The Life of a Thunderbird Pilot: Caroline Blaze Jensen Shares Her Story

Pilot to Pilot - Aviation Podcast

Justin Siems

Leisure, Hobbies, Business, Aviation, Careers

4.9 • 938 Ratings

🗓️ 17 January 2025

⏱️ 86 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Caroline Blaze Jensen, a former Thunderbird pilot and accomplished fighter pilot, shares her incredible journey through aviation, including her experiences flying combat missions and performing in air shows. She emphasizes the importance of determination and resilience, highlighting that success often comes from overcoming failures and learning from them. Caroline discusses the unique pressures of being a military pilot, transitioning from combat to the Thunderbirds, and the significance of teamwork in high-stakes environments. She also reflects on her role as a mentor and inspiration for the next generation of pilots, especially women in aviation. With insights into her personal experiences and future aspirations, Caroline illustrates the profound impact of pursuing one’s dreams while navigating the challenges of a demanding career.

Takeaways:

Caroline Blaze Jensen shares her journey from childhood fascination with flying to becoming a Thunderbird pilot, emphasizing the importance of perseverance.
The transition from military flying to performing in air shows involves a shift in focus from combat to entertainment while maintaining high performance standards.
Despite facing challenges and doubts, Caroline's determination and hard work led her to achieve her dream of flying fighter jets.
The camaraderie and teamwork within military aviation are vital for success, showcasing the importance of relationships in high-stakes environments.
Caroline highlights the significance of representation in aviation, inspiring future generations to pursue their dreams regardless of gender.
Her experiences flying in combat and performing as a Thunderbird illustrate the diverse roles pilots play in both service and public outreach.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Episode 327 of the Pilot Pilot Podcast takes off now.
0:09.9	Fly with Garmin avionics, then grab your mobile device and make the Garmin Pilot app your cockpit companion.
0:16.2	Get advanced functions you'll use before, during, and after every flight, including updating your aircraft's
0:22.0	databases and logging engine data, plan, file, fly, log with Garmin Pilot.
0:28.3	The Pilot to Pilot podcast is brought to you by Ground School from the FinerPoints, the
0:32.3	indispensable training app for new and experienced pilots. Visit learn thefinerpoints.com
0:37.4	backslash Justin to save 10% off your first year and experienced pilots. Visit learn the finer points.com backslash
0:38.0	Justin to save 10% off your first year. All pilots like to have the big weather picture
0:43.0	when they're flying and that's why I use Sirius XM Aviation. I'm able to check things like
0:47.3	fronts, airmets, sigmits, turbulence, pyreps and more while I'm pre-flighting and while I'm in
0:52.0	route. This gives me and my passengers the most comfortable flying experience.
0:56.1	I'm Caroline Blaise Jensen.
0:57.9	I'm a retired United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel.
1:00.6	I flew the F-16 and T-38 over 3,500 hours in Iraq and with the Thunderbirds.
1:06.8	And I'm currently a speaker, author, and looking to get back into the aviation community.
1:11.7	Aviation, what is going on and welcome back to the Pilot Podcast?
1:15.1	My name is Justin Seams and I am your host.
1:17.6	Today's episode is with a former Thunderbird pilot and it's always fun to talk to these pilots.
1:22.3	I feel like they're just built different and the things they do are so cool.
1:25.9	We have Caroline Blaze Jensen coming on and her story is
1:29.7	just awesome. Shout out to Pivot. They are the ones that kind of introduced me to her and got this to
1:34.6	happen. So if you don't rock Pivot, you should go do it. I mean, I don't have one. Maybe I should buy
	...

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