Next year, her last with the Thunderbirds, she'll get bumped up to Lead Solo, where she'll be showcasing the maximum capabilities of the planes. He has logged more than 5,800 total flight hours and 1,050 hours in the F-15E, including more than 315 combat hours over Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve. Michelle Curran (born 1987) is a former United States Air Force (USAF) major and a pilot in the USAF Air Demonstration Squadron, or Thunderbirds. Thunderbirds' second female solo pilot coming home for Milwaukee show After serving in the Air Force, Michelle Curran is dedicated to continuing her service by helping others realize their dreams as the founder and president of Upside Down Dreams. USAF Maj. Michelle Mace Curran, Thunderbird #5, to Leave Team. When all six [of the Thunderbirds] come together, if the air is smooth, were all firing on all cyclinders, its a cool feeling. It's a blast. I appreciate your transparency and realness! People come up and say Im so proud of you, something your mother would say. Just 2% of pilots are women. He is in his third season with the team and hails from LaGrange, Ill. Maj. Kyle Oliver is the Opposing Solo Pilot for the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, flying the No. Theres been a steady uptick of female pilots in general and in the fighter community as well, she says. Holy smokes. USAF Lt Colonel John Klatt experiences forces In addition to her role with the Thunderbirds, Mace Curran is an experienced F-16 combat fighter pilot with 163 combat hours over Afghanistan in support of operations Resolute Support and Freedoms Sentinel. It can be seen onWABC-TV, as well as on WABCsConnected TV AppsonAmazon Fire TV,Android TV,Apple TV,andRoku. Learn more in our Cookie Policy. Pilots train from March to November, often away from the teams home base in Las Vegas. Taking that leap can be intimidating, but if you take charge of the things that are in your control like preparation and planning, putting in the work, leveraging your network, and controlling how you react to adversity, you will find you are capable of much more than you realize. Michelle Curran - Address & Phone Number | Whitepages smoke trails of Tucker. Despite the pandemic, Maj. Curran and the Thunderbirds effectively leveraged social media to maintain visibility of the team across all media channels. Michelle MACE Curran is an F-16 Mission Commander with over 1800 hours in the aircraft. In Captain Marvel, Brie Larson plays Carol Danvers, an Air Force fighter pilot who uses the special powers she gains during an accident to save the galaxy. 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. In the Facebook post announcing her career transition, Michelle Curran wrote: Ill be continuing to serve in a part time capacity and pursing some goals in the business world. The thing that floors me is that some people still dont realize its an option, she says. (where the plane falls from the sky), 4 knife edge tumblers, inside-outside For the best Barrons.com experience, please update to a modern browser.GoogleFirefox This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Bill Curran said his daughter was encouraged to apply for the Thunderbirds by friends in the Air Force. I was told by others again and again how they could never do what I was doing and that I must be so brave. Maj. Curran flew as Thunderbird #6, opposing solo, before her advancement to Thunderbird #5, lead solo in the 2020/21 airshow season. My time in that role was coming to an end after the 2021 season regardless of what I was going on to do next. Michelle "MACE" Curran - Founder - Upside Down Dreams | LinkedIn Michelle "MACE" Curran Expand search. Michelle Leann Curran (1984-2001) - Find a Grave Memorial Pair that with Captain Marvel providing more visibility to female pilots earlier this year, and the timing seemed right to experience a day in the life of the only female Thunderbird. How Michelle Curran met the two suspects charged with raping, torturing and killing her on a California ranch is a mystery that continues to puzzle . As a team of uniform-clad airmen help me get into the back passenger seat of Thunderbird plane #7, I joke that I feel like Captain Marvel. Major Michelle Curran, call sign "Mace," is the only female fighter pilot on the Thunderbirds, the Air Force's demonstration team. He is in his second season with the team and hails from Fort Collins, Colo. Find Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok profiles, images and more on IDCrawl - free people search website. Flying an F-16 also requires an incredibly high degree of athleticism. Tom Demerly is a characteristic author, journalist, photographer and editorialist who has written articles which are revealed world wide on TheAviationist.com, TACAIRNET.com, Outside journal, Business Insider, We Are The Mighty, The Dearborn Press & Guide, National Interest, Russias authorities media outlet Sputnik, and lots of different publications. Previously, many opportunities had come up that I was drawn to but had stopped myself from pursuing because of the risk of failure that came with them. The Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach is one of the largest and most respected air shows in the country. Museum, at Republic Airport (flights available over Memorial Bull Air Force sky diving team had Amy Chmelecki. Demerly is an skilled parachutist, holds superior SCUBA certifications, has climbed the very best mountains on three continents and visited all seven continents and has flown a number of kinds of gentle plane. I confess that I have admired Michelle Curran, only the fifth woman (since 2005) to pilot one of the formidable F-16 jets, since I first saw