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Hometown Hero gets ride of lifetime in Thunderbird F-16

  • Published
  • By Capt. Heath Allen
  • 188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
FORT SMITH, Ark. --  Corporal Chris Boyd never thought he would get the chance to ride in an F-16D Falcon.

After all, nearly 17 years had passed since Cpl. Boyd flipped a coin and altered his life's course. Cpl. Boyd, an officer with the Fort Smith Police Department, said he had a choice to make and it was a tough one. So he let the coin decide.

"I have family who are police officers and family who are in the military," Cpl. Boyd said. "I couldn't decide which one I wanted to do so I flipped a coin."

So when Cpl. Boyd found out that the FSPD had nominated him for a ride with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Air Demonstration Squadron under the Hometown Hero program, he was astonished. He figured the flip of a coin had squandered his chance to fly.

"I know there are a lot of people I work with who would give anything for a chance to ride in an F-16," he said. "I don't take this for granted and I realize what a special opportunity this was."

Cpl. Boyd, a night patrol officer and member of the FSPD's SWAT team, received the ride of a lifetime because he helped give someone their life back. While off-duty and traveling home in his personal vehicle, he noticed a frantic woman waving her hands and trying to communicate that a man inside her house wasn't breathing. Cpl. Boyd entered the home and discovered a man crouched over and convulsing.

"I could tell he was trying to breath but he wasn't able to," he said. "I turned him on his side and cleared his airway and I could see him start to breathe again."

Cpl. Boyd remained on the scene until emergency medical responders arrived. A police report said that his actions helped save the man's life and he received a life-saving award from the FSPD for the good deed.

"I could tell the lady needed help but I was just doing my job," he said. "There were two vehicles in front of me that passed her up but I knew I had to stop. She was hysterical and crying so I ran up on the curb and ran inside."

The Thunderbirds' Hometown Hero program is designed to highlight someone from the local area who has sacrificed time and effort to improve the community. Cpl. Boyd certainly met that criteria.

And so on Sept. 30, 2011, he received a ride he will never forget. Cpl. Boyd flew with Thunderbird No. 7, Lt. Col. Jason Koltes, operations officer.

"We took off and went straight up to 13,000 feet," Cpl. Boyd said. "I've never experienced anything even close to that in my life. That was an amazing experience. I can't even begin to describe what it was like. I don't think there are words to describe it. I will never forget it."

Hometown Hero gets ride of lifetime in Thunderbird F-16

  • Published
  • By Capt. Heath Allen
  • 188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
FORT SMITH, Ark. --  Corporal Chris Boyd never thought he would get the chance to ride in an F-16D Falcon.

After all, nearly 17 years had passed since Cpl. Boyd flipped a coin and altered his life's course. Cpl. Boyd, an officer with the Fort Smith Police Department, said he had a choice to make and it was a tough one. So he let the coin decide.

"I have family who are police officers and family who are in the military," Cpl. Boyd said. "I couldn't decide which one I wanted to do so I flipped a coin."

So when Cpl. Boyd found out that the FSPD had nominated him for a ride with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds Air Demonstration Squadron under the Hometown Hero program, he was astonished. He figured the flip of a coin had squandered his chance to fly.

"I know there are a lot of people I work with who would give anything for a chance to ride in an F-16," he said. "I don't take this for granted and I realize what a special opportunity this was."

Cpl. Boyd, a night patrol officer and member of the FSPD's SWAT team, received the ride of a lifetime because he helped give someone their life back. While off-duty and traveling home in his personal vehicle, he noticed a frantic woman waving her hands and trying to communicate that a man inside her house wasn't breathing. Cpl. Boyd entered the home and discovered a man crouched over and convulsing.

"I could tell he was trying to breath but he wasn't able to," he said. "I turned him on his side and cleared his airway and I could see him start to breathe again."

Cpl. Boyd remained on the scene until emergency medical responders arrived. A police report said that his actions helped save the man's life and he received a life-saving award from the FSPD for the good deed.

"I could tell the lady needed help but I was just doing my job," he said. "There were two vehicles in front of me that passed her up but I knew I had to stop. She was hysterical and crying so I ran up on the curb and ran inside."

The Thunderbirds' Hometown Hero program is designed to highlight someone from the local area who has sacrificed time and effort to improve the community. Cpl. Boyd certainly met that criteria.

And so on Sept. 30, 2011, he received a ride he will never forget. Cpl. Boyd flew with Thunderbird No. 7, Lt. Col. Jason Koltes, operations officer.

"We took off and went straight up to 13,000 feet," Cpl. Boyd said. "I've never experienced anything even close to that in my life. That was an amazing experience. I can't even begin to describe what it was like. I don't think there are words to describe it. I will never forget it."