Arlington native Major Jeff “Simmer” Downie and his F-16C are making the trip back to the D.C. area next week to fly in a show he grew up watching.
Downie is the lead solo pilot with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. When the air demonstration squadron comes to Joint Base Andrews in Prince George’s County on Sept. 13 and 14, it’ll be a rare opportunity for Downie to fly near his hometown.
“Flying with the Thunderbirds doesn’t bring us back to this area frequently (typically, we are on an every other year rotation between us and the Blue Angels),” Downie told ARLnow in an email, “but the last time we were able to make it to Andrews was 2022 so this is an extremely exciting homecoming for me and will undoubtedly be my favorite showsite during my 3 year tenure on the Thunderbirds.”
Downie graduated from Yorktown High School in 2009 and his parents still live in his childhood home. Growing up in Arlington, the pilot said, had a significant impact on his decision to join the Air Force.
“Growing up we would always hear the faint rumble of the Arlington National Cemetery missing man formations and drop everything to run outside to catch just a glimpse of the incredible machines buzzing overhead,” Downie said. “How can a little kid look up, feel the thunder, and not wonder what it might be like to fly those things? I was hooked.”
From doing flyovers at Arlington National Cemetery, Downie has since learned that the extended centerline of those flights goes right over his childhood home.
At Yorktown, Downie said he was determined to get into the Air Force Academy and into a fighter jet, but was struggling with the application letter.
“My mom told me to get in the car, drove me to the Air Force Memorial, kicked me out to the curb and said ‘Call me when you’re done’ and drove off,” Downie said. “Little did I know I was drafting a letter underneath the memorial modeled after the Thunderbirds’ signature High Bomb Burst maneuver. A maneuver that I get to participate in during the demonstration as the lone jet that spirals up the center of the bomb burst.”
The F-16C has a max speed of Mach 2.05, which Downie said equates to roughly 1,500 miles per hour.
“The F-16C is also a 9-G capable aircraft, meaning we can pull 9 times the force of gravity,” Downie said. “At those levels, 200 pounds of flesh and flight gear feel more like 1,800 pounds. It is a substantial amount of pressure on the body and an extremely physical endeavor to pilot a fighter jet.”
Every show, Downie said, requires a lot of behind-the-scenes work to make sure everything goes right.
“Leading up to the show there is an extensive amount of coordination that goes on behind the scenes between the Team, the FAA, airboss, and airshow,” he said. “Showsite study is paramount and the demonstration pilots spend hours studying and memorizing lines, references, terrain, and obstacles.”
Downie said that includes working with ground crews, checking weather and more.
“Before every show we have an in-depth brief covering all aspects of ground show, taxi, takeoff, airspace, show timing, weather, contingencies, and emergencies,” he said. “Blind Trust is something that is earned and built over time through repetition. Aim for perfection, achieve excellence.”
