The Thunderbirds is the official 'air demonstration squadron' of the United States Air Force (USAF). Activated in May 1953, the jet display team initially flew the straight-wing Republic F-84G Thunderjet, before moving on to the swept-wing F-84F Thunderstreak. In June 1956, the team exchanged these for North American F-100C Super Sabres, at the same time switching its headquarters from Luke in Phoenix, Arizona, to Nellis in Nevada, where it is still based today. The F-100 was the first supersonic aircraft the Thunderbirds had used, and on occasion - if permitted by individual shows - they would break the sound barrier during the display, creating a 'sonic boom'. The team deployed to Europe for die first time in 1963, and the following year briefly adopted the F-105 Thunderchief. The loss of one of the latter due to structural failure led the team to once again use Super Sabres, this time the D model. More suitable for die purpose, the F-100s remained the Thunderbirds' mount until 1968, when they were replaced by McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantoms.
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