On behalf of the men and women of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, welcome to this year’s “Thunder and Lightning over Arizona†Open House. We are honored to have you here as our guests. Our goal is to make your visit with us as enjoyable as possible. This year’s show will prove to be an exciting…
Commander, Lt. Gen. Robin Rand Lt. Gen. Robin Rand is the Commander, 12th Air Force, Air Combat Command, and Commander, Air Forces Southern, U.S. Southern Command, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. Twelfth Air Force ensures the readiness of 10 active duty wings and one direct reporting unit for contingency operations, oversees 19 gained Air Reserve…
More than 130,000 people converged on Davis-Monthan AFB April 14 and 15 to watch a spectacular display of aeronautic stunts and tour...
Kirby Chambliss is the former Red Bull Air Race World Champion. Named one of the top 15 aerobatic pilots in the country, Chambliss was invited to compete in the first Red Bull Air Race events held in the early 2000s. To date, Chambliss is a five-time U.S. National Aerobatic Champion (FAI World Aerobatic Championships, bronze…
PYROÂ is a 1982 International Transtar 4300 powered by a Westinghouse J34-WE-48 Turbojet engine with afterburner from a T-2 Buckeye. The engine has a single spool, 11-stage axial flow compressor and a single stage axial flow turbine. The J34 produces 12,000 HP with 6,000 lbs. of thrust. PYRO is capable of reaching speeds of over 300…
Charles Lindbergh dedicates Davis Monthan Field: September 23, 1927 In 1925, Tucson’s City Council purchased 1,280 acres of land southeast of town to relocate the city’s municipal airport. Unknown at that time this new site would become the nucleus of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Six years earlier Tucson had the proud distinction of opening the…
While other 15-year-olds are getting their learners permit, Heather Knox, daughter of Maj. Kenneth Knox, 79th Rescue Squadron assistant director of operations, is scheduled to perform the National Anthem in front of approximately 250,000 people at this year’s D-M ‘Thunder and Lightning over Arizona’ open house. “Since I am young and this is such a…
The world’s only current all-female wing-walking team will take to the Arizona skies this weekend, infusing a Western narrative with awe-dropping aerobatics and stunts. The Tombstone Riders act is a tale of Wild West desperadoes, complete with costumes and voice-overs starring Carol Pilon and Melissa Pemberton creating the only all-women wingwalking act in the world….
Secretary of Defense Leon E. Penetta announced D-M as the winner of the 2012 Commander in Chief’s Installation Excellence Award. The CINC IE Award is a Department of Defense award given to the best installation in each military service annually along with a $1 million prize for quality of life improvements to the winning installations….
The daytime version of the Dan Buchanan Hang Glider show has become a comical “screw-up†act. Buchanan’s “unscheduled†tow-launch into another aerobatic performers “act†starts the funny banter on the public address system between Buchanan, the announcer and the other pilot. The police are also chasing his tow winch vehicle on the runway and the…
