Airshows

The Spanish Air Force CASA C-101 crashed into the sea off the coast of La Manga del Mar Menor, in Murcia while practicing its display routine for the upcoming airshows.

Taken on Aug. 26, 2019, the tragic video in this post shows a CASA C-101 belonging to the Spanish Air Force crashing into the sea off the coast of La Manga del Mar Menor, in Murcia while practicing its display routine for the upcoming airshows.

According to European Airshow Council Facebook Page Pilot Cmdte. Paco Marin has died because of the accident.

Commander Marín was a component pilot of the Aguila Team until 2018 being the “Solo.”

Patrulla Aguila (Spanish for “Eagle Patrol”) was formed on Jul. 4, 1985, and is the aerobatic demonstration team of the Spanish Air Force. It is based at San Javier Air Base, the same location as the Spanish Air Force academy, near Mar Menor and La Manga, in the Murcia region of Spain. Flying seven Casa C-101 Aviojets, they are the only team to use yellow smoke and are also known for their formation landings.

The CASA C-101 Aviojet is a low-wing single-engine jet-powered advanced trainer and light attack aircraft. It is in service with the Spanish Air Force and other countries.

It was designed to replace the Hispano Saeta. Spanish aircraft maker CASA began work on the C-101 in 1975. MBB and Northrop helped with the development, and the first four prototypes flew in June 1977. The design followed that of other jet trainers such as the BAE Hawk and the Alpha Jet, but was less aerodynamically sophisticated, with an unswept wing, and it had limited weapons capability.

 

 

Patrulla Aguilla crash

Breaking News a CASA C-101 belonging to the Spanish Air Force Aerobatic Team the Patrulla Aguilla crashed into the sea off the coast of La Manga del Mar Menor, in Murcia while practicing their display routine for the upcoming airshows. According to witnesses, the crew managed to eject before the aircraft plunged into the sea, but has not yet been found.Vid soruce: Antonio Velasco

Posted by European Airshows on Monday, August 26, 2019

Photo by Peng Chen via Wikipedia

The RAF Red Arrows and USAF Thunderbirds display teams were joined by a formation of the F-22 Raptor Demo Team and the F-35 Demo Team.

On Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019, the legendary Royal Air Force (RAF) Red Arrows flew in formation alongside the US Air Force (USAF) Thunderbirds for a historic aerial parade above Manhattan, along the Hudson River, and over the Statue of Liberty.

The six Thunderbirds F-16 FightingnFalcon fighter jets in fact flew with the RAF aerobatic squadron atn9.30am. 

The two display teams were joined by a formation of the F-22 Raptor Demo Team and the F-35 Demo Team – also of the US Air Force – during the fly-by. 

According to Daily Mail, New Yorkers and other tourists were wowed by the iconic aircraft formations flying above the Manhattan skyline. 

According to a Thunderbirds press release, six fighter planes flew over the Hudson River in Delta Formation in sequence with the 9-ship Red Arrows formation.

The Red Arrows left nine vapor trails thatnare produced by pumping diesel mixed with colored dye into the planes’ jetnexhaust. 

All of the planes can carry enough diesel and dye to create one minute of red smoke, one minute of blue smoke, and about five minutes of white smoke during their displays. 

After buzzing Manhattan, all aircraftnfollowed the Hudson River down to Liberty Island before going back up thenriver. 

Noteworthy the six F/A-18 Hornet strike fighters belonging to the US Navy Blue Angels display team were due to take part in the air parade as well, but due to operational requirements were not able to participate in the fly-by.

Photo by U.S. Air Force and Crown Copyright

The Fulcrums display at RIAT ’93 -culminated in a spectacular collision at 200-250m (660-820 ft) in which MiG-29 ‘925 Black’ was virtually cut in two aft of the cockpit, bursting into flames.

Taken on Jul. 24, 1993, the famous video in this post shows MiG-29s belonging to the Russian Flight Research Institute (named after Mikhail M. Gromov (LII)) display team (sponsored by the Aviatika Production  Association affiliated with MAPO) colliding during their performance at the Royal International Air Tattoo ’93 (RIAT ’93) airshow at RAF Fairford.

The story behind this incident is quite interesting.

As told by Yefim Gordon and Dmitriy Komissarov in their book Mikoyan MiG-29 & MiG-35, the blue/yellow/black MiG-29s (code ‘526 Black’ and ‘925 Black’ and flown by test pilots Sergey N. Tresvyatskiy and Aleksandr G. Beschastnov) had arrived on Jul. 21 from Prague where they had performed at the Czech Air Force’s 75th-anniversary show. For the next two days, the pilots were busy practicing. However, the ‘real thing’ – the display on Jul. 24 -culminated in a spectacular collision at 200-250m (660-820 ft) in which Beschastnov’s aircraft (‘925 Black’) was virtually cut in two aft of the cockpit, bursting into flames. Incredibly, both pilots escaped without a scratch, even though one of them had to eject from an inverted position; a BBC announcer said that the pilots had ‘jumped out from under the coffin’s lid’.

The accident information message released by the RAF Inspectorate of Flight Safety (IFS) went as follows:

‘1. On 24 Jul 93 at 1527 hrs (local), a pair of MiG-29s of Flight Research Institute took off in close formation to commence their display at the RAF Fairford International Air Tattoo (IAT). The cloud was scattered at 3,000 ft [914m], visibility excellent and surface wind down the runway at 8 kts [4 m/sec]. The display was normal until the final maneuver which was simultaneous loops commenced from a long line astern, prior to a break to land. The leader, who pulled up first, carried out a normal loop. The aircraft entered the cloud at the top. Number 2 commenced his loop with some lead on the first aircraft, executed a slightly tighter loop, and experienced difficulties with the cloud. At some stage during the maneuver, both pilots lost visual contact with each other and called it. As a result of the Number 2’s tighter loop, the leader was lower as far in front of the Number 2 as he expected. Although still unsighted, the lead pilot decided to carry out his break downwind, believing it would take him out of the flight path of the other aircraft. Shortly after commencing his break, the left-wing of the lead aircraft impacted the fuselage of the number 2 aircraft. Both aircraft immediately became uncontrollable. Both pilots ejected successfully and were uninjured. The aircraft impacted the NE of the airfield 700 m [2,300 ft] from the crowd line. One aircraft crashed on the perimeter fence and the other about 600 m [1,970 ft] beyond. Remarkably, only one person on the ground received minor injuries. A Belgian C-130, an Italian Air Force [Aeritalia] G222, and a French Air Force Alpha Jet were slightly damaged.

2. An RAF BOI (board of investigation –nAuth.) was convened to investigate the circumstances of the accident. Preliminarynassessment is that the cause of the collision involved the following factors: flightninto cloud, the tighter loop by the Number 2, and the leader’s break without visualncontact with his Number 2. Both pilots stated that the aircraft werenserviceable prior to the impact.

3. Service and IAT orders and instructionsnappear valid. It is not clear whether the Russian Research Institute MiG-29snwere civilian or military.

4. There are no recommendations at thisnstage.’

The British reaction to the crash was something like ‘don’t worry too much; you’re not the first, you’re not the last.’ The RAF accepted the costs of recultivating the soil at the crash site while the Russian party paid for the damage to the parked aircraft. The pilotsnreturned to active duty on  Aug. 2, 1993.

Noteworthy the following video features the full display up until the crash.

Mikoyan MiG-29 & MiG-35 are published by Crecy and are available to order here.

Giving the heavy smoke from exhausts heat signature is very high for the J-31 and could affect its stealthiness.

The video in this post features an interesting F-35A Lightning II Vs J-31 Gryfalcon “Airshow Comparison.”

It’s fair to say that the U.S. F-35 is much more mature than the current version of the Chinese J-31. In fact, as shown in the footage the  J-31 is still testing version 001.

Moreover giving the heavy smoke from exhausts heat signature is very high for the J-31 and could affect its stealthiness.

The Shenyang J-31 (F-60) is a fifth-generation, multi-role, twin-engine stealth fighter aircraft being manufactured for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) by ShenyangnAircraft Corporation, an affiliate of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). It is the second stealth fighter that China has indigenously developed after the J-20.

The J-31 fighter jet is intended to provide advanced defense capabilities in close-air support, aerial bombing, and air interdiction operations. According to Air Force Technology, it can also perform suppression of enemy air defenses and can be used as a carrier-based fighter on aircraft carriers. 

Noteworthy as we have previously reported an interesting rendering of 
an F-35 painted to simulate the Chinese J-31 stealth fighter appeared on the 57th Wing Commander’s Facebook Page in January.

Last May the U.S. Air Force (USAF) decided to reactivate the 65th Aggressor Squadron (AS) to act as a fifth-generation aggressor squadron at Nellis Air Force Base (AFB) and move nine non-combat capable F-35A aircraft from Eglin AFB, Florida, to the unit.

