Photo By Senior Airman Meghan Hutton | U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Elias Sanchez, F-16 Viper Demonstration Team dedicated...... read more read more
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SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. – The U.S. Air Force Air Combat Command F-16 Viper Demonstration Team has selected Senior Airman Elias Sanchez of Visalia, California to serve as a dedicated crew chief for the 2024 air show season.
Sanchez, born and raised in Visalia, California, attended Golden West High School and College of the Sequoias.
“I’m looking forward to meeting the hundreds of thousands of people who come out to the air shows and talk to them about the Viper and my role in maintaining it,” said Sanchez. “I’m very excited to go to Oshkosh and see all the planes that come down.”
Sanchez has served in the Air Force since 2020 as a crew chief at Misawa Air Base, Japan, and Shaw AFB, where he was picked to join the F-16 Viper Demonstration Team in 2024.
“This year, our small team will travel the world and share the 50th anniversary of the F-16 with over three million spectators,” said Capt. Taylor “FEMA” Hiester, the F-16 Viper Demonstration Team commander and pilot. “We will do this with two aircraft maintained by 8 American Airmen who were selected for the job because they are the best that our country has to offer. Senior Airman Sanchez’s performance has brought great pride upon himself, his family, the state of California, and the United States Air Force.”
As a dedicated crew chief for the demonstration team, Sanchez is responsible for all scheduled maintenance, aircraft forms documentation, and overall aircraft serviceability. His mission is to ensure the demonstration pilot has a safe aircraft to perform an aerial performance for millions of spectators.
The Air Combat Command F-16 Viper Demonstration Team is comprised of one pilot, 8 aircraft maintenance specialists, and 1 public affairs representative all thoroughly trained and specially selected from the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw AFB.
The team performs precision aerial maneuvers at over 20 shows, both nationally and internationally, to demonstrate the combat capabilities of one of the Air Force’s premier multi-role fighter aircraft, the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
The Viper Demonstration Team is a proud member of the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation and works to create a unique display of airpower through the ages by flying in formation with historic warbirds.
| Date Taken: | 08.14.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.14.2024 09:41 |
| Story ID: | 478568 |
| Location: | SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 103 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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