WICHITA FALLS ( KFDX/KJTL ) — Most Air Force pilots have at least 10 years of flight experience before they could ever be considered to be among the elite team of Thunderbirds.

The Thunderbirds perform all over the world. The precision maneuvers Texoma fans will see on Saturday are maneuvers they fly twice daily to perform successfully.

The whole team has winter training from December to early March. There are eight pilots, six of which are demonstration pilots

The two others serve as directors of operations and the advanced pilots who get to fly hometown heroes like Ashley McKie .

“The majority of our team is made up of maintainers. And so they’re all kind of just coming home, back to where they started their first journey here at Sheppard Air Force Base since this is where their tech school is as well.” Krystal Jimenez, Thunderbirds Public Affairs Officer, said. “So it’s really great to be back here and to bring our demonstration to the city of Wichita Falls.”

The pilots will be at the MSU campus tomorrow hanging out and signing autographs for the pre-flight block party so they can meet the community.

The block party is on the campus quad behind the Dillard College of Business and begins at 5 p.m. with food trucks and family-friendly activities.

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