A Day With Major Michelle Curran, the Only Female Thunderbird Pilot in Michelles income mostly comes from and basic source is being a successful American United States Air Force major. Theres still a long way to go before the Air Force hits total parity, but Curran doesnt see herself as an outlier. Flying an F-16 also requires an incredibly high degree of athleticism. [1] She studied criminal justice at the University of St. Thomas and competed in a number of sports there. Major Michelle Curran, the wife of South Adams graduate John Flueckiger, son of Russ and Susan (Bixler) Flueckiger of Geneva, will be performing as a pilot with the Thunderbirds on July 10 and 11 during an air show at the Dayton International. Most of us work out five days a week, Curran tells me. . The thing that floors me is that some people still dont realize its an option, she says. Noted. Hang out with my husband as much as I can. When she graduated in 2009, she was one of just two candidates in her class of 25 selected to flyfighter jets. A former F-16 Viper instructor pilot, her skills behind the stick helped her handle the jet in an emergency situation and land safely. It's a very unforgiving job if you make mistakes. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?
fbq('init', '461723204026319'); Just to add another layer of complexity, the boss will call out coordinated smoke releases andthe lead solo pilot will occasionally break off to perform his own maneuvers. 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. more, We followed four Wisconsin dairy farms for a year as they struggled with an industry-wide crisis, one didn't make it, Wisconsin lawmaker proposes resolution honoring white people, among others, during Black History Month. During a conversation at the Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan for the Thunder Over Michigan Airshow in 2021, Curran told TheAviationist.com that, These are long days sometimes, but this is the best job in the world. Major Michelle Curran has gone through the start-up sequence of the F-16 Fighting Falcon thousands of times. "Its definitely changing., Currans not sure yet what shell do when her time with the squadron is over, but common next careers for Thunderbirds include flying F-16s in active duty, taking on a leadership role, or making the shift into commercial airlines. Wife of Geneva native to perform in Dayton Air Show