• THE 6-SHIP DELTA FORMATION:In the graceful Delta Formation,
    the aircraft fly an average of three feet apart and travel at a
    maximum speed of 475 knots.

    THE 4-SHIP DIAMOND FORMATION:The diamond aircraft
    demonstrate the high degree of skill, training and precision of
    all Air Force pilots. During the "Diamond Max Turn," the pilots
    pull 6.5 times their body weight, or 6.5 Gs.

    THE SOLOS: The solos demonstrate the awesome capabilities of
    the Lockheed Martin F-16. The maximum speed for a Solo occurs
    during the "Sneak Pass" when the Solo pilot races down the crowd line
    at .94 Mach. During the "Maximum 360-Degree Turn,"
    a Solo pilot pulls 8 times his body weight, or 8 Gs.


    Additional Information: During a show, the six aircraft use about 3,231 gallons (21,000 pounds) of fuel and 260 gallons of smoke oil. The smoke oil is a 10-weight oil and burns so efficiently that it does not pollute.
    Unfortunately, the heat of the exhaust is too high for the dyes currently available, and any attempt to color the smoke turns it a dirty brown.
    The F-16 has remained the choice of the Thunderbirds for the last 20 years, the longest performance era of any one aircraft. It is a stellar performer for the Thunderbirds, the U.S Air Force and the 24 other nations whose boundaries it patrols and defends.