Piloted by Air Force Colonel Jeff Tracy, the TV-21 is dubbed by members of International Rescue as 'the first Thunderbird', hardly a surprise since it was the prototype for Thunderbird 1. Built to go faster than any aircraft in history, it was a triumph of engineering, and despite its tragic loss when sabotaged, served as the inspiration for Jeff to start International Rescue. The ambition shifted from being the fastest, to being the first on the scene when disaster struck.