The Thunderbirds plan to continue their aerial demonstration schedule. After reviewing safety procedures following the Aug. 20 incident in Chicago in which two of the team’s F-16s touched wingtips while in flight, dropping a missile rail from one Viper into Lake Michigan, per an Associated Press report, the T-Birds decided the group did not need to alter its routine. The team had cancelled its Sunday show in Chicago but now plans to fly this weekend in Westfield, Mass.
The last remaining T-1 Jayhawk at JBSA-Randolph, Texas, took its final flight to the "Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on July 15. The 99th Flying Training Squadron will train pilots using T-6 and simulator until it gets T-7 Red Hawk in fiscal 2026.