The 40th anniversary air demonstration season was abruptly cut short after a pilot injury. The 1994 demonstration season proudly ushered in the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron's fifth decade. The Thunderbirds flew 67 air demonstrations in front of more than 6 million people. It can locate targets in all weather conditions and detect low flying aircraft in radar ground clutter. The cockpit and its bubble canopy are designed to give the pilot unobstructed forward and upward vision, and greatly improved vision over the side and to the rear.
Electrical wires relay commands, replacing the cables and linkage controls.
Avionics systems include a highly accurate inertial navigation system in which a computer provides global positioning and steering information to the pilot. The plane uses UHF and VHF radios plus an instrument landing system. The fuselage also has space for additional avionics systems. Pilot Training Months of preparation, years of training and a lifetime of dreaming are condensed into an hour and 15-minute Thunderbird air demonstration. These shows are designed in hopes they will inspire the young, instill confidence in the old, and make Americans everywhere proud of their Air Force.