CHEYENNE – Capt. Reed “Roller” Barrett remembers growing up in Cheyenne and watching the U.S. Air Force’s Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team come to town each summer during Cheyenne Frontier Days. He also remembers learning to fly in Cheyenne on a Cessna 172.

Now, he flies an F-16 Fighting Falcon, the same aircraft flown by the Thunderbirds, for the Red Eyes of the 120th Fighter Squadron, 140th Wing, Colorado Air National Guard. For the first time in CFD history, Barrett helped bring those jets to the rodeo for a squadron flyover, a fact brought to light in a Sept. 5 news release from the Colorado Air National Guard.

“To be able to bring a four-ship of F-16s to my hometown and open up the world’s largest outdoor cash-prize rodeo, that’s a very significant event, and not only that, but to then make history and do something that hadn’t been done yet,” he said.

Although the Thunderbirds have performed nearly every year during CFD since the group was formed in 1953, they have never participated in a flyover to open the rodeo. The flyover included soaring above the arena at Frontier Park simultaneously with the ignition of cannons during the national anthem to kick off rodeo events.

Conversations about making this happen first began in January, when Barrett was visiting with Tim Schaffer, a coordinator with the CFD parade and a member of the board of directors for the CFD Foundation.

“We were just talking, and he goes, ‘You know, I’d really like to do something for Frontier Days,’” Schaffer said, recalling his conversation with Barrett. “You know, his grandfather is (a member of) the CFD Hall of Fame … And I said, ‘Well, what do you think you can do?’”

After these initial conversations, Barrett began working with his squadron and commanders to set up something.

He said he had always wanted to do something like this, but it never worked out when he was previously stationed out of Joint Base Andrews near Washington, D.C. When he was relocated to Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora, Colorado, it became more of a possibility.

Instead of an approximately two-hour drive by car from Cheyenne to Aurora, the commute time is made much quicker in the F-16s that can reach speeds up to 1,500 miles per hour.

Barrett’s squadron arrived one day before the first of nine Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association rodeos as part of the 129th anniversary of CFD earlier this year. His crew flew around town on the Friday evening before the opening parade and could easily have been mistaken as an early arrival of the Thunderbirds to those unaware of who it really was.

This opportunity also allowed several entities to collaborate and begin a relationship between CFD, Colorado Air National Guard, Wyoming Air National Guard and the U.S. Air Force, represented by F.E. Warren Air Force Base and the Thunderbirds.

“This is a really good opportunity for us to expand recruitment for the Air National Guard and the active duty, but also for us to give back to the active duty,” Barrett said.

From the perspective of CFD, Schaffer said these kinds of partnerships are what enhance the overall customer experience for visitors at the “Daddy of ’em All.”

“That’s what we’re trying to create, that wonderful connection,” he said. “I mean, it’s great for the city, I think it’s great for safety, and a heck of a lot of fun to watch.”

The partnership also benefited the Thunderbirds. Instead of stealing the show from them, the 120th were able to help out their fellow F-16 pilots by ensuring things were ready for them upon arrival at the runway at the Wyoming Air National Guard base/Cheyenne Regional Airport.

The Thunderbirds F-16s require a certain amount of runway length, Barrett said. Typically, there is a cable on the runway to catch the aircraft in any emergency situation when landing.

Barrett, who was the lead pilot in the flyover crew, was able to test that cable before the Thunderbirds arrived to ensure its safety.

He added that the cost for his squadron to perform this flyover didn’t cause a great financial burden to taxpayers. Barrett’s squadron typically performs at large events like NFL games, but the travel is typically associated with a mission, he said.

Performing at these events is always special, Barrett said, but the one at CFD this year had special meaning for him.

“There’s nothing insignificant about getting in an F-16 and flying anywhere. There’s obviously just more significance when you start to add more of family-type feel to it, where this isn’t just a normal flyover for an NFL game, it’s something that’s going to carry forward for you, for your family,” he said.

In doing this, Barrett continues his family legacy, which has already been marked by those before him, including his great-grandfather, Frank A. Barrett, who served as governor of Wyoming in the 1950s.

“All of it brought significance to me, and it brought pride to my last name and the legacy that it carried forward from my grandparents, my great-grandparents, and to those who will come after us, that, you know.

“You can always make a change, or you can always do something significant in your community should you put the effort forward to do it,” Barrett said.

Both Schaffer and Barrett said they hope to continue this partnership for years to come, but will have to see what each year has in store.

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