318 - (My Flight with) The USAF Thunderbirds

Guest: Jason Markzon, Jafet Ojeda Host: Markus Voelter

Shownoter: Bastian Hundt, Jochen Spalding

In June 2019 I had the pleasure and honor to fly in an F-16D with the USAF Thunderbirds. The episode covers the medical briefing about how to prevent motion sickness and how to deal with Gs, suiting up with flight suit, g-suit, harness, helmet and mask, the briefing with my pilot Maj. Jason Markzon, the flight itself with commentary, an interview about the Thunderbirds with Jason, as well as a reflection on what the flight meant to me, recorded together with Nora.

A small correction: I suspected wrong regarding the code word TIMBER SWEET. In fact, it means that the Link16 data link between the two F-16s works. It’s great to have competent listeners :-)

Videos and pictures are available at omegataupodcast.net/thunderbirds.

Introduction
00:00:20

Medical Briefing
00:03:45
United States Air Force Thunderbirds (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Air_Force_…) | Medical certifications for pilots (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_certifications_f…) | Flight Surgeon (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_surgeon) | Motion sickness (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_sickness) | G-Force (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-force) | G-Suit (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-suit) | Tunnel vision (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnel_vision) | G-force induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC) (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-LOC) | Ejection seat (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ejection_seat) | General Dynamics F-16 (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Dynamics_F-16_Fi…)

Aircrew Flight Equipment
00:24:50
Flight suite (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_suit) | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nomex | G-Suit (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-suit) | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parachute | Survival pack (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survival_kit) | Flight Helmet (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_helmet) | Foreign object damage (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_object_damage)

Flight Briefing
00:33:52
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afterburner | Formation flying (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formation_flying) | Aerobatic maneuvers (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerobatic_maneuver) | F-16 Cockpit (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Dynamics_F-16_Fi…) | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Side-stick | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Throttle | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intercom | Ejection seat (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ejection_seat) | Multi-function display (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-function_display) | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Side-stick | Coordinated flight (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordinated_flight)

The Flight
01:51:00
General Dynamics F-16 (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Dynamics_F-16_Fi…) | Hero shot of Markus (twitter.com/omegataupodcast/status/11371174400…) | Aero surfaces (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_control_surfaces) | TACAN (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tactical_air_navigation_…) | ATIS (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_terminal_infor…) | Clearance Delivery (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_traffic_control#Flig…) | Transponder Code (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transponder_(aeronautics)#Transponder_codes) | OmegaTau Episode about flying the F-16 (omegataupodcast.net/251-flying-the-f-16-viper) | Military operations area (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_operations_area) | Aerobatic maneuver (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerobatic_maneuver) | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separation_(aeronautics) | Tanker (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerial_refueling) | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glider_(aircraft) | Final approach (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_approach_(aeronaut…)) | Crew chief (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crew_chief)

Takeaways from the Flight
02:01:05

The Interview with Maj. Jason Markzon
02:08:40
Colored smoke (Smoke oil) (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colored_smoke) | Thunderbirds Diamond Roll (youtube.com/watch?v=_V6bmzYBjyY) | Thunderbird Delta Roll (youtube.com/watch?v=w19kHEsW3G4) | USAF Thunderbirds Website (afthunderbirds.com/site) | U.S. Navy Blue Angels (blueangels.navy.mil)

Thanks and Reflections (with Nora)
03:09:45