We can assume that the J-31 camo will be the aggressor scheme worn by 65th AS Lightning IIs.

Photo by U.S. Air Force, 57th Wing Commander Facebook Page and via Wikimedia Commons

General Curtis LeMay threw his cigar down and said, ‘I don’t believe this.’

The Blue Angels traded the F9F-8 Cougar for the supersonic F11F Tiger in 1957.

As told by Nicholas A. Veronico in his book The Blue Angels a Fly-By History, The two solo pilots on the 1958 team, John Damian and John Dewenter developed the back-to-back pass.

Both planes pass down the show line in formation, one pilot flies straight and level, and the other flies inverted. “We developed that maneuver and held it until the Andrews Air Force Base Air Show because that’s where we wanted to show it,” Commander Ed Holley said. “Air Force General Curtis LeMay was there, and my public information officer was standing next to him. Reportedly, LeMay threw his cigar down and said, ‘I don’t believe this’.”

Shortly after the Andrews air show, the air force’s demonstration team, the Thunderbirds, was quick to adopt the maneuver.

Built as a lightweight fighter, the F11F Tiger was a superior performing aircraft, capable of Mach 1.1. In April 1958, an F11F-1F Super Tiger, of which only two were built, reached an altitude of 76,828 ft., establishing a world record.

Initial production F11Fs were delivered to the Navy in March 1957. In spite of its design performance profile, the Tiger saw limited service, its appearance coinciding with two of the most capable fighters of all time, the F8U Crusader and F4H Phantom II.

Tigers finished their service in the Naval Air Training Command and as demonstration aircraft with the Blue Angels, who flew the F11F during the period 1957-1969.

Photo by U.S. Navy via Aerobaticteams.net

A total of 14 maneuvers make up the F-35A Demo Team performance, many of which have never been seen by public audiences.

Taken on Feb. 25, 2019, at Luke Air Force Base (AFB) the cool video in this post features F-35 Demo Team full practice.

Capt. Andrew “Dojo” Olson, F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team commander and pilot has spent several months, designing, developing, and practicing the maneuvers of the all-new demo profile.

A total of 14 maneuvers make up the aerobatic performance, many of which have never been seen by public audiences.

“The maneuvers showcase the full envelope of the F-35,” said Olson. “On the slow end, we’ll get down to less than 100 miles per hour of airspeed, just barely hanging there but in complete control. Then on the high end, we’re going to take it up to just below the sound barrier for the high-speed pass. We’re also going to be pulling up to 9Gs, nine times the force of gravity, and carving the jet into the air at huge angles of attack of more than 50 degrees.”

Some maneuvers in the demonstration include: -High Alpha Half Cuban -Weapons Bay Doors Pass -Minimum Radius Turn to High Alpha Loop -Pedal Turn -Square Loop -Slow Speed to Power Climb with a Split-S Reposition -Inverted to Inverted Roll -Tactical Pitch.

Each air show demonstration is scheduled to last approximately 30 minutes. Half of the show will be spent performing jaw-dropping maneuvers and the other half performing the Heritage Flight profile with select vintage warplanes.

Olson said that he does not have a favorite maneuver but spoke about the Pedal Turn with enthusiasm.

“When you watch the ground footage from the pedal turn, it’s almost unbelievable to witness what you’re seeing,” he said. “Any inverted maneuver, where you’re up-side-down at negative 1G and hanging from the straps in the seat, is a really fun maneuver to do. You’re seeing the world from a whole different perspective.”

“Other demo teams may give you a sample of one or two of these maneuvers, but nowhere else will you see all of the best maneuvers on the planet combined into one epic demo,” Olson pointed out. “There’s no filler in this flight. It’s a light the afterburner and rage for 30 minutes kind of show.”

The F-35 Demo Team is scheduled to perform at air shows across the country in 2019. During their historic inaugural season, Olson and the team of 6 maintainers and support personnel plan to interact with as many air show attendees as they can.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

The Blue Angel suspension follows Tuesday’s unrelated announcement about the Air Force’s firing of Capt. Zoe “SiS” Kotnik

A member belonging to the Blue Angels, the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron has been suspended pending the findings in an ongoing investigation that kicked off in late January, according to U.S. Navy officials.

Navy Lt. Michelle Tucker, a spokeswoman for the Chief of Naval Air Training, told Navy Times that the probe involves unspecified allegations of misconduct that came to light last month.

“Allegations of misconduct are taken very seriously by the Navy but it would be inappropriate at this time to comment on an ongoing investigation,” Tucker said.

