Les Thunderbirds: Élite de l'US Air Force
Original title: Air Force Elite: Thunderbirds
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
999
YOUR RATING
The inside look at the U.S. Air Force's Thunderbirds flight squadron.The inside look at the U.S. Air Force's Thunderbirds flight squadron.The inside look at the U.S. Air Force's Thunderbirds flight squadron.
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Featured reviews
At an air show the public just sees the product. The documentary does show what all the work there is in getting to the final product. Breaks down to a degree each performing pilot and tells a little of their background before becoming a team member. Shows to a lesser degree logistics, medical, maintainers, administrative personnel and their roles on the team. So a viewer does come away with a sense of the total team and how each is dependent on each other doing their job. It is good for the public to see all that and understand it as well. Shows the hard training required to get the routines down to perfection. Really enjoyed it and believe anyone would like this documentary. On another note...wasn't too keen that some personnel wearing short sleeve uniforms had exposed tattoos showing. That did not sit too well with this old USAF retired MSGT. Doubt that would bother anyone else who watches it, but that is the only thing keeping me from giving this a 10. Highly recommend viewing this.
I would expect this to appeal to the patriotic pro-military types who might attend an air show but I was surprised by the entertainment value as I don't consider myself the target audience. But maybe I am, as the boss of the Thunderbirds noted that their entire mission is to inspire people who see these performances to think about what America means to them as an idea. They certainly have dedicated themselves to their craft and of course succeed in igniting a desire to achieve great heights in America's youth, as many of the pilots relayed their own stories of how they were inspired as kids by watching their heroes and now find themselves talking to excited kids at the air shows afterwards. A good film that captures the extraordinary skill of this elite team.
I can't say enough about this documentary! I wouldn't say I know a lot about the Air Force, or what it takes, but this documentary did such a great job at giving you an all access insight into the unbelievable skill and determination it takes to be at this level. At so many points in the documentary I was terrified for the pilots, just beyond impressive. I loved the style and feel of how it was filmed it just felt like you knew the pilots and understood each of their stories. I hope to see more documentaries like this. Really enjoyable watch and one that I walked away from with a greater appreciation of these pilots and what they do.
The dedication and precision of their flights was absolutely mesmerizing. Thunderbirds Air Force Elite is a stunning display of raw skill, power, and human excellence that left me in awe. What truly sets it apart from traditional flight documentaries is its focus on character-driven storytelling. You don't just witness the jets in action, you get a genuine, emotional insight into the lives, mindset, and sacrifices of the incredible pilots behind them. I loved every minute of it.
I left feeling deeply moved, inspired to dream bigger, and more committed than ever to pursuing excellence in my own craft.
I left feeling deeply moved, inspired to dream bigger, and more committed than ever to pursuing excellence in my own craft.
I've seen other documentaries on the Thunderbirds, and this one just doesn't cut it for me. Not enough facts about the intricacies of flying in formation or the role of the ground crew, terribly background music, and too many sappy moments.
The flight recordings were great, and the computer simulations helped. Given the importance of the shows throughout demo-season, some light on the logistics of that would have been nice.
I wasn't expecting some Top Gun hyped-up movie, but while it was modestly entertaining and informative, I was hoping for more documentary-type content to learn how the Thunderbirds machine works.
The flight recordings were great, and the computer simulations helped. Given the importance of the shows throughout demo-season, some light on the logistics of that would have been nice.
I wasn't expecting some Top Gun hyped-up movie, but while it was modestly entertaining and informative, I was hoping for more documentary-type content to learn how the Thunderbirds machine works.
Did you know
- TriviaOver the 70 year history of the team, 21 Thunderbird pilots have been killed, with only three of them happening during live air shows.
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Thunderbirds: La élite de la Fuerza Aérea de EE. UU.
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 31 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 16:9 HD
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What is the French language plot outline for Les Thunderbirds: Élite de l'US Air Force (2025)?
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