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Home : News : Features : Display
NEWS | April 20, 2006

Langley unit ensures T-Birds’ safety during performance

By Tech. Sgt. Marina Evans 480th Intelligence Wing Public Affairs

The Thunderbirds kicked off their performance season March 25, but one group of Langley Airmen has been working behind the scenes helping the team prepare since January. 

The Visual Intelligence Flight of the 36th Intelligence Squadron is the sole provider of overhead imagery for Thunderbird mission navigational planning. 

This detailed imagery provides Thunderbird pilots with a large photographic overview of the base or airfield and the surrounding area. The images help the pilots plot the show center, and ensure precision and the safety of each performance. 

In January, the Thunderbirds team sent the 36th IS a list of 42 show locations at which the team will perform this season. With that list, the 36th IS collected satellite and other types of overhead imagery of each location to create an image map. 

First, they gather high-resolution images. Then, they sort through them to find the best images. 

Not any image will do. The images must be detailed, clear and as current as possible.
“We have (images) in our library, but sometimes an image may have cloud coverage or does not cover the whole area we need. Then, we have to find and download better imagery. That can take several days,” said Tech. Sgt. Joseph Behun, Analyst Branch noncommissioned officer in charge. 

Often, analysts piece together or “mosaic” two or more images in order to get the overview needed, explained Staff Sgt. Joseph Morris, imagery analyst. The images have to be the same size and resolution so they can be pieced together seamlessly. This can take several hours. 

Once the image or images are collected, Airmen lay coordinate grid lines on top. The grid and image are merged together to form an image map. 

“We mainly want to see the runway and surrounding areas. Everything is focused on show center,” Sergeant Behun said. “It is a vital tool for the pilots to orient themselves prior to the show.” 

Upon completion, image maps are printed out and sent to the Thunderbirds team via over-night mail. 

Maj. Brian Farrar, Thunderbird #5, the team’s lead solo pilot, explained the importance.
“When covering one mile every 8-10 seconds, each aircraft’s position relative to specific ground references is important for safety and showmanship. 

“The imagery provided by the 36th Intelligence Squadron allows us to mentally visualize our mission before we ever fly it,” Major Farrar continued. 

With the overhead image, the Thunderbird pilots can see cultural references on the ground, such as a building or a particular stop sign, before they fly over the base or airfield. It gives them visual reference points to plot flight paths. 

“Without their products, many hours of additional aerial survey and show practice would be required … not an option when you perform at one or more sites every week,” said Major Farrar.