Tucker didn’t say whether the member of the Blue Angels is a tactical aviator or part of the support and maintenance crew — but the removed person does not appear to be a “numbered” pilot. The “numbered” pilots in fact are the six U.S. Naval Aviators — currently five from the Navy and one from the Marine Corps ― who perform in the airshows.

However, the team continues to conduct winter training at Naval Air Facility El Centro for the upcoming show season, although Commanders have halted this unnamed person’s activities with the Blue Angels.

The Navy annually counts 16 officers who volunteer for the team and they’re supported by nearly 100 enlisted sailors and Marines. Alternating crews of about 45 team members travel to each airshow, according to the service.

Tucker said that the investigation is not linked to the Jan. 22 emergency landing of an unnamed Blue Angels pilot at El Centro.

Noteworthy this Blue Angels suspension follows Tuesday’s unrelated announcement about the Air Force’s firing of Capt. Zoe “SiS” Kotnik, the first female pilot to head the USAF F-16 Viper demonstration team.

Her relief on Jan. 11, 2109, raised eyebrows because the Air Force had announced only two weeks earlier that Kotnick would take command of the Vipers.

Photo by U.S. Navy

During one performance, the number three Hercules lost one of the outboard engines which had to be shut down. The crew feathered the prop and continued with the air show routine without a hitch!

It was tough going if you were assigned to one of the USAF Tactical Air Command’s Troop Carrier Squadrons (TCS) in the 1950s. In the hierarchy of the day, the pilots and crews of the airlift squadrons picked up the still-used sobriquet of “trash-haulers,” while the airmen in the bomber and fighter squadrons flew advanced aircraft that were often the cutting edge of technology and performance. The bomber crews of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) won the lion’s share of the USAF budget in the name of nuclear deterrence and the fighters of the Tactical Air Command (TAC) were setting world records for speed and altitude and carrying the latest in missile and radar equipment.

But the troop carrier squadrons, by and large, were still flying piston radials in aircraft with technology not far removed from the aircraft of World War 2. Even the long-haul transport crews of MATS, the Military Air Transport Service, had it better than the guys who slogged around on intratheater missions in Douglas C-47 Dakotas and Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars. The C-119 was so underpowered that its single-engine performance was near-abysmal. Back then, the graduates of USAF flight training with the lowest scores went to the troop carrier squadrons.

As JP Santiago explains in an interesting article that appeared on his website Tails Through Time, that all changed when the Lockheed C-130 Hercules made its first flight in Burbank, California in 1954. The Hercules didn’t have the sleekness and speed that its fellow Lockheed stablemates had, but it was tough, practical, and most importantly, powerful. The early model C-130s were hot ships. On the first flight of the Hercules prototype in August 1954, an aircraft with its weight would have usually needed at least 5,000 of runway to take off. The Herk prototype? It leaped off the ground in only 855 feet with the power of four Allison T56 turboprops. Spectators and invited guests were astounded that this portly aircraft had such performance. Lockheed chairman Robert Gross even exclaimed, “Look at her climb!”

The first operational C-130As went to the 463rd Troop Carrier Wing at Ardmore AFB, Oklahoma. Pilots were ecstatic about flying a tough transport that handled like a fighter jet. There were even TAC fighter pilots who were transferring to the Hercules. Suddenly Herk pilots could walk into any officers’ club with pride knowing that they had a “trash-hauler” that even the fighter jocks wanted to fly. It’s pretty safe to say that the arrival of the C-130 Hercules was a massive morale boost for the troop carrier squadrons of the TAC.

While the first operational C-130 units were with the 463rd TCW in Oklahoma, the Hercules training unit would be the 314th Troop Carrier Wing at Sewart AFB in Tennessee. There at Sewart would pilots, loadmasters, and mechanics be trained on the Herk. While the 314th was still getting operational, flight crews from the 463rd TCW took their new mounts to bases all over the U.S. and participated in airborne exercises with the Army who were also excited about the arrival of the Hercules.

As told by Sam McGowan in his book The C-130 Hercules: Tactical Airlift Missions, 1956-1975, one of the units, the 774th Troop Carrier Squadron “Green Weasels” that was part of the 463rd TCW at Ardmore AFB happened to be at Fort Campbell, Kentucky for a week-long exercise with the 101st Airborne Division. One day the winds canceled a scheduled airborne drop, but four of the 774th TCS’s C-130s were ready to go. So the flight crews took off anyway to make use of the time to get some formation flying practice in and spent several hours flying low over Kentucky and Tennessee honing their skills. On their return to the airfield at Fort Campbell, they made several low passes at high speed and in a tight diamond formation. It donned on them- hey, why not form a demonstration team like the Thunderbirds to demonstrate the new Hercules everywhere?

Back at Ardmore AFB, they worked on their demonstration routine and suggested that they fly the routine for the personnel of the 314th TCW at Sewart AFB to show off the new planes that they’d be getting. TAC Headquarters approved the plan and the demonstration was a success. At first, they called themselves the Thunderweasels, a combination of the Thunderbirds and the Green Weasels nickname of the squadron, but they settled on becoming “The Four Horsemen” after Knute Rockne’s famous football offensive team at Notre Dame in 1924.

The Four Horsemen won official recognition from the USAF as an aerial demonstration team and from 1956 to 1960 they performed their routine of tight formation flying and sharp turns throughout the United States and even went overseas to Europe and the Far East. During one performance, the number three Hercules lost one of the outboard engines which had to be shut down. The crew feathered the prop and continued with the air show routine without a hitch!

As shown in a video filmed in 1960, The Four Horsemen were the world’s only four engines per aircraft demonstration team. Flying four C-130As in close formation, the team would perform a number of maneuvers over a twenty-three-minute airshow that closed with a bomb burst — or as the team called it, Horseman Burst. The show was performed at an altitude of 500 to 1,000 feet.n

Photo by Lockheed Martin

One maneuver is likely to be modified or dropped: one proposal is for the diamond and solos to each drop one maneuver in order to streamline the show and improve the flow during the routine

As we have already explained, the Blue Angels are slated to upgrade from the F/A-18 Legacy Hornet to the F/A-18 Super Hornet soon.

As the actual jets, the new aircraft will be modified into a configuration specific to the Blue Angels role that requires the installation of a smoke generator, the removal of the fighter’s gun and missile launchers, and the ability to fly inverted for longer than a standard jet.

Still, the Rhino (as the Super Hornet is dubbed by its aircrews) is something more than a Legacy Hornet younger brother. In fact, when it is strictly compared to the F/A-18A/B/C/D, the F/A-18E/F is 25 percent larger and the two General Electric F414-GE-400 engines have increased the aircraft thrust by 35 percent over the older model. Moreover, an enhanced fuel capacity boosts the Super Hornet mission range.

Nevertheless, all these improvements have made the “Super” heavier than the “Legacy” Hornet and because of its extra weight making the Rhino, the new aircraft of the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron could be a difficult task.

However now we now know a lot more about the U.S. Navy Blue Angels’ coming transition to the F/A-18E Super Hornet thanks to former Blue Angel #1, Captain Ryan Bernacchi. In fact, as explained in an interesting article that appeared on Airshow Stuff, he spoke to Newsradio 1620 in the team’s hometown of Pensacola, FL recently, and explained not only the difference between the team’s current F/A-18 “Legacy” Hornets and the coming Super Hornets but also the current status of the transition.

Bernacchi started by explaining why the transition is going forward in the first place. When the team began flying Hornets in the late ’80s, the modifications we have mentioned above were done to adapt their airframes for airshows. This work applied first to the F/A-18A and B variants and then to some older F/A-18C and D Hornets for shows as well. Although the team has continued to fly these older jets, they are aging and relatively few usable airframes remain eligible for the already approved modifications. In response, the Blues were forced to look at either pursuing younger Legacy Hornets or transitioning to Super Hornets.

Their findings are very interesting. Bernacchi says that even though the Legacy Hornets are now retired from active Navy service – as we have recently reported in fact the U.S. Navy F/A-18C final operational flight took place on Feb. 1– the vast majority of the youngest airframes are earmarked for service with the Marine Corps and Navy Reserves. A middle group of airframes from production lots 13 and 14 were available to the Blue Angels but had enough differences from the team’s current aircraft that they required a similar engineering effort for airshow modifications. Surprisingly, the end conclusion was that it would cost roughly the same amount to transition to anything newer than the team’s existing jets, whether moving to newer Legacy Hornets or Super Hornets! The final decision to go to Super Hornets was made in December 2019.

According to Bernacchi, the current plan is to have 11 modified Super Hornets – early production models that never saw operational service – ready for winter training at the end of 2020. They would debut in the spring of 2021. This matches the preliminary 2020 airshow schedule released by the Blues, which is notable for ending a month earlier than usual, most probably to allow extra time for the off-season transition.

