Airshows

The awesome photos in this post were taken from aboard an Airbus A400M and feature the “Dream Viper,” the special painted F-16AM belonging to the Belgian Air Force F-16 Solo Display Team

The awesome photos in this post were taken on May 4, 2023 by our friend Andrew Timmerman from Finn Aviation Photography from aboard an Airbus A400M of the Belgian Air Force and feature the “Dream Viper,” the special painted F-16AM belonging to the Belgian Air Force F-16 Solo Display Team.

Timmerman explains;

“I had the honor to do an A2A with the Belgian Air Force and the Dream Viper. Flight was from the home base of the Dream Viper and we flew south towards the Ardennes. After that we went to the Belgian coastline for some photos over the ocean and ended with flares being fired overhead Kleine-Brogel before Vrieske landed.”

As we have already explained the F-16’s design was created by Senior Captain Steven “Vrieske” De Vries (who is also the Dream Viper demonstration pilot and the 19th F-16 demonstration pilot since 1979 for the Belgian Air Force).

The fantastic painting is from the painters section of the Kleine-Brogel Air Base.

After a period of technical inspections and detailed painting, the aircraft with the tail number FA-87 and named “Dream Viper” had been unveiled on Thursday, Jun. 9, 2022 to colleagues, guests, media and aviation enthusiasts under the approving eye of the Air Component Commander, the Major General Aviator Thierry Dupont.

Vrieske was chosen as the new Belgian Display Pilot on F-16 in October 2021 for the seasons 2022-2024.

On his first ever display with his Dream Viper he got awarded the Bill Hartree Trophy for the most entertaining Flying Display during the Cosford Airshow at Royal Air Force (RAF) Cosford, UK. And won the prize for best livery in Fairford during the Royal International Air Tattoo.

During the demo Vrieske shows the enormous power of the F-16, but where this demo differs greatly from others, is in the amount of manoeuvers with negative G-forces, something that fighter aircraft like the F-16 don’t usually perform in abundance.

Photo by Andrew Timmerman

By the end of 2019, Col. John Caldwell, Thunderbird’s commander, and No. 1 pilot called in 15 former Thunderbirds for their brutal and honest input on the team since there were parts of the squadron that needed work and improvement.

The first overhauled performance in about 38 years will be included in the US Air Force Thunderbirds’ 2021 airshow season. It also marks the beginning of a culture change for a team that in recent years has seen some of its lowest points.

Col. John Caldwell, Thunderbirds commander and No. 1 pilot, took command in 2018. As reported by Air Force Magazine, at the time the team was coming out of a couple of tumultuous years that included a fatal crash, along with multiple other serious mishaps and the firing of a commander. With a new commander and new team, Caldwell led the team through a 2019 season looking to “stabilize the system.” The Thunderbirds in fact didn’t push the envelope and instead focused on flying safely and getting through the season by executing the basics.

By the end of 2019, Caldwell called in 15 former Thunderbirds for their brutal and honest input on the team since there were parts of the squadron that needed work and improvement.

“Everything was on the table, which requires you to assume a little bit of humility there when you’re inviting 15 folks who previously have done your job to come here and critique you on how you’re doing,” Caldwell said. “But we didn’t have a forum like that in the past—we didn’t have the ability, in a productive way, where these folks could provide critiques.”

The former commanders came to the team’s home at Nellis Air Force Base (AFB), Nev., to watch the “combat acceptance show” when the head of Air Combat Command watched the team’s performance and approves them to start the show season.

The 15 commanders watched Caldwell fly, sat in the pre-flight briefing and debrief, and ultimately gave some strong feedback.

“It was pretty eye-opening, some of the critiques we received and some of the information we got from that group,” he said. “It was enough to where we realized there was some serious work that we needed to execute, to get this team back to where we wanted it to be in precision formation flying and precision air show demonstration.”

Following this, the Thunderbirds “committed ourselves to that idea that we were going to work on trying to recapture some of … these versions of the team we had in the past” and push to improve.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the team spent 2020 developing the “America Strong” flyovers with the US Navy’s Blue Angels and flying “basic air shows,” when the season ended, they decided to take a deep look at their performance and overall operations to find ways to reinvent and improve.

The result was 59 separate initiatives for the team to address, ranging from individual maneuvers in the sky to the equipment they use to cameras and tracking devices to “police” their flying and find ways to improve.

