Airspeed - The Magazine for Aviation Photographers

This is the 24th year of the USAF Heritage Flight Training Course at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base located in Tucson, AZ. Aircraft, pilots and team members from the A-10 Thunderbolt II Demo Team, F-16 Viper Demo Team, F-22 Raptor Demo Team, F-35 Lightning II Demo Team along with pilots from the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation with their aircraft this year were two P-51 Mustangs, A-1 Skyraider, F-86 Sabre.

For the past 24 years, the pilots and team members gather at Davis Monthan Air Force Base for training and upgrades to the Heritage Flight profile.

The ground crews exchange information and learn from their previous airshow season as well as help train the new team members and pilots.

One day of training is set aside for classroom, media training, safety, and briefing their airshow routine. The remaining four days, the demo pilots will fly their individual show routines; afterwards they will join up with the pilots from the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation and fly the Heritage Flight profile.

There is a training cycle for each group of aircraft to fly and master what they learn. This training will also help the new pilots learn the flight profiles.

After each flight the pilots will gather and debrief the flight and make any corrections for their next group flight.

This is also the week that a new demo pilot will receive their certification to fly their single-ship demo as well as for the Heritage Flight demo. After the training is complete, the demo pilots and teams will be ready for the 2021 Airshow season.

This year the newest A-10 Thunderbolt II Demo Team commander and pilot will be Capt. Haden “Gator” Fullam. He will lead a team of Air Force professionals for the 2021 and 2022 season.

Returning for the 2021 Airshow season will be: U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team commander and pilot Capt. Kristin “BEO” Wolfe in the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II. F-16 Viper Demo Team commander and pilot Maj. Garret “Toro” Schmitz in the General Dynamics F-16C Fighting Falcon.

F-22 Raptor Demo Team commander and pilot Maj. Joshua “Cabo” Gunderson in the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor.