EAA Sport Aviation

JEFF SKILES
COMMENTARY / CONTRAILS
Thunderbird for a Day
My Hometown Hero flight with the USAF demonstration squad
The e-mail said To show up at General Mitchell International
Airport, Milwaukee, on July 23, at 2: 30 p.m. for a 5: 30 flight and not
much else. No further communication as to where, how you get
there, who you look for, etc. The words on the screen went on to tell
me to drink lots of water–it helps combat nausea (much more on
that later)–and to show up wearing underwear, socks, and a T-shirt.
That seemed a little sporty for cross-country travel, so I took it upon
myself to add a pair of shorts and sneakers to the ensemble. I figure it
can’t hurt to be overdressed.
After catching sight of the red, white, and blue F-16s at the guard
ramp, I find the base commanders office. My pilot today is Lt. Col.
Derek Routt, or “Taz,” as he prefers to be called. Taz is 38 years old,
could pass for 25, and has the waistline of my 16-year-old. He’s wear-
ing one of those tight-fitting blue Thunderbird jumpsuits that make
him look like a cartoon version of a steely-
eyed fighter pilot, all straight lines and hard
edges. The jumpsuit seems to have a built-in
swagger. Since our body mass indexes
couldn’t be further apart, I’m praying they
brought something with a little more fabric
for me because the underwear, socks, and
T-shirt alone aren’t going to be a pretty pic-
ture for the cameras.

THE BRIEF
We borrow the base commander’s office, and
Taz and I sit down for a flight briefing. Taz
turns out to be a really nice guy. He begins by
PHOTOGRAPHY COUR TESY UNITED STATES AIRFORCE