Caldwell said the team’s performance over the years had become a “hodgepodge” of individual tweaks, none of which came together to give it an overall theme.

The 2021 show includes eight types of new maneuvers, a changed sequence, new music and narration, changes to the ground show, and the shutdown. The team rewrote its operations manual and installed things like GoPros in the cockpits, GPS trackers to show the exact lines pilots flew, and a new digital video recorder system. These changes “eliminated all the subjectiveness from it. It is cold, hard data that we can look at. And it’s very unemotional: You either did it right or did it wrong, and we have the data here to prove it. And that’s what really made the team, I think, more effective and better.”

This year’s season includes at least 28 shows, with more to be added to the schedule.

A Thunderbirds air demonstration is a mix of formation flying and solo routines. The four-aircraft diamond formation demonstrates the training and precision of Air Force pilots, while the solo aircraft highlight the maximum capabilities of the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

The pilots perform approximately 30 maneuvers in a demonstration. The entire show, including ground and air, runs about an hour and fifteen minutes. The season lasts from March to November, with the winter months used to train new members.

For more interesting news and info about US Air Force Thunderbirds and other display teams check out the Aerobatic Display Teams website.

Photo by dbking via Wikipedia

Six people were killed after the P-63 and the B-17 “Texas Raiders” belonging to Commemorative Air Force collided and crashed to the ground on Nov. 12, 2022 afternoon during Commemorative Air Force Wings Over Dallas show at Dallas Executive Airport

Six people were killed after the P-63 and the B-17 “Texas Raiders” belonging to Commemorative Air Force collided and crashed to the ground on Nov. 12, 2022 afternoon during Commemorative Air Force Wings Over Dallas show at Dallas Executive Airport, officials said.

“According to our Dallas County Medical Examiner, there are a total of 6 fatalities from yesterday’s Wings over Dallas air show incident,” Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins tweeted Sunday. He said authorities are continuing to work to identify the victims.

As reported by Military.com, emergency crews raced to the crash scene at the Dallas Executive Airport, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the city’s downtown. News footage from the scene showed crumpled wreckage of the planes in a grassy area inside the airport perimeter. Dallas Fire-Rescue told The Dallas Morning News that there were no reported injuries among people on the ground.

Officials did not immediately specify how many people were inside each plane, but Hank Coates, president of Commemorative Air Force that put on the airshow, said that the B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, typically has a crew of four to five people. The P-63 Kingcobra fighter plane instead has a single pilot.

According to Coates no paying customers were on the aircraft. Their aircraft are flown by highly trained volunteers, often retired pilots, he said.

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said the National Transportation Safety Board had taken control of the crash scene, with local police and fire providing support.

B-17G Flying Fortress Texas Raiders was one of the most recognized and popular warbirds flying at airshows. The US built 12,731 B-17s. Texas Raiders was the first Flying Fortress acquired solely for the purpose of restoration and use as a flying museum. The aircraft had been restored to wartime configuration by an entirely volunteer group of dedicated supporters, and had been on her mission to Educate, Inspire, and Honor for the Commemorative Air Force for over 50 years.

The P-63 King Cobra too belonged to the Commemorative Air Force. This World War II fighter was developed from the P-39 Airacobra, which it closely resembles. The US Army Air Forces never used the P-63 in combat, although some were used for fighter training. Many P-63s were exported as lend-lease aircraft; the Soviet Union received 2,456 and Free French forces obtained 300. Since the P-63’s low-level performance was adequate, it was widely used by the Soviets for such missions as “tank busting.” Bell produced 3,305 P-63s, 13 of which were P-63Es.

As we reported back then, on Oct. 2, 2019, Collings Foundation B-17 Flying Fortress Nine-O-Nine crashed at the Bradley International Airport in Windsor Lock, Connecticut., killing seven people.

Photo by Nathaniel Ross/AP and LM Otero/AP

A C-17 Globemaster III crew from the 97th Airlift Squadron was given less than 24 hours to plan and execute a flying demonstration at Abbotsford International Airshow recently

A C-17 crew from the 97th Airlift Squadron was given less than 24 hours to plan and execute a flying demonstration at Abbotsford International Airshow recently, Alert 5 first noted.

The email request came in at night and Lt. Col. Bruce Cohn and his Air Force Reserve aircrew were asked if they could fly at three slots over the weekend.

Wanted: A static display aircraft who could elevate to a flying demonstration at the Abbotsford International Airshow in British Columbia.

As explained by Maj Candice Allen, 446th Airlift Wing, in the article From ground to air: Aircrew plans, demonstrates C-17 capabilities in 24 hours, essentially, the request was for an aircraft which was originally scheduled to showcase on the ground, now would perform in the air.

Cohn, an instructor pilot assigned to the 97th Airlift Squadron and C-17 Globemaster III aircraft commander at the airshow, forwarded the request to his commander. In 24 hours, Cohn and his crew were approved to showcase the combat agility of the over 330,000-pound aircraft before a crowd of approximately 100,000 people.

The Air Force Reserve aircrew planned a 15-minute demonstration.

“I want to thank you and those in your leadership chain for approving Lt. Col. Cohn’s crew from the 97th Airlift Squadron (AS) to perform a flying display of flypasts at our three shows on the weekend,” said Jim Reith, airshow president, in an email to Cohn and his commanders.

“The Globemaster is always a wonderful spectacle in the sky combining its size and maneuverability to show off the flexibility of missions that it can perform.”

Cohn and his aircrew’s goals for the demonstration were three-fold: meet the commander’s intent, follow the regulations, and make it a crowd pleaser.

“A demo is showcasing the capabilities of an aircraft,” Cohn said. “We planned and executed a performance inside of 24 hours. It was amazing.”

And showcase, they did.

“We performed a maximum effort takeoff followed by a high-angle climb over show center. Followed by high and low speed passes and a short field landing. The demo concluded with backing the aircraft and spinning it 180 degrees on the runway,” said, Cohn, the 22-year veteran.

“That demonstrated the aircraft’s capability to land and takeoff on a single piece on pavement.”

Each maneuver was aimed at showcasing how the aircraft can operate in austere environments.

“I’ve been in for 22 years, and there’s not many things I haven’t done in my career,” he said. “But, performing the demo was a first.”

Though the demonstration was a first for the pilots, it was their readiness training that made an email airborne.

Being combat-ready helped turn their first demonstration into a success.

Cohn, who is a traditional Reservist and pilot for a major airline, said it was his training that enables him to switch from being an airline pilot to a military pilot and showcase the aircraft.

“We used our training proficiency to maximize the aircraft,” he said.

And just like that – training enabled aircrew to plan and showcase global mobility capabilities rapidly.

The C-17 Globemaster III is capable of rapid strategic delivery of troops and all types of cargo to main operating bases or directly to forward bases in the deployment area. The aircraft can perform tactical airlift and airdrop missions and can transport litters and ambulatory patients during aeromedical evacuations. The inherent flexibility and performance of the C-17 force improve the ability of the total airlift system to fulfill the worldwide air mobility requirements of the United States.

The ultimate measure of airlift effectiveness is the ability to rapidly project and sustain an effective combat force close to a potential battle area. Threats to US interests have changed in recent years, and the size and weight of US-mechanized firepower and equipment have grown in response to improved capabilities of potential adversaries. This trend has significantly increased air mobility requirements, particularly in the area of large or heavy outsize cargo. As a result, newer and more flexible airlift aircraft are needed to meet potential armed contingencies, peacekeeping or humanitarian missions worldwide. The C-17 is capable of meeting today’s demanding airlift missions.

Photo by Stephen Edmonds from Melbourne, Australia via Wikipedia and Jason Baillie / U.S. Air Force

On Saturday Aug. 27, 2022 the Slovak International Air Fest hosted two USAF F-22 Raptor stealth fighters from 90th Fighter Squadron of 3rd Wing

On Saturday Aug. 27, 2022 the relatively small regional Slovak International Air Festival hosted one of the most special guests it ever had. On both dynamic and static presentations, the US Air Force (USAF) sent a pair of F-22 Raptor stealth fighters from 90th Fighter Squadron of the 3rd Wing.

The two jets arrived at noon. Visitors of the airshow saw the aircraft flying capabilities in few overflights over the airstrip, after which both aircraft landed for the static display. The aircraft were stationed only 10 metres away from visitors, being much closer than during their last presentation in Germany (where visitors had to keep distance of 20 metres).

Both pilots (Meteor Meador and Swiss Ritschard) were ‚hot objects‘ for both various TV crews and the visitors. The pilots even shook hands with them. Meanwhile the aircraft were refuelled by CA-18 cistern trucks (built on Tatra 815 truck chassis). After few hours the Raptors took off and headed back to Poland.

The last two SIAF airshows were taking place on Kuchyňa AB, which serves as a homebase for 46th Transport Wing of Slovak Air Force. Kuchyňa is a relatively small airfield that now serves as one of the main service’s airbases, as the main – Sliač, is being under reconstruction, connected to the planned arrival of new F-16Vs.

As we have already explained, the Alaskan F-22s were forward deployed to the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Łask, Poland, from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, on Aug. 5 as a part of NATO Air Shielding mission over its eastern flank.

“This F-22 deployment will add significant capabilities to our support of NATO’s collective defense,” USAF Gen. James Hecker, US Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa, and NATO Allied Air Command commander said in a service news release. “The Raptors ability to perform both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions will exponentially increase the warfighting capability along the eastern flank as this rotation supports NATO’s Air Shielding.”

The Air Shielding mission is designed to increase the air and missile defense posture along the eastern flank of NATO’s alliance and is purely a defensive mission to shield and protect allied territory and populations and is a key component of NATO’s Deterrence and Defense posture.

“Our Airmen are well trained and ready to assist our NATO allies,” Hecker said. “Our Airmen’s ability to adapt, support and integrate with NATO’s Air Shielding mission shows our ability to respond to an ever-changing dynamic warfighting environment and strengthen the alliance.”

Photo by Jaroslav Cabuk

Lt. Amanda “Stalin” Lee makes Blue Angels history as the first woman to fly in a demo F/A-18E/F Super Hornet with the team

Lt. Amanda “Stalin” Lee makes Blue Angels history as the first woman to fly in a demo F/A-18E/F Super Hornet with the team.

On Jul. 18, 2020 the US Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron announced six new officers to join the team for the 2023 air show season. The squadron selected two F/A-18E/F Super Hornet pilots, an events coordinator, a C-130J Super Hercules pilot, an aviation maintenance officer and a flight surgeon to replace outgoing team members.

As reported by Pensacola News Journal, although hundreds of women have served with the Blue Angels in a variety of capacities over 55 years, Lt. Amanda Lee, of Mounds View, Minnesota, will be the first woman to serve as a demonstration pilot.

LT Amanda “Stalin” Lee grew up in Mounds View, Minnesota. While attending the University of Minnesota in Duluth and working at UPS, she decided to enlist in the Navy, graduating from Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois in 2007. Her successful enlisted career as an Aviation Electronics Technician led to her selection into the Seaman-to-Admiral (STA-21) Commissioning Program. LT Lee received a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry at Old Dominion University, and earned her commission in August 2013. She was designated a Naval Aviator in April 2016 and recently completed a deployment aboard the USS HARRY S. TRUMAN (CVN 75), in support of Dynamic Force Employment (DFE), Operation INHERENT RESOLVE (OIR), as well as numerous exercises with NATO Allies.

In 2019, Lee was part of the first ever all-female flyover as part of the funeral service for retired Navy Capt. Rosemary Mariner, one of the first female Navy jet pilots and the first woman to command an operational naval aviation squadron.

“Capt. Mariner really was the starting point of female aviation,” Lee said at the time. “She’s one of the first eight original female pilots allowed in the Naval pipeline … young kids growing up and not thinking whether they can do something or not because of their race, gender, ethnicity, they just go out and say, ‘This is what I wanna do,’ and that question isn’t really in their mind, it kinda all starts back with Capt. Mariner and some of the doors that she broke down.”

While Lee is the first woman who will fly an F/A-18E/F for the squadron, she isn’t the first woman to take to the skies with the Blue Angels.

That honor goes to Marine Maj. Katie Higgins, who flew the team’s C-130 Fat Albert transport plane 2014 to 2016.

The selected 2023 officers include:

F/A-18E/F Demonstration Pilots:

• Lt. Cmdr. Thomas Zimmerman, of Baltimore, Maryland, is currently assigned to the “Red Rippers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2009.

• Lt. Amanda Lee, of Mounds View, Minnesota, is currently assigned to the “Gladiators” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106. She graduated from Old Dominion University in 2013.

Events Coordinator:

• Lt. Cmdr. Brian Vaught, of Englewood, Colorado, is a naval flight officer currently assigned to the Naval School of Aviation Safety. He graduated from the University of Colorado in 2008.

