If the key to flying F-16s is extensive training and rock-hard leg musclesboth things women have access towhy arent there more female Thunderbirds? In the works are online coaching programs for personal development, and in person corporate leadership coaching. It's a very unforgiving job if you make mistakes. I didnt realize I was nervous about the day ahead, though, until I was halfway to the 177th Fighter Wing of the Atlantic City Air National Guard Base. Her skill is all the more apparent since she is flying Together, Recently, MACE was called back to St. Thomas to receive their Distinguished Alumna of the Year award. that each were afraid of flying initially, he because his father was an miles mph, at bone-crushing G-forces, with Panzer magnificently following the The thing that makes it great are the people I serve with- everyone, the team I work alongside every day. 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. Theres 12 officers on a teamif you look at the officers alone as a sample, our team next year will have four women, Curran says. I kicked off my newsletter series with a heavy hitter right out the gate. Drawing the audience in with action-packed stories tied to lessons of grit, perseverance, determination, and teamwork, she shares hard-won lessons on how to reframe challenges, shift your mindset to shift your trajectory, realize the power to success that lies within you, and turn the voice of self-doubt into your biggest cheerleader on the path to success. Her evolution from struggling with a crippling fear of failure to flying inverted only inches from other aircraft at 500 mph will inspire audiences to get comfortable being uncomfortable. the US Army Parachute Team, theGolden Knights, delivering the #flyaf Bull Air Force sky diving team had Amy Chmelecki. 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. Since transitioning out of the military, she has founded her company, Upside Down Dreams, and is committed to empowering men and women of all ages to overcome obstacles and the fear of failure. Curran defined what it is to be a modern Air Force officer for many outsiders, providing a valuable insight into the Air Force experience and showcasing the opportunities of an Air Force career. South China Seas, Pacific, Persian Gulf and wherever the US has forces.The air He is in his third season with the team and hails from Orlando, Fla. Maj. Ian Lee is the Left Wing Pilot for the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, flying the No. See more, including their schedule of performances, at the US Air Force Thunderbirds site, afthunderbirds.com. Once she visited a base and heard the roar of the jets, though, she knew she wanted to pursue the pilot route. It really means a lot. During her three years of task with the Thunderbirds, she rapidly established herself as a extremely seen and constructive influencer for the Air Force by revolutionary use of social media. His army expertise consists of being Honor Graduate from the U.S. Army Infantry School at Ft. Benning, Georgia (Cycle C-6-1) and as a Scout Observer in a reconnaissance unit, Company F, 425th INF (RANGER/AIRBORNE), Long Range Surveillance Unit (LRSU). Major Michelle Curran, call sign "Mace," is the only female fighter pilot on the Thunderbirds, the Air Force's demonstration team. Curran has been in the Air Force for 11 years, but flying wasnt always her goal. 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 . Have a question? ", Curran said the shows are meant to inspire people that will "never join the military.". #SCI is proud to announce Michelle "Mace" Curran will speak at our upcoming convention in Nashville. Curran holds a Bachelor of Arts diploma in Criminal Justice from the University of St. Thomas and is a 2010 graduate of the Air and Space Basic Course, Squadron Officer College. In conversations around the U.S. during three air show seasons, Curran told, 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. speeds of up to 220 mph that keep his peers and his fans in awe. Its especially important to have strong leg, calf, and thigh musclestheyre what you squeeze while going into a maneuver with a high amount of g-forces in order to keep the blood in your head from pooling into your lower extremities. MACE currently lives in Las Vegas with her family. I'm the first female to fly in that. These pilot nicknames can quickly identify an aircraft or individual, and they also help to confuse. Col. John Caldwell is the Commander/Leader of the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron. MACE is a 2009 received her degree from the University of St. Thomas where she graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Criminal Justice. She spends so much time flying upside down, that the number 5 on the aircraft is painted upside . In the Facebook put up saying her profession transition, Michelle Curran wrote: Ill be continuing to serve in a part time capacity and pursing some goals in the business world. And not to brag, but I dont throw up or pass out. She flew 160 combat hours in Afghanistan before joining the team. This is Currans third season with the Thunderbirds. 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. Im in my happy place. There is a charge of adrenalin, but once I take off, it is just focus. She is a true inspiration to all of those attempting to overcome hardships. This shift in airshow schedules meant that Maj. Currans social media contributions grew to become much more vital for sustaining the relevance of the Thunderbirds for public audiences.Curran has labored with the Thunderbird group media personnel to convey scintillating in-cockpit viewpoint video of the lead solos dynamic routine throughout the Thunderbird demonstration, together with thrilling video of opposing maneuvers with Thunderbird #6 and her signature vertical rolls throughout the groups high show. Source: USAF Maj. Michelle Mace Curran, Thunderbird #5, to Leave Team, USAF Maj. Michelle Mace Curran, Thunderbird #5, to Leave Team - Click To Share. The helicopter is the only I know what I need to do. 2. "She climbed a tree taller than our house when she was 2," said her father, Bill Curran. My favorite moment was when this little