Product Details

• Directors: studio
• Format: Color, Full length, Full Screen, NTSC
• Number of tapes: 1
• VHS Release Date: June 12, 1994
• Run Time: 60 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: 1585850055
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #514,864 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

From the Producer

"Telling this story accurately and sensibly was obviously a staggering task for the producers-a job well done". "an absorbing and chilling video-I look at it a lot and see more each time. Great aviation thrills."

Product Description

This documentary is about the United States Air Force Thunderbirds, who have been flying since 1953 and have thrilled millions of people around the world with there awesome skills and abilities. The Thunderbirds, often called America's Ambassadors in Blue, demonstrate the skills needed to fly high performance aircraft with unbelievable precision.

This documentary starts with the F-84 as their first aircraft and then on to the F-100 super Sabre in 1956. Then came the Republic Aviation F-105 Thunderchief in 1964 that lasted for only six proud performances and a quick return back to the F-100. Then in 1969 came the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, an airplane as big as the famous World War II bomber, the B-17. Next came the Northrop T-38 Talon in 1974 that flew with the team until it was replaced by the F-16 Fighting Falcon in 1983. Today the Thunderbirds still fly an upgraded F-16, and are still thrilling crowds all over the world.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This production is a complete misrepresentation., August 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Thunderbirds-Then and Now [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This video proposes to be an accurate documentary of the USAF Thunderbirds. It is no such thing. This video consists of a brief shot of the F-84F Thunderbirds doing nothing in particular only to rapidly move to brief unfocused shots of the F-100, again doing nothing in particular and then on to a very short shot of the F-105 pulling out of a loop. That's it for the history. No F-84G's which ushered in the Thunderbirds. No, the narrator now reveals the purpose of these brief nothings when he welcomes you to McDonnell corp and begins plugging the F-4 Phantom to the tune of horrible blaring jazz music accompanied by a series of multiple window shots of F-4's doing nothing in particular. The narrator isn't discussing the Thunderbirds but why you should want an F-4! This goes on and on and on for about 1/2 the movie. Then we get a short burst on the T-37 mentioning that they crashed then on to an updated F-16 show at what appears to be Nellis. Here we get a few displays of the show but no narration to tell you what you are looking at. These few scenes are then replayed over and over again about 7 times to fill out the remainder of the film! This is inexcusable. Far better would have been a complete F-4 show or a modern F-16 show complete with USAF narration. Or for a true history it could have gone through each era detailing the evolution of the show. As is, all this comprises a large segment of old McDonnell marketing footage which no one should have to pay for with the remaining time taken up by a tape loop! The producer calls this a "chilling video". The video isn't chilling but the thought of getting 29.95 for it is. Avoid this at all cost.