I'm Back

Sometimes my job is too cool for school.

T-Bird in the Dirt

15 MAR, 2005- The USAF Thunderbirds usually do their first show of the season at Creech AFB, Nevada. It's called "Indian Springs Appreciation Day". They practice at Creech and the show is a full-up dress rehearsal and a "Thank you and sorry about that bathroom window".

In March of 2005, I was working and I called the wife to ask if she liked the show.

Wife-"It was all right, but your son freaked out."

Me-"What happened?"

Wife- "Something about a wheel or something. He said I was the adult and had the good camera and to get closer. He said he blaze away with his camera. Later, he told me not to go through any metal detector and don't let anyone touch the camera until Dad sees it."


Me- "Put him on."

Me- "What happened Josh?"

Josh- "Number three went into the dirt!"

Me- "Really"

Josh- "Yeah, really. The gear collapsed."

The mishap happened at the end of the show and taxing into the spot. Number three didn't make the turn and trundled off the taxi way. The pilot was taken away in a back board. The cause of mishap was brake failure. I chatted with the crew chief and he said,
"The pilot's okay. The jet is okay. We're flying at Luke next week."

The pilot was on the back board as a precaution. The gear did not collapse. From the crowd line, it only appeared that the it was on its belly.

Major Malachowski Leaves the Thunderbirds

It's a two year tour and it's been two great years. But all good things must end as Major Nicole Malachowski leaves the Thunderbirds. Major Malachowski entered the U.S. Air Force in 1996 after graduating from the Air Force Academy with a B.S. in Management and a minor in French. Before she joined the Thunderbirds, she served as an F-15E Instructor Pilot and Flight Commander in the
494th Fighter Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, U.K. She has amassed 1900 hours in the air, 1700 of that in the F-15 and F-16.

She has 200 combat hours. Kosovo in 1998 and Iraq in 2005.
She calls Las Vegas, Nevada her home.

As you might know, I work Transient Alert at Creech AFB, Nevada. The airfield where the Thunderbirds practice. A while back it was my pleasure to spend a morning with Malachowski, waiting for the weather to break and she could fly back to Nellis.

Up close and personal I found her to be extremely professional and yet warm and friendly. She didn't act like a Major. More like a Captain with money. That might sound flip, but it isn't.

What you don't know is that the school here in Indian Springs goes from Kindergarden to 12th grade. The school mascot are the Thunderbirds. Yes the team. Taking time from her very busy schedule, Nicole found time to come out to speak to the kids and visit with them on more than one occasion . Many of the children, especially the younger ones have taken to calling her
"Our Thunderbird".

"Our message to the next generation is to follow your passion, pursue excellence in it, and to always dream big!"
-Major Malachowski


Nicole humbly accepts her place in history as the first female Thunderbird. Well...as humble as one can expect from a Combat Fighter Pilot. I have it on good authority that she likes this picture and has it on her desk....

Ever the team player, she requested that her teammate, Major Samantha Weeks (opposing solo) be given "pink smoke" as well. No sweat Ma'am.


Malachowski is a good stick and great person.
Save your pictures people, this one will wear stars