The Thunderbird is one of the few cross-cultural elements of native North American mythology. From the Passamaquoddy tribes along the Maine-Canadian border to the Quileute in Illinois, the tribes of the Great Plains, the Quillayute in the Pacific Northwest and to the tribes of the American southwest, the Thunderbird was similarly described. Perhaps the most powerful of the Indian gods, the Thunderbird brought life-giving rains and declared his presence with thunder from his wings and lightning from his eyes. Always benevolent and many times a protector, he sometimes left damage in his wake because he, himself, was unaware of his great size and power. He could be the bull in the china shop. Today, Americans look up to see six lethal F-16s. They hear the thunder and see the flashes of red, white and blue lightning, but unlike the ancient natives, they witness the awesome power held in check by talented and disciplined hands.

Red stands for courage, white for truth and blue for justice. In honor of the United States Air Force Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, we bring you these beautiful jets to the skies of the virtual world, presenting, the Virtual Thunderbirds.

The Virtual Thunderbirds, founded in 2004, is the original squad to first reenact the Thunderbirds in a flight simulator while performing formation flying and precision aerobatics. We are dedicated to accurately showcase the flying skill of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. Over the years we've acquired a wealth of knowledge about the real team and done copious amounts of research in order to perform the air shows flown by the USAF Thunderbirds on our computers via online multiplayer in real time. This has been no small feat, and in the process we've come in contact with some truly amazing people, alumni and friends, colleagues, pilots and aviation enthusiasts alike whom share our passion.

The faces of the Virtual Thunderbirds have changed throughout the years, and similar to the real teams' pilots, some have retired, new members have been selected, but once a Thunderbird, always a Thunderbird. We take pride in our traditions and friendships. We continuously strive for higher standards and look for new talented individuals to add to our team.

 

Our goal is to be the most comprehensive group of knowledgeable and talented pilots on the internet "wearing" the Thunderbird patch, virtually. It demands extraordinary teamwork, skill, commitment and determination. Our presentation is a reflection of the real world team, our heroes; the Ambassadors in Blue. This is our tribute to the men and women of the United States Air Force Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, past and present.