<p class="ingestion featured-caption">A Thunderbird F-16 taxis down the flight line as other aircraft fly in the skies above it.US Air Force photo by Airman Chloee Helt</p><ul class="summary-list"><li>The US Air Force's Thunderbirds have wowed crowds at airshows worldwide in the F-16 Fighting Falcon.</li><li>At shows, six pilots perform daring maneuvers at high speeds to showcase the jet's capabilities.</li></ul><p>For over seven decades, the Thunderbirds, <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stunning-photos-air-force-thunderbirds-arizona-lake-powell-2018">the US Air Force's aerial demonstration squadron</a>, have roared through the skies at airshows worldwide.</p><p>At shows, a team of six pilots perform aerial maneuvers and tight formation flying at near-supersonic speeds, demonstrating the power and precision of <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-show-the-power-of-the-f-16-fighter-jet-2024-1">Lockheed Martin's F-16 Fighting Falcon</a>.</p><p>Some Thunderbird pilots spend at least a decade flying fighter aircraft to qualify for the team. In an interview with Business Insider ahead of the Pacific Airshow in Huntington Beach, California this month, two pilots described how they rose from rookie pilots to Thunderbird elites.</p>