The First Woman Thunderbirds Pilot - Episode 51

Retired F-15 and F-16 fighter pilot Nicole Malachowski tells us about flying 18 inches off the wings of high-speed jets as a U.S. Air Force Thunderbird.Welcome to Season 6 of the Behind the Wings podcast! In this episode, Nicole takes us through her groundbreaking journey as the first woman to become a Thunderbird pilot. She discusses her combat missions, flying in airshows, her WASP connection, and how a tick-borne illness changed her life forever. There is a lot to learn!Resources:Nicole Malachowski's Website Nicole Malachowski's Bio (Wikipedia) The Thunderbirds' WebsiteThe Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) (Air Force History Fact Sheet)Chapters:(00:00) - Intro (01:23) - F-15 vs. F-16 (02:22) - Early Interest in Aviation (03:26) - USAFA (04:42) - The Ban on Women In Combat Jets (06:38) - Flying the F-15 and F-16 (09:06) - Combat Missions (13:50) - Thunderbirds Admission (17:58) - Thunderbirds Training (21:33) - Combat vs. Thunderbirds (24:02) - Audience Interaction (27:34) - Tick-Borne Illness (32:57) - The Wounded Warrior Program (34:12) - WASP Connection (36:55) - The Future of Veteran Medicine (39:21) - Nicole's Legacy (40:42) - Nicole's Advice (41:45) - Outro