C-130 Demonstration Pilot:

• Marine Corps Capt. Samuel Petko, of Osceola, Indiana, is a KC-130J Hercules pilot currently assigned to the “Sumos” of Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VMGR) 152. He graduated from Indiana University in 2014.

Maintenance Officer:

• Lt. Cmdr. Greg Jones, of Cary, North Carolina, is an aviation maintenance officer currently assigned to Pre-Commissioning Unit John F. Kennedy (CVN 79). He graduated from Elon University in 2008.

Flight Surgeon:

• Lt. Philippe Warren, of Williamsburg, Virginia, is a flight surgeon currently assigned to the “Fighting Griffins” of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 266. He graduated from the University of Virginia in 2014.

New team members will report to the squadron in September for a two-month turnover period. Upon completion of the 2022 show season, which concludes in November with the Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show at NAS Pensacola, the team will embark on a rigorous five-month training program at NAS Pensacola and Naval Air Facility El Centro, California.

2022 is the team’s 76th anniversary.

In 1946, the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Chester Nimitz, had a vision to create a flight exhibition team in order to raise the public’s interest in naval aviation and boost Navy morale.

In the 1940’s, the Blue Angels thrilled audiences with our precision combat maneuvers in the F6 Hellcat, the F8 Bearcat and the F9 Panther. During the 1950’s, the team refined its demonstration with aerobatic maneuvers in the F9F-8 Cougar and F11 Tiger and introduced the first six-plane delta formation, still flown to this day.

By the end of the 1960’s, the Blue Angels were flying the F-4 Phantom, the only two seat aircraft flown by the delta formation. In 1974, the team transitioned to the A-4 Skyhawk, a smaller and lighter aircraft with a tighter turning radius allowing for a more dynamic flight demonstration. In 1986, the team celebrated its 40th Anniversary by unveiling the Boeing F/A-18 Hornet.

The Blue Angels, conducted the final flight on the F/A-18 A/B/C/D “Legacy” Hornets on Nov. 4, 2020. The final flight of the Legacy Hornets marked the official transition of the Blue Angels to the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet platform.

Photo by U.S. Navy

The sneak pass maneuver has been safely performed for decades at air shows around the country, and the El Centro incident is the only known incident of damage

The US Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels modified their routine after an F/A-18 Super Hornet accidentally shook up a few buildings last year at Naval Air Facility El Centro, California, causing $180,000 in damage and injuring a dozen people, Task & Purpose reports.

The Blue Angels’ new Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets are set to make their Seattle debut in this year’s Seafair air show over Lake Washington. The jets are 25% larger than the legacy Hornets they replaced, and festival promoters are touting them as “Bigger. Louder. Faster.”

The Blue Angels’ stunts and formation flying — with as few as 18 inches between wingtips — have long been a highlight of the festival.

According to The Seattle Times, this year, as in some years past, the Blue Angels have received initial approval to perform the “sneak pass,” a popular maneuver that involves one of the six Super Hornets breaking out of formation and flying as low as 50 feet off the water at close to the speed of sound.

The F/A 18 E/F Super Hornet aircraft can unleash a more powerful sonic air — or pressure — wave compared with its predecessor. This was inadvertently demonstrated on Jan. 21, 2021. During a practice run of the maneuver at the Naval Air Facility El Centro in California when a Blue Angel pilot veered slightly off course, the Rhino (as the Super Hornet is dubbed by its aircrews. The “Rhino” nickname was previously applied to the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, which was retired from the fleet in 1987), which passed within 100 feet of buildings, caused more than $180,000 in damage.

According to a Navy investigative report, the destructive impact, detailed in witness statements, included knocked-down ceiling tiles, cracked windows, fallen shelves, nails pulled out of plywood and dislodged sheathing in two shear walls designed to help a base fire department building withstand earthquakes.

According to the report, the close flyby of base buildings also injured a dozen personnel, who initially suffered ringing in the ears and headaches that then abated.

US Navy investigators said the jets create a “noticeably larger localized sonic airflow signature” than the predecessor Hornets, which increases the “probability and severity of future occurrences” such as the damage sustained at El Centro.

Rear Adm. Robert Westendorff, Chief of Naval Air Training, accepted four safety measures, including a slight reduction in the maximum speed for the low-flying sneak pass and banning the maneuver within 200 feet of any structure, vehicle or personnel to prevent another such incident.