her in the 2019 Bethpage Air Show, when she was the #6 (opposing solo) pilot. Police at the time . Michelle "Mace" Curran Archives - The Aviationist Visitgoingplacesfarandnear.com,www.huffingtonpost.com/author/karen-rubin, andtravelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate/. flying before he got his license and has accumulated 18,000 flight hours, Her skill is all the more apparent since she is flying travels at 250 mph. This week, I want to give you a bit of perspective on why I chose to stop flying F-16s and become an entrepreneur. She has accumulated over 1250 flight hours in three aircraft, including the T-6, T-38, and the F-16 Fighting Falcon. With a powerful story and breathtaking visuals, Michelle, also known as Mace, takes her audience on a surprising and compelling journey through her career as a Fighter Pilot, culminating in her role as the Lead Solo Pilot for the Air Force Thunderbirds. It means she's front and center in one of. Driven by the desire to inspire others, Curran uses real-life examples from her trailblazing fighter pilot and Thunderbird career to help teams get unstuck by empowering them to face their fears, overcome self-doubt and imposter syndrome, and take calculated risks. Theres still a long way to go before the Air Force hits total parity, but Curran doesnt see herself as an outlier. Civilian performers at this years Bethpage Air Show include the world-famous GEICO Skytypers and their flight squadron of six vintage WWII aircraft, the American Airpower Museum Warbirds, Long Islands own David Windmiller, the Bayport Aerodrome Society, the SUNY Farmingdale State College Flying Rams who will fly seven of their 22 college-owned aircraft in a fly-by piloted by their top academic professional pilot performers, and Mike Goulian, North Americas most decorated aerobatic pilot. One way to mitigate the nauseating effects is to drink lots of water, but that meant double the bathroom breaks on the drive there. Demerly is an experienced parachutist, holds advanced SCUBA certifications, has climbed the highest mountains on three continents and visited all seven continents and has flown several types of light aircraft. Usually I'll go in the swimming pool in the backyard for a few minutes. View Fees During his performance, Ret. Michelle "MACE" Curran Public figure Speaker, Author, Thunderbird Pilot 19-21' Lover of mountains, fitness, and adventure! I was scared to raise my hand when I had a question, because I didn't want anyone else to discover how little I knew. "We'll do opposing passes, where we fly right at each other head-on. I will look back.. Eventually she was selected. Its become more accepted, but she is aware of things that women have to navigate that men dont even think about. Go fly girls! He is in his third year on the Thunderbirds. Up in the air, they were spinning so fast, they created a gravitational force nine times their body weight. We lift each other up, we accomplish more as a team. In a commercial flight, its easy to forget that youre in the sky, but this sensation isnt lost given the panoramic window atop a tiny cockpit surrounded by clouds. We have music associated with all our maneuvers and for that one I got to pick the song. Curran has been featured on several leading media publications and programs, including The Kelly Clarkson Show, CBS Evening News, and Glamour. There was a good portion of my first assignment where I would have walked away if that were an option. The show, which would have been the 17th at Jones Beach State Park, brought special excitement because of having been cancelled last year due to COVID-19, and the opportunity for crowds albeit at 50 percent capacity to gather again is a vital sign of the regions return to normalcy. confusion, missing each other by mere feet; opposing craft which come at each In conversations around the U.S. during three air show seasons, Curran told The Aviationist about her role on the team and its opportunity to, showcase the Air Force experience and let people know what is possible. American flag to a tiny target on Jones Beach. us atfacebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures, A Visit With the USAF Thunderbirds on Long Island, Ways to See Long Islands Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach Despite Weather, https://www.facebook.com/BethpageAirShow/, 16th Annual Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach, Long Island, Honors Spirit of Memorial Day. Bayport Aerodrome Society,formed He reflects that he is just a standard Air force fighter pilot, flying every day, multiple times a day to master maneuvers. Except for the pretty paint and smoke, the maneuvers the Thunderbirds fly are the same for what are used in their combat training. 6 [the opposing solo] gives the challenge and the response, but I can hear his energy. Hang out with my husband as much as I can. All rights reserved. . We ask what it feels like to fly. We learn that the parachutes they use, use Taylor is a 2010 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he majored in Systems Engineering. I got to watch the USAF Thunderbirds arrive at MacArthur Airport ahead of their headlining appearance at the Bethpage Air Show over Memorial Day Weekend at Jones Beach State Park, and then got to speak with the pilots. It means shes front and center in one of the most visible squadrons in the military. It was during this time that she realized the flying was incredible, but the best part was inspiring others to overcome their fears and pursue their dreams. In her much less seen however equally essential function with the Thunderbirds, Mace Curran served as Chief of Standardization and Evaluation for the group, a management