At another we hit 9 g'sthats close to the highest g-force these planes can take. 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. travels at 250 mph. Tweet @TravelFeatures. including 8,000 doing aerobatics. that each were afraid of flying initially, he because his father was an He majored in Communication Technology and Music and earned his commission in 2010 as a graduate of Ohio State Universitys Reserve Officers Training Corps program. Bill Curran said his daughter was encouraged to apply for the Thunderbirds by friends in the Air Force. She reminds me that not all Thunderbird team members or officers are pilots, and there are many women performing important ground duties. "I was definitely nervous and excited, but there was so much to learn that is specific to the Thunderbirds that those feelings were overshadowed by the focus needed to keep up with the jet," said Curran. 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. 5,000 ft. (they have a spare chute). Im in my happy place. Prior to the Thunderbirds, she was an F-16 Instructor Pilot and Flight Commander at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. Its like no other organization I have ever been a part of, said Curran, who has been in the Air Force for 12 years. Curran is in her third year on the air forces elite demonstration team usually, the special assignment only lasts two years, but because of COVID-19, the tour is extended and now is the lead solo pilot. At 24 years old, I had achieved a goal I had worked toward for over five years. MACE served as Chief of Scheduling, Chief of Standardization and Evaluation, and a Flight Commander at various squadrons. of aerobatics; Golden Knights parachutist Maj. Marissa Chierichella and the Red run where they evade the enemy by actually flying into each other to create Self-nominated at 04:00, 10 November 2020 (UTC). Source: USAF Maj. Michelle Mace Curran, Thunderbird #5, to Leave Team, USAF Maj. Michelle Mace Curran, Thunderbird #5, to Leave Team - Click To Share. Prior to joining the Thunderbirds, he served as an F-16 evaluator pilot, Holloman Air Force Base, N.M. I was so excited, I called everyone in my familyand none of them answered their phones, she deadpans. It's a blast. Curran and her family enjoy their home city of Las Vegas as a hub to adventure from. 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. I only wish I looked that good 'At Attention.' There was a good portion of my first assignment where I would have walked away if that were an option. Her call sign is Mace (which she uses in her social media, @mace_curran) and while she doesnt reveal the secret to what is behind the nickname, she says it is a tradition in a fighter squadron to get a call sign they are mission qualified. with Jessy Panzer, the only female civilian air show pilot in the USA. The unit adopted the name Thunderbirds, influenced in part by the strong Native American culture and folklore from the southwestern United States where Luke Air Force Base is located. Game on. aerobatic helicopter in the US. 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. document,'script','https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js');

parachute, and sailing down at 60 mph to the target. *This is a free press release. 22 series on Hulu. She flies position #5, lead solo, one of the most visible positions on the team. And I am not alone. Michelle "MACE" Curran Motivational Speaker, Thunderbird Pilot 19-21', AF Fighter Pilot, Aspiring Author, Outdoor Enthusiast I help teams get unstuck by empowering them Published Jun 3 . Just in case. I was told by others again and again how they could never do what I was doing and that I must be so brave. * This specific fee falls within this range. All rights reserved. Add to List. has historically had the most female recruits. 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. USAF Lt Colonel John Klatt experiences forces It makes a spiral in the sky, she tells me. We have music associated with all our maneuvers and for that one I got to pick the song. I knew it was something I wanted to do not that the dream would come true but there are steps and I could do the best I could., He didnt imagine then he would become one of the Thunderbirds, and even now, reflects being proficient is one thing, but it takes luck and timing to get the F-16.. 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. 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. My presence here wont end when I hand off the #5 and I have a lot more to share with you!. They act as the public face for the USAF, performing jaw-dropping maneuvers at air shows around the country. He Im hoping to continue to do that through this platform, public speaking, a childrens booklets just say I have a lot of goals and I hope youll continue to come along for the journey. 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. And she does it upside down (almost the equivalent of Ginger Rogers doing it backwards and in heels?). He says that among his favorite things are riding roller coasters (he was looking forward to getting a ride on the Cyclone at Coney Island). Curran, whose call sign is "Mace," flies Thunderbird No. I couldnt be more excited to meet her if she were Beyonce. Major Michelle Curran, call sign "Mace," is the only female fighter pilot on the Thunderbirds, the Air Force's demonstration team. (There have been girls who had really long ponytails get their hair stuck in the seat.) Instead, Im riding with Lieutenant Colonel Eric Gorney, a very kind and patient pilot who showed me, using a model plane, exactly what kind of maneuvers wed be doing once we got into the sky. annual Jones Beach air show Ive seen almost all of them and though many of And, keep others in the saddle who are struggling. traditionally kicks off with a ceremonial parachute drop by a representative of In this workshop, combat veteran Michelle Curran draws from her experiences as an F-16 fighter pilot and USAF lead solo pilot for the Air Force Thunderbirds to walk audiences through interactive exercises to help them identify characteristics of their own inner critic and the reality (or lack thereof) of what it says, as well as provide tools and resources for overcoming the war within. speeds of up to 220 mph that keep his peers and his fans in awe. 