'He Even Let Me Do A Barrel Roll': Ocean County Teacher Flies High With Thunderbirds

JOINT BASE McGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NJ — Ellie Hyland settled into the cockpit of Thunderbird No. 8 Friday morning, ready to get a taste of flying at high speed with the elite U.S. Air Force squad.

"I didn't do any research ahead of time," said Hyland, 25, a teacher at Manchester Township's Regional Day School, who was selected by the Thunderbirds as a Hometown Hero and invited to fly with the team.

"I really wanted to live in the moment and experience it wholeheartedly," Hyland said. When the jet took off, "it was like I was in a whole other world. It was super comfortable."

It was more than she could have imagined, too.

"He let me fly the plane," Hyland said of Air Force Maj. Brandon "Crime" Maxson, advance pilot and narrator on the Thunderbirds squad, whose jet she was on. "He even let me do a barrel roll."

Hyland, who lives in Brick, learned last week she had been selected by the Thunderbirds for the VIP experience, from among hundreds of applications from the tri-state area. The Air Force unit is in town for the Power in the Pines Open House and Air Show this weekend at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. Read more: Ocean County Teacher Set To Soar With U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds At Power In The Pines

Hyland, the Regional Day School Teacher of the Year, said the process started in March. She had to submit two essays and pass a physical to certify she was fit to fly in the F-16 Fighting Falcon, which can reach speeds up to 1,500 mph — Mach 2 — according to the Air Force.

"With a full load of internal fuel, the F-16 can withstand up to 9Gs — nine times the force of gravity," the Air Force fact sheet on the jet says. That is just shy of 200 mph.

That's the speed Hyland experienced Friday morning.

"We were coasting," she said. She said she felt "woozy" briefly but that feeling passed, giving way to sheer enjoyment.

"He let me fly for quite a while," Hyland said. "It's super cool because it's super sensitive. You just touch the controls and it moves."

Dina Silvestri, the public information officer for the Manchester Township Schools, said they were told Hyland was one of the first VIP fly-alongs in a while who did not end up getting sick from the experience.

"I honestly had such a great time," she said. "All the Thunderbirds made me feel totally welcome."

Hyland, whose name was printed on the No. 8 jet, wasn't alone in taking in the experience; her parents, grandparents and sister and brother-in-law, who work at the base, were on hand to witness it, along with Manchester Township Superintendent Diane Pedroza and Lisa Michallis, the Regional Day School principal.

"It was such a blessing that Ellie was chosen," said Silvestri, noting the close relationship the Manchester Schools have with the Joint Base. Students of some military personnel attend the district's schools, and there is a joint partnership and support for a large and active JROTC program.

Earlier this year, the Joint Base "adopted" Manchester Township Elementary School as part of the U.S. Navy's "Adopt A School" program, and soldiers serve as "Reading Buddies" at the school. Read more: Manchester School 'Adopted' By Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst

"Ms. Hyland’s selection is more than symbolic — it’s a reflection of the incredible partnerships between our military and local school communities," said Rochelle Naus, deputy chief of public affairs for the Joint Base. "Through her work with students with special needs, and her deep personal ties to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, Ms. Hyland exemplifies what it means to lift others up — on the ground and now, in the air."

After the flight, the Thunderbirds hailed Hyland on their social media, welcoming her as the newest member of their 9G Club: