Thunderbirds Pilot Maj. Stephen Del Bagno, 34, of Valencia, California, call-sign “Cajun”, died April 4, 2018, when his F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed in Nevada during a training mission in his first year with the Team. Del Bagno was the “slot pilot,” which flies in the middle of the diamond formation. He previously served as an F-35A evaluator pilot and had logged more than 3,500 total flight hours in more than 30 different aircraft.

Maj Del Bagno graduated from Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, CA, then Utah Valley State University in 2005 and from Officer Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama in 2007.

By the time Maj Del Bagno graduated from Saugus High School, he had already managed to earn his pilot’s license.
The freedom he found in the clouds was powerful and life changing. He dedicated his entire life to the pursuit of the skies, passionate for everything aviation.

One of the memories his mother, Cindy, fondly recalls was when he called her unexpectedly and told her to go outside, having just drawn a heart in the sky above with the maneuvering of his plane, skywriting just for her.