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On May 23, a documentary about elite Air Force pilots will take flight.
Air Force Elite: Thunderbirds on Netflix profiles some of the most skilled combat pilots in the U.S. Air Force as they train for high-speed aviation demonstrations nationwide that are designed to promote a positive image of the military branch. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are Executive Producers of the doc.
More than 135 people comprise the Thunderbird team, and they take part in 65-75 shows over 210 days per year. Interest is soaring; applications to join the team have tripled since 2020.
While the Air Force would obviously love it if people saw these air shows and decided to sign up, the Thunderbirds featured in the doc believe the goal of the shows is to inspire people to reach new heights in any aspect of their lives.
“I always thought that if you could shape this team right, you would create a culture that inspires everyone in this country and beyond to do extraordinary things for the right reasons,” Lieutenant Colonel Justin “Astro” Elliott, the boss of the Thunderbirds, says in the doc.
Filmmakers embedded with the 2023 Thunderbirds team, following them from training in the Nevada desert to shows across the country. Here’s a look at the life lessons the Thunderbirds have learned from their work that can apply to any job or life stage.
How a Thunderbird pilot explains his job to his family
In the doc, Elliott, known as “Thunderbird 1” to his crew, has 60 days to prepare his team for 62 air shows—what he calls “45 minutes of total chaos.”
Elliott always wanted to be an astronaut when he grew up. But midway through the application process, he got asked to be the boss of the Thunderbirds and felt like he couldn’t pass up such a great opportunity.
In addition to shadowing him on the job, filmmakers got to follow Elliott at home with his two young boys, Declan and Revan. One day, while seeing him off to work, his wife Victoria gives her husband a…
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