LAS VEGAS, Feb. 6, 2008 -- With preparation for the beginning of the new NHRA season entering its final few hours, 2006 POWERade champion Jason Line parked his Summit Racing Equipment Pro Stock Pontiac at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and crossed the Boulevard to Nellis Air Force Base to take a Tuesday afternoon ride with the USAF Thunderbirds. Line, a former senior airman in the Air Force said, "it was the opportunity of a lifetime and an exhilarating experience I'll never forget." Early last week Line was invited to fly with the Thunderbirds, and he quickly jumped at the chance to spend a day with his pilot, Lt. Col. Rob Skelton, and Skelton's F-16 Fighting Falcon. On Tuesday at 1 pm, Line met with Maj. Charla Quayle, Thunderbirds' flight surgeon, for a pre-flight medical exam of his heart and lungs to ensure that he was physically able to handle the stress of a combat aircraft capable of flying at Mach 2 and maneuvering turns at 9 Gs. He then was briefed during an orientation with Skelton on what to expect during their one-hour flight, and at 3 pm, Line was airborne with the Thunderbirds. "That was the ride of my life," Line said. "That's something I've always wanted to do, and even when I was in the Air Force, I never had the opportunity to go up in a fighter jet. That was incredible." Founded in 1953 by the United States Air Force, the Thunderbirds have flown in over 4000 air shows and exhibitions all over the world, and in 2008, the Thunderbirds will be celebrating their ...
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