A Viper Demo Team Video with No Narration? Yes Please!
The US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon Demonstration Team performed at the 2021 Thunder Over the Heartland airshow in Topeka, Kansas. Our friends at AirshowStuff were there and captured the performance in HD video with ear-splitting sound- and no narration! F-16C Air Force serial number 94-0047 has worn a special paint scheme called Viper (the F-16’s semi-official nickname) since May of 2020. More about the jet itself and its interesting history after the video, which was uploaded to YouTube by AirshowStuffVideos. Turn that audio up!
Going to Work with the Tigers
F-16C Air Force serial number 94-0047 is a Block 50 Wild Weasel Plus specification jet accepted by the US Air Force on 27 November 1996. The jet was assigned to the 79th Fighter Squadron (FS) Tigers of the 20th Fighter Wing (FW), Fifteenth Air Force based at Shaw Air Force Base (AFB) near the town of Sumter in South Carolina during April of 1997. During its time with the Tigers the jet wore a special commemorative 79th Anniversary tail color scheme (1918-1997) applied during October of 1997. 047 also wore a special paint scheme for the 2001 Tiger Meet. The jet was assigned to the Tigers until April of 2006, when it was reassigned to the 77th FS Gamblers of the same 20th FW, Fifteenth Air Force, Air Combat Command, at Shaw AFB.
Becoming a Gambler
Not long after being assigned to the Gamblers, the jet experienced an exhaust fire during departure from Shaw AFB which resulted in the drop tanks being jettisoned (over surrounding uncontrolled land) prior to the jet’s return to Shaw and successful recovery. 047 was then repaired and subsequently returned to duty. For the next several years 047 flew with the Gamblers as a Fighting Falcon Demonstration Team mount. On 8 May 2020 the jet emerged from the paint shop wearing its unique (and very cool) Viper paint job. Air Force Major Garret “Toro” Schmitz is both commander of the F-16C Viper Demo Team and the pilot of the Viper.
