CAPT. Matt Modleski, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds lead solo pilot, stands in front of an F-16 Fighting Falcon inside the aerial demonstration squadron's hangar at Nellis AFB. Modleski initially enlisted in the Air Force as a jet engine mechanic, retrained into air traffic control and got his commission after earning a bachelor's degree at night. Exact Date Shot Unknown . Published in AIRMAN Magazine August 1997