Thunderbirds arrive in Branson with power

Wow, what a show they put on!

This is an interview with #3 Right-Wing Pilot, Major Brandon Maxson, that took place during the air show’s media day.

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(Photos by Luanna Fullerton)

LUANNA: First, I welcome all of you to Branson, and thank you for being here. 

MAJ. BRANDON: Yes, Ma'am. We're happy to be here. I go by "Crime." So, in the Diamond Formation, I'll be on the right side or the 'Strong Side,' as I like to call it. We'll have six jets flying out this weekend.

LUANNA: Where are you stationed?

MAJ. BRANDON: We are stationed out of Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas, NV.

LUANNA: Where are you originally from?

MAJ. BRANDON: I'm from Ontario, CA.

LUANNA: How long have you been a pilot?

MAJ. BRANDON: I graduated pilot training in 2016, Air Force Academy in Colorado. This is my 11th, almost 12th year of flying for myself.

LUANNA: What got you interested in wanting to become a pilot, being in the military, or a Thunderbird? 

MAJ. BRANDON: As far as the military goes, I did not have any direct military influence in my family. I grew up in a family of service to the community, like through church. I always wanted to fly airplanes, so I looked into different options. I ended up going to the Air Force Academy in Colorado. I always wanted to fly fighters. I graduated in 2014. Everything has been a dream and just kind of working towards that goal. Then, the opportunity presented itself. This is my second year on the team. I was Thunderbird Eight last year, the NBA pilot narrator. I can move to Thunderbird Four for the next season.

LUANNA: Do you take steps to work up the ladder?

MAJ. BRANDON: All the pilots have been serving in the Air Force for over ten years. Have to get over 1,500 hours. We've got combat tours, we come from Combat Air Force, then we will return to combat tours after we leave the team. We're all instructor pilots in our own right. I learned how to fly the F-16 for the Thunderbirds so I actually flew F-15 Cs originally, and then F-35s. So, I've only flown the F-16, the Red, White and Quinne variants. I will go back to fly the F-35s after my time on the team. Same with our enlisted. They've been in the Air Force for a number of years, served Combat Air Force, and they're with us for three to four years. Most will go back to what aircraft they had flown before. Only about half of us had flown the F-16 prior. The rest of us came from different fighters in the Air Force, so the natural progression would be to go back to that aircraft and that Magcon for Combat Air Force.

LUANNA: Will you go back to the Combat Air Force until you retire, or will you semi-retire and stay in the Air Force?

MAJ. BRANDON: There are a lot of different opportunities, so you can stay active duty and continue service through retirement via active duty. There's also Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve options. So those would be the sort of part-time options. You can also be full-time, but that is the beauty of a career in the Air Force, it's a lot of opportunity. No matter what you do, the Air Force doesn't have to be flying airplanes. It doesn't have to be an officer. It can be enlisted. A ton of great opportunities.

LUANNA: Do you believe you have been a spark in another in your family's life to get involved in the military?

MAJ. BRANDON: Yes, I would hope so. Our mission for the Thunderbirds is to recruit, to retain and to inspire. So, for me, that's what it was. I didn't have that family influence personally, but going to a Thunderbirds Air Show and seeing them fly is what inspired me and sparked that passion for aviation. So, that's what we're out here trying to do this weekend, inspire that next generation. Doesn't have to be serving in the military, but being the best they can be, living their dreams and serving their community.

LUANNA: What kind of regimen do you have to stay physically fit?

MAJ. BRANDON: Physical fitness is a huge part of it. We are flying extremely close to each other at times, 18 inches apart, averaging about 450 miles per hour, throughout the demonstration, pulling up to 9 Gs. We have a flight doctor on our team, Thunderbird Nine, so she'll take good care of us. But the onus is on you to get to the gym. Hopefully, it'll keep you going.

LUANNA: You stated you're moving up next year to number four. Does that mean you start at one and go up, or six and move down?

