Did you know the Air Force has a F-16 Viper Demonstration Team? They do and they are awesome!

Based at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina this elite team is hard at work getting ready for the 2017 show season. The purpose of the Viper Demonstration Team is to build awareness for the Air Force and their mission and boost recruiting efforts with young people.

Watch the F-16 Viper Demonstration Team in Action!

Fulfilling the team’s mission to inspire the future generation of pilots and maintainers by demonstrating the combat capabilities of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the demonstration team performs approximately 21 air shows a year across the United States and Canada.

In 2016, air shows were considered the number one recruiting asset for the Air Force. By having highly dedicated and motivated Airmen on these teams to spread their knowledge the Air Force will be able to stay as the world’s most dominant power in air, space and cyberspace. – US Air Force

For 2017 the team has added a new pilot, Capt. John “Rain” Waters from Peachtree City, Georgia. Waters is a highly experienced military pilot having logged over 2,500 hours which included 180 combat missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Inherent Resolve.

johnrainwaters

Photo of Captain John ‘Rain’ Waters by US Air Force

viper demo team

Photo by US Air Force

Featured image by US Air Force

 

This article is courtesy of Fighter Sweep.