Star Spangled Salute

Members of the Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team met with a group of veterans from the Oklahoma City Veterans Administration Hospital during a pre-show event June 18. Here, Staff Sgt. Joe Delos Santos, assistant No. 6 crew chief, signs a picture for Air Force veteran Ben Ealey. (Air Force photo by Margo Wright)

Star Spangled Salute

The Air Force entertainers Tops in Blue performed as part of the evening entertainment June 19 during Tinker’s 12th Star Spangled Salute open house that took place here June 19-20. The free event included six hours of aerial demonstrations and a wide variety of aircraft displays, making Tinker’s flightline an entertaining and educational place to be. (Air Force photo by Margo Wright)

2010 Star Spangled Salute

Published June 24, 2010
By John Stuart
Tinker Public Affairs

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Turns out most of us know what it feels like to fly in an F-16 fighter jet. Or so one pilot says.

"It feels just like a roller coaster," said Maj. Rick Goodman, the lead solo pilot for the Air Force Thunderbirds. A Del City native, the 35-year-old fighter pilot knows what he's talking about. With tours in England, Kuwait and Turkey for Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom, and a background in pilot training, he knows a little bit about breaking the laws of gravity with 30,000 pounds of thrust at his command.

Flying the No. 5 (of eight) plane for the Thunderbirds, Major Goodman has been with the elite performance unit for almost two years. While most avoid it, Major Goodman's mission in the air is to turn his world upside down. And it's clear he's comfortable with his job description.

"It's just like hanging upside down in your room," Major Goodman said. "You just have to buckle down and make sure there's no loose change in your pockets."

Buckling down and supporting the Air Force cause is what the Oklahoma native does best. Major Goodman, along with his fellow Thunderbirds, performed for more than 90,000 people as the headline flying event of this year's Star Spangled Salute Air Show at Tinker.

Moments before takeoff he implored the crowd from the cockpit of his F-16 to "sit back, relax ... it's show time."

But the crowd wasn't doing much relaxing as they were entertained with not only the Thunderbirds, but a host of aerial presentations from multiple aircraft during the June 19-20 event. Explosions reverberated across the sweltering flight line, and fly-bys, paratroopers and World War II re-enactions all kept patrons craning their necks to the pristine blue skies.

Fifteen-year-old Christopher Ashmead couldn't have been happier with his day on the sun-baked tarmac. Traveling with his family from Amarillo, Texas for the show, he had just a few words to describe the Thunderbirds.

"Awesome," he said. "I just love it all."

So the 12th annual air show went off in stirring fashion, a further display of American power in the skies. It's one roller coaster that air show patrons won't soon forget.