A “Rebel” with a “Venemous” streak – F16 2022-FB

The F-16 “Viper” Demo Team returns to Houston

Our friends at the United States Air Force are bringing their lean and mean F-16 “Viper Team” to Houston with their awesome “Venom” paint scheme. Come out on October 29th and 30th to watch this front-line fighter push the throttle forward and perform a full-up aerobatic demonstration. Here’s some background info on the F-16 “Viper” Demonstration team and aircraft . . . including info on their new demo pilot, Capt. Aimee “Rebel” Fiedler.

2022 “Viper” Demo Team – Meet “Rebel”

Air Combat Command’s F-16 demonstration performs precision aerial maneuvers showcasing the unique capabilities of the Air Force’s premier multi-role fighter, the F-16 Fighting Falcon. The 2022 Demo Pilot is Captain Aimee “Rebel” Fiedler.

Capt. Aimee ‘Rebel’ Fiedler has more than 2,000 flying hours combined in her 6 years of military service and prior experience as a civilian flight instructor.

“When you travel to air shows, you are meeting the next generation of fighter pilots and Airmen, and that inspires me to do my job better,” said Fiedler. “They are the ones that are going to be flying alongside me or trained up to take on this mission after my time is done. We get to show the people we meet that this is an attainable goal and as long as they set themselves up for success, they can do this job.”

Capt. Fiedler solidified her position as commander following extensive training, including multiple certification flights.

The Viper Demonstration Team, now lead by Fiedler, consists of 7 maintainers who are responsible for maintaining and readying the jet for air show performances.

“These shows allow us to get out and share our story with the crowds,” said Master Sgt. Brandon Baden, F-16 Viper Demonstration Team superintendent. “They get a firsthand look at how we keep the Viper flying, while also getting a realistic picture of who we are and how we became Air Force maintainers.”

This is your chance to see up-close and personal the professional qualities the Air Force develops in the people who fly, maintain and support these aircraft

F-16 Fighting Falcon – Fast Facts

Originally developed by General Dynamics (now Lockheed Martin) this $43M combat-proven demo aircraft has proven itself as the world’s most capable 4th Generation multi-role fighter, serving as the ‘workhorse’ of the fighter fleet for more than 25 allied nations around the world. The F-16 is a single-engine, highly maneuverable, supersonic, tactical fighter aircraft; it was designed to be cost-effective and perform various missions and maintain around-the-clock readiness.

It is much more compact and lighter than predecessors, but uses advanced aerodynamics and avionics, including the first use of a relaxed static stability/fly-by-wire (RSS/FBW) flight control system, to achieve enhanced maneuver performance. Highly nimble, the F-16 was the first fighter aircraft purpose-built to pull 9-g maneuvers and can reach a maximum speed of over Mach 2.

The F-16’s official name is “Fighting Falcon”, but “Viper” is commonly used by pilots and crews, due to a perceived resemblance to a viper snake, as well as the Battlestar Galactica Colonial Viper starfighter.

Info Sources:

• https://www.airforceheritageflight.org/news/2022/03/06/aimee-rebel-fiedler-f-16-demo-team-pilot/
• https://www.acc.af.mil/Home/Aerial-Events/F16-Viper/
• http://www.af.mil/

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