Prior to joining the Thunderbirds, he was an F-22 Instructor Pilot at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va. Flying an F-16 also requires an incredibly high degree of athleticism. The US Air ForceThunderbirdsheadlined the 16th Annual Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach State Park, Long Island, flying the thrilling red, white and blue F-16s. They plan to travel to Las Vegas, where she recently moved to be near Nellis Air Force Base, early next month to see the Thunderbirds perform a flyover at a NASCAR race. has historically had the most female recruits. fascinating because they demonstrate actual fighting techniques an implosion US Air Force Major Michelle Curran is aware that she is such an inspiration to women and girls everywhere a role she embraces, along with her mission, as a member of the Thunderbirds demo team to recruit, retain, inspire. It is hard to say which she enjoys more the look on a young girls face when she realizes that Curran was flying those death-defying maneuvers in her F-16 fighter jet, or the thrill of flying those death-defying maneuvers in her F-16 fighter jet, going from 1500 feet altitude straight up to 15,000 feet in a matter of seconds. Speaker fees are subject to change without notice. In conversations around the U.S. during three air show seasons, Curran told The Aviationist about her role on the team and its opportunity to, showcase the Air Force experience and let people know what is possible. It means she's front and center in one of. the most daring feats: US Air Force Thunderbirds pilot Michelle Curran, This year, she is the lead solo doing the daring-do maneuvers, where two opposing fighters come at each other at, like, 1200 mph. Prior to joining the Thunderbirds, he served as the Assistant Director of Operations of the 555th Fighter Squadron and Director of Operations for the 31st Operations Support Squadron at Aviano Air Base, Italy. I confess that I have admired Michelle Curran, only the fifth woman (since 2005) to pilot one of the formidable F-16 jets, since I first saw her in the 2019 Bethpage Air Show, when she was the #6 (opposing solo) pilot. Maj. Curran flew as Thunderbird #6, opposing solo, before her advancement to Thunderbird #5, lead solo in the 2020/21 airshow season. parachute; in one demonstration we see what happens when a chute fails at just In addition to flying the No. She demonstrates the capabilities of the F-16 during performances. Game on. the same aeronautical techniques as the original Wright Brothers plane in 1903. that Michelle Curran was the only female flying with the United States Air Force Thunderbirds as of 2020? The schedule is grueling. During a conversation at the Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan for the Thunder Over Michigan Airshow in 2021, Curran told TheAviationist.com that, These are long days sometimes, but this is the best job in the world. As we hop along the New Jersey coastline, experiencing minor Gs, I take in a view of the beach. You can update your choices at any time in your settings. With a powerful story and breathtaking visuals, Michelle, also known as Mace, takes her audience on a surprising and compelling journey through her career as a Fighter Pilot, culminating in her role as the Lead Solo Pilot for the Air Force Thunderbirds. I'm the first female to fly in that position, which is, I think, one of the hardest positions to fly," Curran said. He is in his third season with the team and hails from Orlando, Fla. Maj. Ian Lee is the Left Wing Pilot for the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, flying the No. with Jessy Panzer, the only female civilian air show pilot in the USA. I was scared to raise my hand when I had a question, because I didn't want anyone else to discover how little I knew. ", Curran said the shows are meant to inspire people that will "never join the military.". Former F-16 Instructor/Thunderbird Pilot, USAF. "A lot of people who see the Thunderbirds or the Blue Angels. But I didnt talk to her because I was so scared of her. Theyre friends now, she adds. He is a 2005 graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, and commissioned from Officer Training School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., in 2010. This shift in airshow schedules meant that Maj. Currans social media contributions grew to become much more vital for sustaining the relevance of the Thunderbirds for public audiences.Curran has labored with the Thunderbird group media personnel to convey scintillating in-cockpit viewpoint video of the lead solos dynamic routine throughout the Thunderbird demonstration, together with thrilling video of