COLUMBIA, S.C. — The pilot of the U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper Demonstration Team was seriously injured during a mountain bike accident last week forcing him to be grounded until October.
Maj. Garret “Toro” Schmitz, commander and pilot of the F-16C Viper Demo Team, broke the news of the accident on Tuesday. The injuries, while not life threatening, will force the team to cancel upcoming air shows in Canada and California.
“I got in a fairly serious accident last week while mountain biking,” Toro Schmitz began in a statement released on Tuesday. “I had a front wheel catch while on a downhill trail, flipped over the front of my handle bars, and flew into a couple trees.”
Maj. Schmitz is in the final months of his command with the demo team. The Utah native began his service with the team in May 2019.
“Some minor fractures in my back, a few fractured ribs, and a bunch of scrapes and bruises,” Maj. Schmitz added. “The back fractures won’t have any lasting affect other than being painful for the next few weeks.”
He continued by saying, “I’ve had plenty of fractured ribs, so I’m familiar with how bad those suck.”
Maj. Schmitz is the only pilot certified by U.S. Air Combat Command to perform the flight demonstration. The team hopes he can return to flying by early October.
In a separate statement, the Viper Demo Team said Tuesday they are working with Air Combat Command to ensure their upcoming performances “are supported with ACC assets”. This means another Air Force team may fill the void at air shows in Ontario and Quebec, Canada, and San Francisco.
Last week’s accident occurred a few days following his performance during EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh.
Schmitz thanked his family, friends, and the medical staff treating him, including his own wife, Aubrey. She serves as a medical doctor at the local hospital.
Toro expects to make a full recovery and conclude the season with the Viper Demo Team. “I’m very grateful and fortunate to come out of such a bad accident with no permanent injuries,” he expressed.
(Charles A. Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)
