Story and photos by Scott Jankowski
AirVenture and the United States Military have long enjoyed a close relationship with the United States Air Force providing numerous static display and airshow aircraft year after year. 2024 was a very unique year as it would feature all current 4 single demo teams, an Oshkosh first and perhaps an airshow first. This year would see the A-10, F-16, F-22, and F-35 Demo teams make simultaneous appearances at AirVenture.
All 4 teams would fly solo demos on different days of the week, and also flew several different combinations of aircraft in the very popular Heritage Flights. The Heritage Flights bring together fighters from yesterday and current fighters to fly various formations to highlight the history of the United States Air Force. This year we would see Heritage Flights flown with a World War II era North American P-51D Mustang which included the beautifully restored “Happy Jack’s Go Buggy” flown by Bruce “Doc” Winter of San Antonio Texas. Another Heritage Flight included all 4 Air Combat Command Demo Team aircraft flying together, a sight rarely seen outside of the Heritage Flight Conference held in February.
This is the final year for the A-10 Demo Team as the United States Air Force continues its retirement of the type, they were present for the first part of the week. The team is based out of Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson Arizona and comprises 11 team members commanded by Major Lindsey “Mad” Johnson. The team brought a pair of specially painted A-10C Thunderbolt II’s which included serial number 78-561, “Memphis Belle III” and 80-244, “Black Mamba”. A-10C “Memphis Belle III” is painted in a Southeast Asia Camouflage scheme in honor of the Vietnam War era Republic F-105 Thunderchief “Memphis Belle II” and of course the original “Memphis Belle” the first B-17 in World War II to complete its tour of duty and come home. The F-105 that wore the “Memphis Belle II titles was assigned to the same unit as the A-10 Demo team is assigned to, the 357TH Fighter Squadron. This A-10 also wears special nose art to honor the POW’s (Prisoner of War) and MIA’s (Missing in Action) from the 357th Fighter Wing. The starboard side of the aircraft carry their names of all those who were captured or killed during the Vietnam War as well as the POW/MIA flag. The other Demo Team aircraft is the former Fort Wayne Indiana based 122nd Fighter Wing’s A-10C known as “Black Mamba.” The 122nd painted this A-10C in a black and gray color scheme to commemorate its 100th Anniversary in 2021 and operated this aircraft until 2023 when the unit transitioned to the Lockheed Martin F-16. The 355th Fighter Wing at Davis Monthan picked this jet up and retained the special paint scheme until its retirement at the end of the 2024 airshow season.
It is hard to believe the Lockheed Martin F-16 turned 50 this year with the first flight taking place back on January 20th, 1974. The 9-person team commanded by Captain Taylor “Fema” Hester and is based out Shaw Air Force Base South Carolina and is part of the 20th Fighter Wing. In honor of the F-16’s 50th birthday the team painted serial number 91-395 in a special color scheme that is based on the colors the prototype YF-16 wore during its test and evaluation against the YF-17. The F-16 is still in production today with over 4,600 manufactured and is operated by 27 Air Forces around the world. The 20th Fighter Wing has flown the F-16 since 1994 and can trace its history back to 1947. The team flew its single ship demo in the front half and back half of the week allowing the other teams to fly their single ship demo in the middle of the week.
The 14 person F-22 Raptor Demo Team is part of the Joint Base Eustis Langley based 1st Fighter Wing and is commanded by Captain Samuel “Razz” Larson. The team’s mission is to “Showcase the unmatched maneuverability of the Air Force’s 5th generation air dominance stealth fighter, highlight the history of the Air Force’s service through heritage formation flights, and interact with local communities through outreach events.” The F-22A first flew in 1997 with the 1st Fighter Wing flying the type since 2004. The F-22’s single ship demo performs maneuvers that highlight the extreme memorability of the aircraft and includes the Tailslide, Cobra, and the Pedal Turn. A pair of F-22A’s were on hand at AirVenture, serial numbers 02-034 and 01-018. The F-22 flew its demo on 7/25.
The 13 person F-35A Lightning II Demo Team is part of the 388th Fighter Wing based at Hill Air Force Base Utah and is commanded by Captain Melanie “Mach” Klussner. The team’s mission is to “Showcase the unique aerial capabilities of the Air Force’s newest most advanced 5th generation multi-role stealth fighter, the F-35A, as well as highlight the history of the Air Force’s service through heritage formation flights.” The F-35 first flew in 2006 with the 388th operating the F-35 since 2015 and is currently fulfilling roles for the United States Navy and Marine Corps as well. The F-35’s single ship demo routine includes such high-performance maneuvers as the Minimum Radius Turn, the Lightning Loop, and the Square Loop. The Demo Aircraft at AirVenture this year was serial number 20-5585.
Most civilian airshows are fortunate enough to land one and on the rare occasion two Air Combat Command Single Ship Demo Teams, but it is quite a feat to have all 4 current teams present at the same airshow. Having all 4 teams present is a result of the close partnership that exists between the United States Air Force and EAA, this rare event was truly another “Oshkosh Only” moment. Until Next time “Blue Skies to All!”