girlshe was probably six or sevencame up to the autograph line after a show and said, Im going to take your job. I was like, 'Yes! Thank you for the inspiring honest humility of being new at accomplishing a very big dream, and putting a name to what some very real struggles are, in order to succeed and overcome. confusion, missing each other by mere feet; opposing craft which come at each 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. It was something that had popped into my mind from time to time, but I had never set it as a goal because I didn't think I was good enough. They have also lived in West Blocton, AL and Holden, MA. My time in that role was coming to an end after the 2021 season regardless of what I was going on to do next. . They barrel out of their plane from an altitude of Curran holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from the University of St. Thomas and is a 2010 graduate of the Air and Space Basic Course, Squadron Officer College. run where they evade the enemy by actually flying into each other to create Just two years earlier, women were granted the honor of flying fighter jets by the U.S. Air Force (USAF). 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. She was applying to scholarship programs when her father suggested looking into the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC). Game on. She just has one requirement for her life, post-Thunderbirds: I want to keep flying.. He performs snap rolls, inverted flat spin ), First Woman Thunderbird Pilot, Combat Veteran, & Fighter Squadron Commander, Army Ranger School Graduate, Leadership and Peak Performance Expert, Curran has been featured on several leading media publications and programs, including. This pressure often leads to us becoming our own harshest critic and standing in the way of our own success. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Did_you_know_nominations/Michelle_Curran&oldid=991790654, The first two are great. 15 lives, patrol some 96,000 miles of coastline through the US, as well as n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. flying for Embry Riddle, performs maneuvers in which he experiences as much as Curran outlined what its to be a contemporary Air Force officer for a lot of outsiders, offering a helpful perception into the Air Force expertise and showcasing the alternatives of an Air Force profession. Focus.. The third one is confirmed by her own admission. Hang out with my husband as much as I can. We had the opportunity to speak with Michelle recently as she prepares for the 2019 show season, and here's how it went: 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. 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. do. She flies place #5, lead solo, one of the vital seen positions on the group. Cady Drell is a writer based in New York City. You're in such a great position to inspire people. 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. barrier, where the pilot experiences bone-crushing Gs. (where the plane falls from the sky), 4 knife edge tumblers, inside-outside In a Facebook put up from Wednesday afternoon, October 27, 2021, USAF Maj. Michelle Curran, name signal Mace, introduced she is, about to make a big career pivot and will be leaving the Active Duty Air Force in the new year. For one, Id been told most people who go up in a F-16 for the first time throw up or pass out (for reasons Ill explain later). Facebook; These are not breathable, she adds, tugging at her flight jumpsuit. Michelle is one of few women in aviation history to fly with the elite fighter pilot squadron, the Thunderbirds, and is known by her call sign "Mace". Meanwhile, the part of this job that I really love is inspiring others. 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. Looking for the right speaker for your audience? Against the odds, I had done it. The fighter is flown by the United States Navy and Marines. "I'm a left-wing solo. "There was still definitely a surreal moment, while holding short of the runway, where I was in a bit of disbelief that I had actually been selected and was about to take off for my first flight.". n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; He entered the Air Force in 2002 as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. Caldwell graduated from the F-16 Replacement Training Unit at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., in 2005. man would weigh 800 lbs. From flying an F-16 to her passion for extreme sports, Curran is a thrill seeker. In conversations across the U.S. throughout three air present seasons, Curran advised The Aviationist about her function on the group and its alternative to, showcase the Air Force experience and let people know what is possible. Blogging at goingplacesnearandfar.wordpress.com and moralcompasstravel.info. 6 jet. On Sunday, Curran didn't fly reallyhigh, but she flewin close formation at 400 mph with five other Thunderbirds, the prestigious Air Force flight demonstration team, at the Super Bowl in Atlanta. She went for it, even competing for a highly coveted pilot spot while still in college. 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. Pilots train from March to November, often away from the teams home base in Las Vegas. I'm the first female to fly in that position, which is, I think, one of the hardest positions to fly," Curran said. (Being in a spinning cockpit thousands of miles from the ground will do that to you.) The perfect example of how to succeed with grace and a role model for anyone with a goal in mind. And I am not alone. I live in a fifth-floor walkup, I offered. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? The amount I needed to learn was so overwhelming that I avoided it by procrastinating. Stay connected. Flying under the callsign MACE, she was the second woman ever to fly in the lead solo position for the Thunderbirds since the teams founding in 1953. David ", First published on November 13, 2019 / 6:55 PM. Before that, the WAFWomen in the Air Forceformed in 1948, but WAFs werent permitted to fly and instead performed ground duties. And she does it upside down (almost the equivalent of Ginger Rogers doing it backwards and in heels?).