The incident investigation and recommendations were released in response to a federal Freedom of Information Act request from Glen Milner, a Washington peace activist and researcher with the Poulsbo-based Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action.

Milner has protested for years what he calls the militarization of Seafair, and sought to find out more about the Super Hornet aircraft.

“Seafair was saying they would be coming, and would be louder, so I was wondering — how much louder?” Milner said.

The sneak pass maneuver has been safely performed for decades at air shows around the country, and the El Centro incident is the only known incident of damage, US Navy officials said in a written statement.

Navy officials said that the new safety measures will prevent a reoccurrence of the incident.

A final decision on whether to perform the maneuver in Seattle will be made by a commanding officer who will assess the conditions during Seafair before proceeding, officials said.

Developed by McDonnell Douglas, the Super Hornet, which first flew in 1995, is a twin-engine carrier-capable multirole fighter aircraft based on the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. The F/A-18E single-seat and F/A-18F twin-seat variants are larger and more advanced derivatives of the F/A-18C and D Hornet.

The Hornet and Super Hornet share many characteristics, including avionics, ejection seats, radar, armament, mission computer software, and maintenance/operating procedures. The Super Hornet is largely a new aircraft at about 20% larger, 7,000 lb (3,200 kg) heavier empty weight, and 15,000 lb (6,800 kg) heavier maximum weight than the Legacy Hornet. The Super Hornet carries 33% more internal fuel, increasing mission range by 41% and endurance by 50% over the Legacy Hornet.

As the Super Hornet is significantly heavier than the Legacy Hornet, the catapult and arresting systems must be set differently. To aid safe flight operations and prevent confusion in radio calls, the Super Hornet is informally referred to as the “Rhino” to distinguish it from earlier Hornets.

Furthermore the Super Hornet, unlike the Legacy Hornet, is designed to be equipped with an aerial refueling system (ARS) or “buddy store” for the refueling of other aircraft, filling the tactical airborne tanker role the US Navy had lost with the retirement of the KA-6D Intruder and Lockheed S-3B Viking tankers.

The EA-18G Growler is another variant of the F/A-18 Super Hornet that combines the proven Rhino platform with a sophisticated electronic warfare suite.

Photo by U.S. Navy

The event will commemorate the 75th anniversaries of the Air Force and the first supersonic flight, by then-Capt. Chuck Yeager in the skies over Edwards AFB

Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) will hold its first airshow for the first time in 13 years on Oct. 15 and 16. Besides the US Air Force (USAF), NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center will be participating as well, Alert 5 first noted.

According to Bakersfield.com, headlining the free two-day event will be the Air Force Thunderbirds flight demonstration team. They will be joined by a vast array of aerial performance and static displays representing nearly every aircraft in the USAF inventory, Chase Kohler of the 412th Public Affairs office said.

“It’s a rare opportunity to get pretty much every aircraft in the Air Force inventory either in the air or on the ground,” he said.

The F-22, F-35, T-38, F-16, B-1 and B-52 bombers and KC-135 tanker are among the aircraft expected. NASA will also be providing a number of aircraft.

The event will commemorate the 75th anniversaries of the Air Force and the first supersonic flight, by then-Capt. Chuck Yeager in the skies over Edwards AFB.

As we have already explained, Chuck Yeager used to open the Edwards AFB Airshow with a sonic boom. He flew in a USAF fighter jet and kicked off the show with a very nice pass.

Yeager was chosen to fly the secret Bell X-1 experimental aircraft, built to test the capabilities of the human pilot and a fixed-wing aircraft against the severe aerodynamic stresses of sonic flight. On Oct. 14, 1947, over Rogers Dry Lake in southern California, he rode the X-1, attached to a B-29 mother ship, to an altitude of 25,000 feet (7,600 metres). The X-1 then rocketed separately to 40,000 feet (12,000 metres), and Yeager became the first man to break the sound barrier, which was approximately 662 miles (1,066 km) per hour at that altitude.

He passed away on Dec. 8, 2020.

To celebrate that first sonic boom and take advantage of holding a rare air show beneath a supersonic corridor, the air show will feature Air Force and NASA jets “going full steam” to see which can break the sound barrier first.

“We want to heighten that and showcase that, because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime for air shows to be able to actually go past Mach .99 and actually hit that sonic boom,” Kohler said.

