"We don't have time for pants"

A few months ago I wrote a blog called "Fame or Something Like it." I was doing an Air Force Reserve tour at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., and in working up publicity for our Joint Service Open House (air show), I needed to find a celebrity of some sort to fly with the USAF Thunderbirds. This was harder than you'd think.

After contacting Sully of the Hudson Miracle Landing and finding he wasn't available, I got in touch with his First Officer Jeff Skiles. He agreed to come to Andrews to fly during our airshow, but when the Thunderbirds suggested that he could do it in his hometown of Milwaukee, he jumped ship. (get it? a pilot who landed a disabled jet 'jumping ship'?)

And as my blog said, I cast the line for an ever bigger fish, got a bite... and someone else got to reel him in. The reveal is much overdue, but the person was none other than Stephen Colbert! He ended up doing the flight in New York and they showed it during his Operation Iraqi Stephen USO tour.

So, here for your viewing pleasure are the clips of his flight.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Operation Iraqi Stephen - Fallback Position - Air Force Thunderbirds
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Meryl Streep

And we got even more airtime in his re-report: (warning- there's some Stephen Colbert on Tom Hanks kissing in this clip-NOT a part of his Thunderbird flight!)

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Re-Report - Lost Treasures of Babylon
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Meryl Streep

Oh, who did we end up flying with us at the Andrews show? WTOP radio's national security correspondent, JJ Green. He did a 9-part series on his flight. Excellent coverage.

We also participated in the Hero Flight Program, which honors a local hero and shows the public the every-day heroism of the U.S. Air Force. Our flyer was a Fairfax County Police Officer, Brian Bowers, who helped evacuate an apartment complex set ablaze by a suicidal man. Unfortunately, the local press didn't run the story of his heroism or flight. Maybe I'll post it here as one of my blogs. They were both great to work with and the Thunderbirds were an impressive crew.

I'm so glad they got the coverage they deserve on The Colbert Report, even if Andrews AFB wasn't mentioned. It all comes down to creative ways to tell our story to the American public and beyond. Someday, maybe I'll be famous enough to get my own Thunderbird flight. Come on, people! Follow my blog! Only a couple million more to go before I make it big! :-)

Fame or Something Like it

I'll resume my Wife Life series in a bit, but wanted to jot a little something about my brush with fame that I alluded to in my Facebook status.

I'm currently doing a reserve tour at Andrews AFB in the Public Affairs shop and am helping to work on the big air show we do called the Joint Service Open House. This year the Thunderbirds are the main performers and they let each show nominate people for 'media flights.'

We look for people who have pretty substantial local or national acclaim and a platform, willingness and ability to help tell our story once they've flown in the F-16.

We get to nominate four people and they can pick 0-2 of them. We started out looking for heros, and who is a bigger hero than Capt "Sully" Sullenberger of the Hudson Miracle landing? His company's website has a phone number, that number has a voicemail leading to his publicist, whom I contacted Monday. He wanted to get Sully on board, so we were all excited.

Then Tuesday he informs us that Sully really really wanted to do the flight but had a prior commitment that weekend, so was unable to. We're still trying to get in touch with the First Officer.

The next guy we dreamed up, I won't name yet, but he is one of my favorite TV personalities. Yesterday, I got the number for his producer, called and 'bout peed my pants when he called me back. He LOVED the idea and said he would pitch it. Later that day, pitch made, TV hero says...
"YES!"
but....
he can't do it those dates either!

After burning up phone lines to Thunderbirds and TV producer to try to find wiggle room in schedules, it is decided that T-birds will fly him at an airshow at a location closer to where they tape.

Much sadness and kicking walls ensued.

I'm getting ready to change the dates of the air show. It is a bad weekend for people I like to fly with the Thunderbirds.

I do have some ideas I've pitched to still get the guy to come and just hang out with the troops, so we'll see...

Anyone with celebrity connections is welcome to send them my way. Our nominations are due tomorrow!!