'It was loud!' Air Force Thunderbirds dazzle on final day of Milwaukee Air & Water Show





MILWAUKEE -- Before the Milwaukee Air & Water Show wrapped up on Sunday, July 28, thousands of spectators spent the afternoon with their eyes and ears toward the sky.

With F-16s reaching speeds of up to 600 miles per hour, FOX6's cameras caught some people having a physical reaction to the flyovers.

"It was loud. It was scary too!" said Demillion Moore, age 9.

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds soared through the city with moves so fast, every flyover was felt.

"We are not able to see from where it comes and where it goes. We are just like, (looks up)," said Shweta Tomar, who watched the show with her 4-year-old son.

"It like, made my body and veins tingle a little bit," said Jakell Clemmins, age 12.



Major Jason Markzon



Far from the crowds, Major Jason Markzon provided narration for every roll.

"There's tons of tall buildings and towers around here," said Markzon. "It's very challenging when you are flying from between 2 and 400 feet above the ground."

The "wow" moments came when it appeared the Thunderbirds were flying too close for comfort.

"It looks really close on the ground, but probably 6 or 8 feet, maybe?" said David Holt, visiting from Chicago.

"We get anywhere from 3 feet to 18 inches," said Markzon. "It's pretty close."

Markzon said it's all done without the help of computers.

"Every single person that is in the jet is manually flying it," said Markzon.



After thousands of hours in the cockpit, the real thrill for the Thunderbirds comes when their feet are on the ground, helping inspire the next generation of pilots.

"It's the best feeling in the world," said Markzon. "That's my favorite part about being on this team. It's just being able to talk to the kids."

The air show season for the Thunderbirds starts in February and runs through November. After leaving Milwaukee, they were next set to perform in British Columbia.