Netflix has unveiled the trailer for its upcoming documentary Air Force Elite: Thunderbirds, set to premiere on May 23. This film will take audiences behind the scenes of the U.S. Air Force’s Thunderbirds, the elite flight demonstration team, showcasing the intense skill, trust, and dedication required to perform their high-risk maneuvers. According to the trailer, the team’s complex and synchronized flights, involving six F-16 fighter jets, demand almost weekly performances over the span of eight months.
In a compelling moment from the trailer, Colonel Justin Elliott, who led the team from 2022 to 2023, emphasizes the critical role of trust in the team’s operations: “Without blind trust, this wouldn’t work,” he says. His leadership was key to guiding the Thunderbirds before Colonel Nathan Malafa took over as the current team commander in 2024.
The trailer highlights the high stakes of performing with precision at such speeds and close distances. “Six aircraft flying at 18-inch intervals, almost at the speed of sound… you’re just a few milliseconds away from a potentially deadly situation,” one of the pilots comments as they prepare to take off in their F-16 fighter jets.
Elliott also notes the extraordinary skill needed for aerial performances, saying, “They are the Air Force’s top fighter pilots, but flying in a demonstration team is a completely different thing.” As one Thunderbird pilot, Colonel Eric Tise (Thunderbird 6), puts it, “We always have a bit of a ‘I’m about to die’ feeling.”
The documentary, which runs for 90 minutes, is poised to be another major hit for Netflix. It will provide a rare and in-depth view into the Thunderbirds’ demanding routines and the incredible risks they face while performing breathtaking aerial displays. This documentary is released nearly a year after the success of Amazon Studio’s Blue Angels, another documentary about the U.S. Navy’s flight demonstration team, which similarly captured public attention.
The Thunderbirds documentary also boasts a highly regarded production team, including former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. Their company, Higher Ground Productions, has worked with Netflix on several projects, bringing both fictional and non-fictional works to life. This partnership adds a layer of prestige and interest to the documentary.
Directed by Matt Wilcox, who has a background in making sports documentaries (including two basketball documentaries), this film is uniquely poised to delve into the world of high-stakes performance, which shares similarities with professional sports teams. Like a basketball team, the Thunderbirds require exceptional individual talent to function as a cohesive unit. However, unlike basketball, a single mistake in the air could be fatal.
Captain Jacob Impellizeri, a new member of the Thunderbirds, discusses the pressure of joining such a high-performing team in the trailer: “As a newcomer, there’s a tremendous amount of pressure to do things right. You certainly don’t want to be the reason the team fails.”
The documentary offers viewers a candid look at the team’s training sessions, much like the Blue Angels documentary did. The intensity of their practice and debrief sessions is evident, with Elliott explaining, “We’re going to find every place where things went wrong, and you’ll feel like you’re about to be crushed.”
The Thunderbirds, known for their precision and spectacle, perform at major air shows across the country, drawing large crowds and inspiring awe. As air shows have become increasingly important for recruitment, the Thunderbirds documentary could serve a similar purpose as Blue Angels, possibly helping to alleviate the long-standing pilot shortage within the Air Force. Experts are already debating how air shows, like those featuring the Thunderbirds, can help address this shortage, especially as the Department of Defense has recently been tasked with investigating the impact of military air shows on recruitment and readiness.
As the documentary prepares for release, it looks set to be another high-profile addition to Netflix’s growing collection of compelling, high-stakes documentaries. Air Force Elite: Thunderbirds promises to give audiences an unforgettable look at the skills, trust, and perseverance needed to be a part of America’s premier aerial demonstration team.
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