Bernacchi also pointed out that this project will take a backseat to maintain and upgrade the frontline force, so it may slip due to potential budget cuts or other difficulties. The Blue Angels can continue performing in their current jets for some time if it does get pushed back, but he was careful to emphasize that the new jets are not combat-ready models and they are not coming from any combat units.

Bernacchi along with former Blue Angel solo pilot Cdr. Frank “Walleye” Weisser spent time at NAS Patuxent River in Maryland analyzing the Super Hornet’s capabilities and fit for the team. His verdict after flying maneuvers in a simulator and in real life is that it will work well for the team, but it will require some adjustments. One maneuver – which Bernacchi did not name – is likely to be modified or dropped, but he feels some others will look better than they do now.

One proposal is for the diamond and solos to each drop one maneuver in order to streamline the show and improve the flow during the routine. This would shorten the show slightly, but even just three minutes per flight spread over ten performances (including practices) a week adds up to dozens of hours of airframe time saved each year. Bernacchi says that in addition to vetting the aircraft systems for potential failures, they spent a great deal of time looking into other factors of aircraft fatigue like how certain maneuvers and rejoins are flown.

Although he did not go into specifics, he concluded by saying that they came up with a plan to substantially reduce the fatigue impact on the airframes, which will extend their lives with the team.

Photo by U.S. Navy

“When you watch the ground footage from the pedal turn, it’s almost unbelievable to witness what you’re seeing,” Capt. Andrew “Dojo” Olson, F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team pilot

Capt. Andrew “Dojo” Olson, F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team commander and pilot has spent the last three months, designing, developing, and practicing the maneuvers of the all-new demo profile.

As explained by Staff Sgt. Jensen Stidham, F-35A Demo Team Public Affairs in the article F-35 Demo Team pilot practices new maneuvers, a total of 14 maneuvers make up the aerobatic performance, many of which have never been seen by public audiences.

“The maneuvers showcase the full envelope of the F-35,” said Olson. “On the slow end, we’ll get down to less than 100 miles per hour of airspeed, just barely hanging there but in complete control. Then on the high end, we’re going to take it up to just below the sound barrier for the high-speed pass. We’re also going to be pulling up to 9Gs, nine times the force of gravity, and carving the jet into the air at huge angles of attack of more than 50 degrees.”

Some maneuvers in the demonstration include: -High Alpha Half Cuban -Weapons Bay Doors Pass -Minimum Radius Turn to High Alpha Loop -Pedal Turn -Square Loop -Slow Speed to Power Climb with a Split-S Reposition -Inverted to Inverted Roll -Tactical Pitch

Each air show demonstration is scheduled to last approximately 30 minutes. Half of the show will be spent performing jaw-dropping maneuvers and the other half performing the Heritage Flight profile with select vintage war planes.

Olson said that he does not have a favorite maneuver but spoke about the Pedal Turn with enthusiasm.

“When you watch the ground footage from the pedal turn, it’s almost unbelievable to witness what you’re seeing,” he said. “Any inverted maneuver, where you’re up-side-down at negative 1G and hanging from the straps in the seat, is a really fun maneuver to do. You’re seeing the world from a whole different perspective.”

Olson mentioned that hanging in the straps is not something often done in fighter aircraft, so seeing this one-of-a-kind performance is sure to be a spectacle. To achieve such a unique demo profile, he has been preparing in many ways.

“By the time it’s done, we’ll be at close to 30 training flights,” Olson said. “Countless hours in the simulator, academics on the ground before the first flight ever occurred and then after every training event there is a careful analysis of the video from both the ground and in the cockpit.”

Viewing the videos after each flight has proven essential to this historic demo pilot’s training as he continues to refine his skills in the aircraft.

“I’m just a human trying to fly this thing as best as I can, making sure my mistakes are small, manageable, and correctable every time,” Olson said.

And just as a lot of flying time is important to the training, the simple things are just as essential to a high-performance athlete like Olson.

He says getting in the gym, staying fit, eating right, and getting plenty of sleep are just a few of the things he keeps in mind, saying the flight is a workout in-and-of-itself.

“Other demo teams may give you a sample of one or two of these maneuvers, but nowhere else will you see all of the best maneuvers on the planet combined into one epic demo,” said Olson. “There’s no filler in this flight. It’s a light the afterburner and rage for 30 minutes kind of show.”

The F-35 Demo Team is scheduled to perform at air shows across the country in 2019. During their historic inaugural season, Olson and the team of 6 maintainers and support personnel plan to interact with as many air show attendees as they can.

Photo by Senior Airman Alexander Cook / U.S. Air Force