Four months later, the Thunderbirds would lose Commander/Leader, Major Norm Lowry, Captain 'Willie' Mays, Captain 'Pete' Peterson (the pilot executing the pull up in the Missing Man sequence in the movie), and Captain Mark Melancon, when all four Diamond Formation aircraft crashed during practice at Indian Springs, Nevada, at what is now Creech Air Force Base. Four months later, Thunderbird Commander/Leader, Lt Col David 'DL' Smith, was killed when attempting to eject from his aircraft, shortly after takeoff from Lakefront Airport in Cleveland, Ohio, following their annual airshow. In May of 1981, Thunderbird 6, Captain Nick Hauck (flying the rear-most aircraft, closest to the viewer during the funeral sequence), was killed during an airshow at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.
Red flags are thrown up in sports to temporarily stop the game when an athlete breaks game rules. Filmed in 1981, the Thunderbirds would themselves deal with tragedy three times during an 8 month span, losing 3 members of the formation seen in the film, and 6 pilots in all. What are Red Flags A red flag is a flag that is red in color and typically used to warn of danger or command you to stop or retreat. During the funeral sequence, the USAF Air Demonstration Squadron 'Thunderbirds' perform the Missing Man Formation in honor of a fallen pilot.
