The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, performs precision aerial maneuvers demonstrating the capabilities of Air Force high performance aircraft to people throughout the world.

Being a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, Lt. Col. Justin Elliott, Thunderbirds commander, returned, with his team, to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to perform at the 2022 Aerospace Valley Air Show using the skills he learned where he was previously a student.

“This is about as close to flight test since I have done in the Air Force believe it or not,” Lt. Col. Elliott said. “I use very much all the skill sets that the Test Pilot School taught me as the Thunderbirds lead. A lot of the skills that I have picked up at TPS apply directly to what I am doing as Thunderbird 1.”

The Aerospace Valley Open House, Air Show, and STEM Expo returned to Edwards Air Force Base after a 13 year hiatus that welcomed over 120,000 attendees to get a unique look at the flight test mission at Edwards.

“TPS is really the bedrock of test for the U.S. Air Force,” Lt. Col. David Schmitt, commander, 411th Flight Test Squadron explained. “This is where all the test pilots and flight test engineers for the Air Force get their first education into what is developmental test, how to take an aircraft that has never flown before and do a safe nautical approach to deliver that capability to the warfighter fastest.”

According to Schmitt, Elliott achieved a lot of firsts at his time at Test Pilot School almost 10 years ago.

“He’s got the distinction in what we call a dual patch,” Schmitt said. “He is a U.S. Air Force Weapons School (Nellis AFB, Nev.) graduate as well as a Test Pilot School graduate, which based on timing for pilots going through those programs is incredibly challenging and rare.”

While performing precision aerial maneuvers with his Thunderbirds team over Edwards Air Force Base, some of Elliot’s previous instructors were close by to witness their previous student’s incredible journey in flight test become a reality with the USAF Thunderbirds.

“Astro was my student in 2015,” Col. Jose Gutierrez, commander, Electronic Warfare Group said. “He stood above the rest in terms of his personality and his charisma. He was a great guy to work with. Just his willingness and eagerness to get things done was just impressive to watch and I was really proud to see his name attached to the Thunderbirds especially as the commander.”

With all of his accomplishments, Elliot has a message to current students and future graduates of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School.

“Have fun,” Elliot said. “You will appreciate being a graduate from the Test Pilot School more every day that Test Pilot School passes and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. From the time I was brand new as a student, I didn’t know what the future would hold for me. Now, looking back at it eight years later, it has been better every year and I absolutely enjoy it. The sky is not even the limit for Test Pilot School grads.”