Description:
P-80 aircraft with WWII and later Vietnam ace Robin Olds, In April 1946, along with LTC John C. "Pappy" Herbst (WWII ace in the CBI) formed what could be considered the Air Force's first jet aerobatic demonstration team. Aerobatics is the demonstration of flying maneuvers for recreation or entertainment. Many aerobatic maneuvers involve rotation of the aircraft about its longitudinal axis - rolling - or the pitch axis - looping.... (forerunners to the Thunderbirds U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds
The Thunderbirds are the Air Demonstration Squadron of the United States Air Force. As such, they tour the United States and much of the world, performing aerobatic formation and solo flying in specially-marked USAF jet aircraft....
). In late May, the 412th was ordered to undertake PROJECT COMET, a nine-city transcontinental mass formation flight. Olds and Herbst performed a two-ship acro routine that thrilled the crowds at every stop, the highlight being a three-day layover in Washington, D.C.. In June, Olds was one of four pilots who participated in the first one-day, dawn-to-dusk, transcontinental roundtrip jet flight from March Field to Washington, D.C. That same year he took second place in the Thompson Trophy Race Thompson trophy The Thompson trophy race was one of the National Air Races of the heyday of early airplane racing in the 1930's....
(Jet Division) of the Cleveland National Air Races at Brook Park, Ohio. Brook Park, Ohio Brook Park is a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. As of the United States Census, 2000, the city population was 21,218....
. In this first "closed course" jet race, six P-80's competed against each other on a three pylon course 30 miles in length
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