Nicole Margaret Ellingwood Malachowski (born September 26, 1974) is a retired United States Air Force officer and the first The commander of the 20th Fighter Wing relieved Capt. February 12, 2019 | 6:57pm | Updated February 13, 2019 | 8:12am. Kotnik’s first Viper shows were scheduled for March 30 and 31 at the Naval Air Station Key West. Blunder Road: Springsteen busted for DWI after a shot of tequila with fans, Teen TikTok star committed suicide, parents say, Man accused of raping LI woman, returning to her home in clown makeup, Lamar Odom calls ex Sabrina Parr a ‘decrepit reptilian’ woman, KJ Apa strips down in the snow and more star snaps, Paulina Porizkova: I had no money for groceries after Ric Ocasek died, “Cancel Disney Plus” Trends After Gina Carano Firing, © 2021 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Joint Base Andrews intruder entered jet, officials say, Psaki forced to clarify that Space Force has Biden’s ‘full support’, California man threatened NYC congressman, journalist: feds, Man accused of killing wife with fireplace poker in jealous rage, 23 thoughtful last-minute Valentine's Day gift ideas for him and her, The Apple Watch Series 6 Is Now 15% Off — Here's Why You Need It, Best Presidents Day sales 2021: 28 huge deals from top brands, TikTok discovers viral makeup hack: L'Oreal Paris' powder foundation, Outerknown Semi-Annual Sale takes up to 60 percent off select items, Boys donate five years of hair to charity. Zoe Kotnik due to … Pictured, Capt. Maj. Even as I speak, another female pilot from the 20th Fighter Wing is flying combat missions in the Middle East. It was exciting to have the first female demo team pilot here at Shaw, but I’m also just as excited about the many other females that are serving with great distinction across our Air Force. Collins will replace Maj. Nick Krajicek who returned to the team in April in the wake of Major Stephen Del Bagno’s tragic F-16 crash. According to Fox News, Kotnik is being removed from her leadership position due to a “loss of confidence.” Zoe Kotnik … Although women began training with the squadron … Zoe Kotnik, the Air Force’s First Female Single-ship Tactical Demonstration Pilot, Relieved for “Loss of Confidence”. When Lt Col Malachowski applied to join the Air Force Thunderbirds, little did she know that there had never been a female Thunderbird pilot before. The Air Force Academy grad turned F-16 pilot was very active on Instagram, regularly communicating with her tens of thousands of followers, but it appears that she shut down her personal account. A Day With Major Michelle Curran, the Only Female Thunderbird Pilot in the U.S. Air Force Only five women have flown in the Air Force's elite squadron. “I think, no matter what your gender is, just to be selected to be on this team is an honor,” she told Fox 13 News. Before being chosen as a Thunderbird, she served as an F-16 instructor pilot in Fort Worth, Texas. 80,817, This story has been shared 53,211 times. Kotnik graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2011 and has accumulated more than 1,000 hours in aircraft during her time in service. We will update this post as more information comes available. With the 2018 season having just kicked off at NAF El Centro this weekend, this crazy video is a refresher on the amazing flying the team pulls off. Higgins was the first (and so far, only) female pilot for the second oldest aerobatic team in the world. Kotnik make mistakes, I want them to have the opportunity to learn from them without being under public scrutiny, and to continue to be a part of this great service. Capt. The USAF Air Demonstration Squadron (“Thunderbirds“) is the air demonstration squadron of the United States Air Force (USAF). The Pilots. An inspirational video of the first female US Air Force Thunderbird aerobatic pilot. RoKAFs first female KF-16 pilot (2007-11-23) First Danish female F-16 pilot takes the sky (2006-07-05) Thunderbirds select 2nd female pilot for the 2007 season (2006-06-06) First Danish female fighter pilot continues training (2005-09-27) 1st Female F-16 Pilot Graduates IAF Course (1998-12-28) F-16 Fighting Falcon news archive; Forum discussion: Do Not Sell My Personal Information. They perform for audiences across the country. Kotnik, but she’s surrounded by wingmen that will help her every step of the way. She claimed that amazing women like the WAVES of WWII, LtCol Sarah Deal Burrow (first USMC Pilot), and the countless other women in support roles on the Blue Angels team helped carve a path for her. But Curran thinks the tide is changing. Kotnik took the reins of the F-16 Viper Demonstration Team in parallel to a potent media blitz on behalf of the Air Force. Alannah Staver, a spokesperson for the unit. This will be a difficult time for Capt. Col. Derek O’MalleyCommander, 20th Fighter Wing. During that time, Major Cook refused to take all the credit for breaking barriers. USAF Wing Boss Is Crowdsourcing New Paint Scheme For Aggressor F-16. Sacked Thunderbirds Boss Took Formation Supersonic, Placed Hands Around Neck Of Pilot. Current Thunderbird lead solo pilot in the number 5 jet, Maj. Whit Collins, will transition over to Thunderbird 4 as the new slot pilot. Zoe Kotnik, who, with much fanfare, was announced Jan. 29 as the first female pilot to head the F-16 Viper demonstration team, was relieved of command Monday.