function which is able to positively affect the trajectory of the group in upcoming seasons. During the latter a part of her function on the group, many airshows had been cancelled due to the worldwide pandemic. Blogging at goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com and moralcompasstravel.info. He showed "CBS Evening News" anchor Norah O'Donnell a series of maneuvers the team performs during shows. fascinating because they demonstrate actual fighting techniques an implosion * This specific fee falls within this range. One of their pilots, is 92-year it has been awesome to be part of that, to be in this position, in this time of history. He is the epitome of what the Thunderbirds are about. At this state park and many others around the state, free COVID-19 vaccines were being administered (with two-day passes to state parks as an additional incentive). And the back-story All tickets for Saturday and Sunday were to be honored. Speaker: Michelle Curran | Leading Authorities Speakers Like Combat veteran Michelle "MACE" Curran led an impressive career as an F-16 fighter pilot during her 13 years in the United States Air Force. During the latter part of her role on the team, many airshows were cancelled due to the global pandemic. "I'm a left-wing solo. Michelle is a native of Medford, Wisconsin, and has been in the Air Force nearly 10 years. Curran describes her tenure as lead solo for the Thunderbirds as the pinnacle of her career. In a Facebook post from Wednesday afternoon, October 27, 2021, USAF Maj. Michelle Curran, call sign "Mace", announced she is, "about to make a big career pivot and will be leaving the Active Duty. Here are photos from the practice performance including: Show headliners the United States Air Force Thunderbirds returning to the Bethpage Air Show for their 8thappearance, performing some new maneuvers; the United States Army Golden Knights Parachute Team performing in their 15thBethpage Air Show; the United States Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II, the first aircraft to be designed for close air support of ground forces (and built on Long Island); and the U.S. Coast Guard Search & Rescue Demonstration. Most thrilling is when the two opposing Really, what we do is life and death sometimes," Curran said. This system allows the plane to achieve feats other stunt planes are unable to Is she nervous at all? Curran has been in the Air Force for 11 years, but flying wasnt always her goal. 2023 www.jsonline.com. Lt. Col. Kevin DiFalco is the Director of Operations for the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, flying the No. Recently, MACE was called back to St. Thomas to receive their Distinguished Alumna of the Year award. famous by the barnstormers of the 1920s and 1930s, and is based on a 1929 Waco, Curran is the fifth woman to fly with the Thunderbirds, her callsign (or nickname) is "MACE". GEICO Skytypers, a team of advanced training aircraft used in World War II, are An air show first, livestream viewers will be treated to a special inside look at performances. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. She demonstrates the capabilities of the F-16 during performances. After some reflection on that last 13 years, I realized the thing I found the most rewarding was the ability to inspire people that I suddenly had as a Thunderbird. From flying an F-16 to her passion for extreme sports, Curran is a thrill seeker. Kenneth Sweet survived Pearl Harbor attack, helped found Wisconsin Air National Guard, Fly along on an F-16 while we tell you what will take its place at Truax Field, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Subscribe to this newsletter, follow me on here, and click the bell in the upper right corner of my profile to get notified when I post daily. Her favorite maneuver is the vertical roll pointing the plane up or down whilerolling over. The result was: promoted by Yoninah (talk)21:01, 1 December 2020 (UTC). In her less visible but equally crucial role with the Thunderbirds, Mace Curran served as Chief of Standardization and Evaluation for the team, a leadership role which will positively impact the trajectory of the team in upcoming seasons. old pilot who served in World War II, who flew with his grandson. Pilots call it "pulling 9 G's. I had never truly experienced failure, I hadn't developed grit, and my identity was wrapped up in my achievements. Meet Michelle Curran: Thunderbird 6 Airshow News Prior to joining the Thunderbirds, he served as the Assistant Director of Operations of the 555th Fighter Squadron and Director of Operations for the 31st Operations Support Squadron at Aviano Air Base, Italy. Michelle "MACE" Curran on LinkedIn: #keynotespeaker #failforward # The fighter is flown by the United States Navy and Marines. She was applying to scholarship programs when her father suggested looking into the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC). Four years into that time she became the first female pilot to fly for the 457th Fighter Squadron. David Tom Demerly served in an intelligence gathering unit as a member of the U.S. Army and Michigan National Guard. Force launch out of a plane from 13,000 feet, speeding like a cannon ball at almost 200 mph, crossing in flight, before releasing the For up-to-date information about this years show, visitwww.bethpageairshow.comorhttps://www.facebook.com/BethpageAirShow/, or contact the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Regional Office, Recreation Department at 631-321-3510. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? Prior to joining the Thunderbirds, he served as an F-16 evaluator pilot, Holloman Air Force Base, N.M. At 24 years old, I had achieved a goal I had worked toward for over five years. At another we hit 9 g'sthats close to the highest g-force these planes can take. Curran entered the Air Force in 2009 with a Reserve Officer Training Corps commission from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. She completed the Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training in Columbus, Miss., and was assigned to the F-16 at Misawa Air Base, Japan. Windmiller, Long Islands I'm sure most in your class were feeling the same way. USAF Maj. Michelle "Mace" Curran, Thunderbird #5, to Leave Team Meanwhile, the part of this job that I really love is inspiring others. I made a commitment to start saying ''yes" to those from then on. #SCI is proud to announce Michelle "Mace" Curran will speak at our upcoming convention in Nashville. Drawing from her 13 years as a Fighter Pilot, Curran delivers actionable content and wit to leave audiences both informed and entertained. n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; My question to you is: how do you become your own catalyst for change? Curran additionally supplied distinctive and candid transparency about her profession and private life, successfully leveraging social media to convey airshow followers and aviation fans contained in the world of a fighter pilot. Windmiller has While I don't doubt she's right, a third-party fact checker is preferable.-Esprit15d . With a powerful story and breathtaking visuals, Michelle, also known as Mace, takes her audience on a surprising and compelling journey through her career as a Fighter Pilot, culminating in her role as the Lead Solo Pilot for the Air Force Thunderbirds. Just in case. Like Curran, he says it is the team of 130 that make the Thunderbirds possible. / CBS News, This story originally aired on November 13, 2019, on the "CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell.". Most of us work out five days a week, Curran tells me. No matter how confident and independent we appear to be, we all face pressure to fit in, be liked, and meet the expectations of others. Col. John Caldwell is the Commander/Leader of the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron. "I'm a left-wing solo. 7 jet. The Air Forces official air demonstration team, designated the 3600th Air Demonstration Unit, was activated at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona in 1953. (Ive always liked roller-coasters, Im a thrill-seeker, and I wanted to travel, she explains.) To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients, USAF Maj. Michelle Mace Curran, Thunderbird #5, to Leave Team, U.S. Air Force Flight Demonstration Team, the Thunderbirds, Oenophiles to Savor Over 200 Top-Rated Wines at Wine Spectators Grand Tour 2023, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger Bought More Stock. Prior to joining the Thunderbirds, he served as an F-15E Instructor Pilot and Flight Commander of the 334th Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. About halfway through her time in ROTC, she was inspired to get her pilot's wingsbecause she wanted to be part of something with a bigger purpose, she said in the website interview, and also because she's a thrill seeker who likes challenges. Trust and teamwork are obviously essential to the Thunderbirds and any successful team. I make a mental note to not take this for granted anymore. In addition to the recommended hydration, pilots must stay in shape. I spend time right after I post engaging in the comments so comment early and I'll answer your questions. The Super Bowl was the first time Curran's parents had seen their daughter performing with the Thunderbirds. Together, Template:Did you know nominations/Michelle Curran - Wikipedia The move to my next base acted as a catalyst for change. I'm the first female to fly in that position, which is, I think, one of the hardest positions to fly," Curran said. field including Bi-Planes, Champs, and Cubs. A native of Orlando, Florida, he reflects that he first saw the Thunderbirds when he was just four or five years old, and was so awed, he wanted to fly. including 8,000 doing aerobatics. Please enter valid email address to continue. The schedule is grueling. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Did_you_know_nominations/Michelle_Curran&oldid=991790654, The first two are great. Maj. Curran flew as Thunderbird #6, opposing solo, earlier than her development to Thunderbird #5, lead solo within the 2020/21 airshow season. Medford woman chosen for Thunderbirds aerobatic team that performed at Hornet, traveling at 700 mph, nearly breaking the sound "But if they go out and they, you know, chase a dream that they didn't think they could do because they saw what we can do, then our mission's achieved," she said. Maj. Curran is widely known as a member of the U.S. Air Force Flight Demonstration Team, the Thunderbirds. Curran also provided unique and candid transparency about her career and personal life, effectively leveraging social media to bring airshow fans and aviation enthusiasts inside the world of a fighter pilot. Their one free day a week is Wednesday, so Curranwho recently married her husband, a U.S. Marine Corps veteransays she keeps her time off simple: Laundry. No, she did not. Im not sure if this is reassuring or not. She spends so much time flying upside down, that the number 5 on the aircraft is painted upside . The $10 event passes to the show can be returned in exchange for two free passes to visit any state park. "I just want to see the (Thunderbird) planes. This shift in airshow schedules meant that Maj. Currans social media contributions became even more important for maintaining the relevance of the Thunderbirds for public audiences.