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. Checking in with Major Michelle Curran call sign "Mace" of the Air Tom Demerly is a feature writer, journalist, photographer and editorialist who has written articles that are published around the world on TheAviationist.com, TACAIRNET.com, Outside magazine, Business Insider, We Are The Mighty, The Dearborn Press & Guide, National Interest, Russias government media outlet Sputnik, and many other publications. Her last assignment was with the Air Forces elite demonstration squadron, The Thunderbirds. 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. 2. RELATED:Kenneth Sweet survived Pearl Harbor attack, helped found Wisconsin Air National Guard, RELATED:Fly along on an F-16 while we tell you what will take its place at Truax Field. Blogging at goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com and moralcompasstravel.info. Michelle "MACE" Curran - Founder - Upside Down Dreams | LinkedIn a cannon ball at almost 200 mph, crossing in flight, before releasing the The Saturday performance was cancelled due to weather, but the rehearsal footage is being livestreamed on WABC . He is in his third year on the Thunderbirds. A Day With Major Michelle Curran, the Only Female Thunderbird - Glamour I am a Venezuelan passionate about aviation, and at 44 years old I only see these from the screen, since I never dared to approach an Airplane because I am a woman. Applying to the team is intimidating and there is a good change of not getting hired, of failure. but I did get hired. All rights reserved. Curran fiercely resisted her assailant, police said. It hits me when I step out to the jets. My question to you is: how do you become your own catalyst for change? Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. solos race at each other at combined speed of 1000 mph. t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, 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 Air Force in the new year". It turned out there was a lot more to being a fighter pilot than just flying the jet. So that was cool.. The Super Bowl was the first public appearance for the current team, which is also performing a flyover at the Daytona 500 in two weeks before the show schedule kicks off next month. But in the 26 years weve had female fighter pilots in the Air Force, only five have made it to the Thunderbirds. Michelle Curran - Address & Phone Number | Whitepages 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. This pressure often leads to us becoming our own harshest critic and standing in the way of our own success. 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. cbsnews.com Female Thunderbird pilot inspiring others to chase their dreams octogan loop. It means she's front and center in one of. World War II vintage aircraft from the American Air Power Michelle "Mace" Curran Archives - The Aviationist Michelle Leann Curran (1984-2001) - Find a Grave Memorial 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. He has logged more than 1,300 flight hours, including more than 230 hours of combat experience over Iraq and Syria in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. Really, what we do is life and death sometimes," Curran said. Women weren't allowed to fly fighter jets in the Air Force for decades until Jeannie Marie Leavitt became the service's first female fighter pilot just 26 years ago. The airshow And not to brag, but I dont throw up or pass out. It's so important for others to hear your struggles. Michelle is a native of Medford, Wisconsin, and has been in the Air Force nearly 10 years. Windmiller has "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. Day weekend) were flown, including the B-25 Mitchell Bomber used in the Catch 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. #SCI is proud to announce Michelle "Mace" Curran will speak at our upcoming convention in Nashville. 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. In total, Curran logged 1,500 total flight hours with the Air Force, including 163 combat hours in Afghanistan as part of Operations Freedoms Sentinel and Resolute Support. The original plan was to livestream the rain date of Sunday, May 30, 2021. I realized I was meeting people all the time that struggled with the things that I did during my first assignment. Curran is the fifth woman to fly with the Thunderbirds, her callsign (or nickname) is "MACE". love this - an excellent and inspirational example of a path for those who are coming to the end of flying / military service and are young enough and open enough to start a new exciting life . Before that, the WAFWomen in the Air Forceformed in 1948, but WAFs werent permitted to fly and instead performed ground duties.

fbq('init', '461723204026319'); The Air Force turns 72 years old this month. I appreciate your transparency and realness! I'm sure most in your class were feeling the same way. He is in his second season with the team and hails from Fort Collins, Colo. 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 her three years of assignment with the Thunderbirds, she quickly established herself as a highly visible and positive influencer for the Air Force through innovative use of social media. This is Currans third season with theThunderbirds.