LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds made history on the Fourth of July, performing the first-ever full aerial demonstration above the nation’s capital as part of America’s 250th birthday celebration and the Great American State Fair.
Now back at their home base in Las Vegas, Lt. Col. Tyler “Slasher” Clark said the Independence Day flight stands apart from others during his time with the team.
Historic flight over Washington
“But with it being America’s 250, we had the real fortunate ability recently to go to Washington, D.C. for the July 4th celebrations,” Clark said. “And with that, one of the rare opportunities, and really for the first time ever, the Thunderbirds got to fly an aerobatic demonstration over the National Mall on July 4th.”
Las Vegas flyover preceded D.C. show
About a week before the D.C. demonstration, the Thunderbirds also flew over landmarks along the Las Vegas Strip before finishing near the Hoover Dam.
“We consider ourselves America’s team, but our home base is in Las Vegas. So we are also Las Vegas’s home team,” Clark said. “And we had another really unique opportunity about a week or so prior to July 4th of getting to fly around the Las Vegas area around some of the iconic landmarks up and down the strip, and then getting to more or less end it over the Hoover Dam. And that was also a very incredible experience for our team.”
Clark said his position in the formation gave him a clear view of the scenery below.
“It was gorgeous,” he said. “It was in the evening. So the sun was starting to set. The mountains always have that beautiful glow to them and then getting to fly over Hoover Dam — that was spectacular.”
Wind and proximity added challenge
The mountainous terrain and wind conditions near the Hoover Dam added difficulty to the flight. Clark noted that some formations fly as close as 18 inches apart at speeds between 350 and 450 miles per hour.
“And then you add those mountainous features and then around the Hoover Dam area. And it was one wild ride,” he said.
‘Blind trust’ holds the team together
Clark said the team’s guiding principle is what keeps pilots safe in close formation.
“Our motto on the team is blind trust,” he said. “It really means that no matter what is going on, I trust the person in the formation and I trust our boss or our flight lead to get us to where we’re going.”
“So it’s not all of us having trust in the one person. It’s all of us having trust in each other. And that is earned. It is definitely not given,” Clark said.
The Thunderbirds have been based at Nellis Air Force Base since 1956. Despite their public-facing role, the team can be combat-ready in 72 hours or less.
About that call sign
Clark said the origin of his “Slasher” call sign is rooted in fighter pilot tradition — and a love of 1980s rock and roll.
“I’m a huge fan of 80s rock and roll. I absolutely love Guns N’ Roses, and that plays a major part into a portion of my name,” he said. “Slash would be too cool for me to receive. And you can’t take that away from a legendary guitarist, so they ended up taking it in the Slasher.”
As for whether he’d ever grow out the hair to match the look — Clark said that’s a retirement project.
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