Jeff Wood Inducted into Indiana Aviation Hall of Fame for F-16 and Thunderbirds Career
Jeff Wood, an F-16 pilot for 20 years and former Advance Pilot and Narrator for the Air Force Thunderbirds Demonstration Squadron, has been inducted into the Indiana Aviation Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026. Born in Indianapolis, Wood's aviation career was influenced by his family's involvement in flying and warbirds, including a P-51. He initially pursued flying F-4 Phantoms with the Air National Guard at Fort Wayne but was assigned to train in the F-16 Fighting Falcon, which he flew throughout his Air Force career. His military assignments included a year in South Korea, Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, and Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, where he flew with the Aggressor F-16 squadron and conducted Operation Southern Watch missions over Iraq. After a year with the Thunderbirds, he returned to the Indiana Air National Guard F-16 'Blacksnakes' squadron to complete his 20-year military service.