The crowd will not be able to see the aircraft as they will be at altitude, but “they’re definitely going to hear them and feel them,” he said. “We’re just really excited to showcase that unique part.”

Air Force photo by Chad Bellay.

The cool photos in this post feature the “Dream Viper,” the new paint scheme of the F-16AM belonging to the Belgian Air Force F-16 Solo Display Team

Taken on Jun. 9, 2022 by our friend Andrew Timmerman from Finn Aviation Photography, the cool photos in this post feature the “Dream Viper,” the new paint scheme of the F-16AM belonging to the Belgian Air Force F-16 Solo Display Team.

With the start of the new 2022 air meeting season, the Belgian Air Force has a new demonstration pilot in command of the F-16 Solo Display Team.

According to the Belgian Air Force F-16 Solo Display Facebook Page, Aviation Commander Steven ‘Vrieske’ De Vries, of the 31st Tiger Squadron at Kleine-Brogel Air Force Base, will be able to represent the Belgian national colors as an ambassador for the next three years at numerous air events in Belgium and abroad.

Like his predecessors, Steven, as the 19th F-16 demonstration pilot since 1979, also receives a unique-painted aircraft. The aircraft’s design was created by Aviation Commander Steven De Vries with the graphic contribution of Nico De Boeck. The fantastic painting is from the painters section of the Kleine-Brogel Air Base.

After a period of technical inspections and detailed painting, the aircraft with the tail number FA-87 and named “Dream Viper” had been unveiled on Thursday, Jun. 9, 2022 to colleagues, guests, media and aviation enthusiasts under the approving eye of the Air Component Commander, the Major General Aviator Thierry Dupont.

‘Senior Captain Steven “Vrieske” De Vries will together with his team be displaying the Dream Viper around Europe and amaze the crowds with his breathtaking flying skills. The highlight would be the Negative loop that he flies in his display,’ Timmerman explained to #AW#.

Vrieske and the Dream Viper debuted this past weekend during the Cosford Airshow at Royal Air Force (RAF) Cosford, UK. The next chance to admire the Dream Viper will be at the Danish Air Show in Karup, Denmark.

For the biggest fans, a reference book of the Belgian Air Force’s F-16 Solo Display Team, containing the most beautiful photos and souvenirs of the 2022 season, will be available this fall.

Turks seem to consider the Su-35 way better than the F-16 already in service with the Turkish Air Force.

Filmed on Sep. 14, 2019, the video in this post features the incredible Su-35 demonstration at Technofest 2019 techno festival in Istanbul, Turkey.

As reported the Russian Air and Space Force Sukhoi Su-35 and Su-57 multipurpose fighter jets were sent to Turkey to take part in the Technofest exhibition,” Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) spokesperson said.

After watching the Su-35 demonstration at Ataturk airport, Turkish people seemed quite impressed by the flight capabilities of the Russian fighter. In fact, they seem to consider the Su-35 way better than the US-built F-16 already in service with the Turkish Air Force.

Here are several comments they left on YouTube.

Metin Eksa:

“Watching the flight of this plane, I dreamed that this plane would become our fighter jet made at our plant. Today we don’t need the American devil, but the Russian bear is needed.”

Phönix – Diriliş başladı:

“It is much better than the American junk! America doesn’t take anybody except Russia seriously.”

As told by Stalker Zone, other users call the F-16 Fighting Falcon “American junk – F-16” and ask to replace it with Russian fighter jets.

TorwaK:

“At 02:34 ‘Pugachev’s cobra’: an ideal combination of aerodynamics and thrust vectoring.”

Yavuz Ortakci:

“We’d better get involved in SU-57 production.”

Galip Sayin:

“It is unknown whether the Russians will approve the transfer of technologies, but if yes, then 20-30 of such planes must be bought.”

On Aug. 10, 2019, the Turkish pro-government daily Yeni Şafak reported that the Turkish Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM – Savunma Sanayii Mustesarligi) asked the Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (MSB – Turkish Ministry of Defense) to formally weigh in on the possible purchase of Russian Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker. I will start official negotiations with Russian state agency ROSOBORONEXPORT if the military approves the proposal.

This request obviously follows the removal of Turkey from the F-35 program in July when Turkey received the first installments of the S-400 ground-based air defense missile systems from Moscow.

Photo by TASS