Learning from the Thunderbirds

Pilots of the 3rd Air Squadron at Iswahjudi watched the USAF Thunderbirds at the Singapore Air Show in 1994 and discussed their training methods with them. In December 1994 the air force chief, Air Chief Marshal Rilo Pambudi, ordered the formation of a team, and the squadron prepared six F-16s, four for the main formation and two solos. Learning manoeuvres partly from Thunderbirds videos, the team first displayed on 9 April 1995 at the air force’s 49th anniversary at Halim Perdanakusuma. Its name, Blue Falcon, rendered in Indonesian as Elang Biru, joined the aircraft’s name to the colour of the sky and of the air force.

Air shows and the end

In June 1995 three Thunderbirds instructors, including the former leader Colonel Steve Trent, trained the pilots at Iswahjudi; only four or five could attend, as others had been posted away. The team flew at the armed forces’ 50th anniversary on 5 October 1995, at the Indonesia Air Show at Soekarno-Hatta in 1996 and, the same year, at the Singapore Air Show. Its F-16s carried a bright blue scheme with yellow and red and white stripes. The team was disbanded in 2000; in 2001 it merged with the Jupiter team to form Jupiter Blue, flying two F-16s alongside Hawks, and the F-16s later returned to standard grey.