MAJ. BRANDON: Number one is kind of its own pool of people that are eligible for the job. Our boss has been in the Air Force for much longer than us. He's a previous squadron commander in the Combat Air Force, so this is his second time being a squadron commander. Then he's also our leader in the demonstration. Two through six are a separate bucket of pilots. Really, two through eight. Seven and eight are also pilots that bring the spare jets in. Two is a two-year position. Three moves to four, and six moves to five. Seven or eight are two-year assignments. First year is eight advanced pilot narrators, and then we'll move into the demonstration. Being eligible for numbers two, three, or six. That's why I'll be doing this for three years. Number five is painted upside down on the jet and sewn on the uniform of that pilot because they do the inverted moves!

LUANNA: Do you have a specified time you can participate on the team?

MAJ. BRANDON: The team switches out, about half of the team at a time every year.  That way it keeps everyone from leaving all at the same time.

LUANNA: Do you have time to rehearse with each other?

MAJ. BRANDON: Our season really starts in winter training. We will end the season in mid-November. First week of November, we switch gears, put our training hats on, and we'll be training with Team 2027. Winter training is three months. We fly twice a day, six days a week. That's where it all begins! The formations do not look like they do now. It takes a lot of reps, a lot of trust, a lot of blind trust in each other to get where we are today. Then typically, like I said, we'll have two Friday practices at each of the shows. We got to do a quick practice today as we arrived, because we had extra fuel, just to see the sights and layout. We'll study a lot of Google Earth, getting into the show, but then it's something to see with your own eyes, what it's actually going to look like.

LUANNA: How many air shows have you participated in?

MAJ. BRANDON: For this year, we are now on the homestretch. We are probably about three-quarters of the way through. This season has taken us to over 30 locations across the greater United States, and about a total of over sixty shows for the year.

LUANNA: Have you participated in each of these, or do you rotate teams?

MAJ. BRANDON: The officers one through twelve will be on every trip. The show line is the crew chiefs that you'll see do our ground ceremony. They're also on every trip. The team itself is one hundred, thirty-five personnel strong. We'll travel sixty to seventy on each trip. So, that'll be one road crew, and then we've got folks at home that are working on the other aircraft that we didn't bring with us on this trip.

LUANNA: Will you always have six pilots in total on each trip?

MAJ. BRANDON: Yes. We'll travel with eight jets, two of those will be the spare aircraft, and then there'll be six jets in the demonstration.  You'll see a seventh jet flying, and that's going to be a local Hometown Hero to Branson. 

LUANNA:  Are there times you are doing more than one show a week?

MAJ. BRANDON: We are in two major cities each week for those normal schedules. This show weekend is unique due to the holiday. We will be flying on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Friday is typically a practice day. We'll fly twice on Fridays, and then usually we're off to the next show on Monday or Tuesday the following week.

LUANNA: Where are you off to next?

MAJ. BRANDON: We are going to Owensboro, KY.  With that it will be what we call a two-stopper, two trips before we go back home to Las Vegas.

LUANNA: In the choosing of the Hometown Hero program, do all of you have anything to do with that?

MAJ. BRANDON: The Hometown Hero Program is kind of a joint team effort between the Thunderbirds and the local community, or the Hero Show staff. We only travel with one D Model jet, that is why we only choose one hero. The other seven jets will be the C model, F-16C, which are single seaters. This year's Hometown Hero is Jeff Del Vecchio. He has had over 30 years of dedication, compassion and service to Southwest Missouri. 

LUANNA: Can you explain the process? 

MAJ. BRANDON: The air show staff will seek nominations to the local community, looking for somebody that serves their community and will be an ambassador for our team, and for the Air Force United States military, and then we will take those nominations and choose the best fit for that.

LUANNA: What has been memorable about the place or shows?

MAJ. BRANDON: My favorite place would be Chicago, just because it's over the water, with the giant backdrop of the city. So far, my favorite is Florida with the smooth air, light sea and beaches. But Branson is the great recipe because it's a more intimate, smaller show and more interactions with the people. I really enjoy the smaller ones because of the time we can spend with the people. We are super excited to be here at the air show and to get to enjoy Branson.