DATE: Thursday, April 3, 1997               TAG: 9704030401

SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A1   EDITION: FINAL 

                                            LENGTH:   19 lines

ROLLING THUNDER

The Thunderbirds, the Air Force's precision flight demonstration

team, show their stuff at the annual performance for the brass,

including Gen. Richard Hawley, right, at Langley Air Force Base in

Hampton on Wednesday. The Thunderbirds, the Air Force equivalent of

the Navy's Blue Angels, put on spectacular air shows around the

world each year to promote the service's aviation programs and serve

as a recruiting tool aimed at those considering a career in the Air

Force. The team is made up of the service's premier fighter pilots,

who perform high-speed, tight maneuvers like the diamond formation,

above.

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