opposing maneuvers with Thunderbird #6 and her signature vertical rolls throughout the groups high show. The technical aspects and tactics were complicated. solos race at each other at combined speed of 1000 mph. Courtesy of Wine SpectatorThis years tour to feature 10 completely new wineries that have never previously poured at this highly anticipated annual event Oenophiles in Florida, Chicago and Las Vegas up for an unforgettable evening of exceptional wines are in for a treat. In Captain Marvel, Brie Larson plays Carol Danvers, an Air Force fighter pilot who uses the special powers she gains during an accident to save the galaxy. Museum, at Republic Airport (flights available over Memorial Curran has worked with the Thunderbird team media personnel to bring scintillating in-cockpit viewpoint video of the lead solos dynamic routine during the Thunderbird demonstration, including thrilling video of opposing maneuvers with Thunderbird #6 and her signature vertical rolls during the teams high show. Against the odds, I had done it. I was told by others again and again how they could never do what I was doing and that I must be so brave. It makes a spiral in the sky, she tells me. Her favorite maneuver is. Select Accept to consent or Reject to decline non-essential cookies for this use. She flies place #5, lead solo, one of the vital seen positions on the group. She went for it, even competing for a highly coveted pilot spot while still in college. The GEICO Skytypers, the A-10 Thunderbolt, David Windmiller and Michael Goulian will have cameras on board their planes to provide viewers with an in-cockpit perspective, live, during the show. aircraft, built especially for aerobatics, with seemingly impossible feats at LinkedIn and 3rd parties use essential and non-essential cookies to provide, secure, analyze and improve our Services, and (except on the iOS app) to show you relevant ads (including professional and job ads) on and off LinkedIn. Known to many as the Greatest Show on Long Island, the Bethpage Air Show was canceled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It's a very unforgiving job if you make mistakes. In Captain Marvel, Brie Larson plays Carol Danvers, an Air Force fighter pilot who uses the special powers she gains during an accident to save the galaxy. From 2019-2021, she flew as the only female pilot for the Air Force Thunderbirds and performed for millions across the country and internationally. Im also excited to get into the general aviation world and hopefully also try my hand at helicopters. exquisite, thrilling pas de deux in flight, with incredible precision at 200 Mayor Michelle Wu today announced the launch of the Neighborhood Sign Redesign program in partnership with the Office of Arts & Culture, the Department of Property Management, and the Department of Innovation and Technology. been flying since 14 year old, soloed at 16 year old and started aerobatic commanding the Opposing Solo; Jessy Panzer, the only civilian woman aerobatic pilot in the MACE currently lives in Las Vegas with her family. aviation lawyer who knew all too well the risks, and she because her father In this workshop, combat veteran Michelle Curran draws from her experiences as an F-16 fighter pilot and USAF lead solo pilot for the Air Force Thunderbirds to walk audiences through interactive exercises to help them identify characteristics of their own inner critic and the reality (or lack thereof) of what it says, as well as provide tools and resources for overcoming the war within. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Did_you_know_nominations/Michelle_Curran&oldid=991790654, The first two are great. In an interview posted on the Thunderbirds' website, Curran was asked what it was like to climb into the distinctive red, white and blue Thunderbird jet for the first time. Most thrilling is when the two opposing everything happens for a reason - it makes you better,stronger and more resilient. a cannon ball at almost 200 mph, crossing in flight, before releasing the To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients, USAF Maj. Michelle Mace Curran, Thunderbird #5, to Leave Team, U.S. Air Force Flight Demonstration Team, the Thunderbirds, Oenophiles to Savor Over 200 Top-Rated Wines at Wine Spectators Grand Tour 2023, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger Bought More Stock. Be sure to look for her at an. MACE I really appreciate your service and you sharing it with the rest of us. (Being in a spinning cockpit thousands of miles from the ground will do that to you.) Maj. Curran is broadly referred to as a member of the U.S. Air Force Flight Demonstration Team, the Thunderbirds.