History of single ship demo team in the US

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alphatango
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History of single ship demo team in the US

Post by alphatango » Tue Oct 27, 2020 7:07 am

Hello everyone,

I realized that I don't have much knowledge about single-ship demo team in the US - and not much info about single ship demo team exist in WWW.
I am trying to make a good picture about it - especially in TAC time.
I bet someone in here lives long enough and remember about old good days...

As far as I know...
* F-15: stared performances in 1980s, until 2006(East)/2009(West).
* Same for F-14 - until 2005.
* F-16: started performances in 1990s disbanded once in 2013 but reactivated in 2015
* A-10: disbanded once in 2013, reactivated in 2018
* T-6 demo team exist around 2006
* F-22: start from 2006
* F-35: start from 2018

Questions...
* What is the first single ship demo team in USAF?
* Anything before F-15? (F-4?)
* Transition time for F/A-18
* When A-10 demo team was initially formed
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Bretten Bailey
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Post by Bretten Bailey » Tue Oct 27, 2020 3:15 pm

alphatango wrote: Tue Oct 27, 2020 7:07 am Hello everyone,

I realized that I don't have much knowledge about single-ship demo team in the US - and not much info about single ship demo team exist in WWW.
I am trying to make a good picture about it - especially in TAC time.
I bet someone in here lives long enough and remember about old good days...

As far as I know...
* F-15: stared performances in 1980s, until 2006(East)/2009(West).
* Same for F-14 - until 2005.
* F-16: started performances in 1990s disbanded once in 2013 but reactivated in 2015
* A-10: disbanded once in 2013, reactivated in 2018
* T-6 demo team exist around 2006
* F-22: start from 2006
* F-35: start from 2018

Questions...
* What is the first single ship demo team in USAF?
* Anything before F-15? (F-4?)
* Transition time for F/A-18
* When A-10 demo team was initially formed
-Timeline is fairly accurate. The F-14 demo flew its final demos in 2004 with the exception of NAS Oceana which had the final demo in 2005. By mid-2006, several airframes were already on their way to museums.

-The T-6 Texan II Demos also had an East & West Team. They started around 2002. The final demo was flown July 4th, 2006 in Battle Creek, Michigan.

-Most of what we determine as the "Air Combat Command" demos started in the 1980s. I have some videos somewhere of the A-10 performing in the 1980s in Michigan. Exact years, however, will take some research.

-F-15 East ended in 2006 and they transitioned to the F-22 Demo Team, which began flying demos in 2007. Prior to 2007, the F-22 Demo existed, but it wasn't the full profile we know today (and they were not an official demo team yet).

-The F-15E Strike Eagle Demo Team started in the mid-2000s and performed until 2011. They were based at Seymour Johnson and the profile was different than the F-15C demos.

-F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet Demos began in the Mid-2000s.

-All Air Combat Command Demo teams stood down following the 2011 season with the exception of the F-22 Demo Team. The A-10 & F-16 teams transitioned to Heritage Flight Only teams and did not fly demos again until 2015 (F-16) and 2018 (A-10). F-15E Strike Eagle, the only other demo team that stood down, has never been reactivated.

-There was a QF-4 Heritage Team (which included a mini-demo) that performed from 2005-2011.

-While never an official demo, ACC used to list air shows that had performances from the F-117 Nighthawk as the "F-117 Demo Team" (2001-2007). Some shows were lucky enough to have them stage from their show site.

-C-17 & KC-135 Demo Team used to exist at Altus AFB. I'll have to get dates of when they began, but they stopped in 2011. A C-17 Demo Team (used to be West Coast Demo Team) presently is based out of JB Lewis-McChord.
Last edited by Bretten Bailey on Tue Oct 27, 2020 3:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Bingofuel » Tue Oct 27, 2020 5:07 pm

F-16 Demo was at least 1986 if not before. Teams from Luke (and I believe Holloman AFB?) did shows across the western portion of North America.

First true Super Hornet demo I saw was in 2001. But not sure if that was an official "team" yet.

Also, USMC Harrier demos were extremely common by the mid 80's.

Not sure if this counts but in the 80's there was a very short lived Strategic Air Command team, comprised of a B-52, KC-10, KC-135, and F-111. Here's the video, and it's easily some of the craziest large aircraft airshow flying you'll ever see. Super unsafe, but Awesome!
https://youtu.be/QxTqfS0HUxE
Last edited by Bingofuel on Tue Oct 27, 2020 5:35 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Post by RyanS » Tue Oct 27, 2020 10:14 pm

Bretten Bailey wrote: Tue Oct 27, 2020 3:15 pm -All Air Combat Command Demo teams stood down following the 2011 season with the exception of the F-22 Demo Team. The A-10 & F-16 teams transitioned to Heritage Flight Only teams and did not fly demos again until 2015 (F-16) and 2018 (A-10). F-15E Strike Eagle, the only other demo team that stood down, has never been reactivated.
I think you mean during 2013? Sequestration didn't kick in until June I think, didn't they get some early 2013 shows in? I know I saw demos in 2012.
-C-17 & KC-135 Demo Team used to exist at Altus AFB. I'll have to get dates of when they began, but they stopped in 2011. A C-17 Demo Team (used to be West Coast Demo Team) presently is based out of JB Lewis-McChord.
They performed at Nellis as the "Altus Demo Team" and seem to be sticking around https://www.facebook.com/AltusDemoTeam
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Bretten Bailey
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Post by Bretten Bailey » Tue Oct 27, 2020 10:55 pm

RyanS wrote: Tue Oct 27, 2020 10:14 pm
Bretten Bailey wrote: Tue Oct 27, 2020 3:15 pm -All Air Combat Command Demo teams stood down following the 2011 season with the exception of the F-22 Demo Team. The A-10 & F-16 teams transitioned to Heritage Flight Only teams and did not fly demos again until 2015 (F-16) and 2018 (A-10). F-15E Strike Eagle, the only other demo team that stood down, has never been reactivated.
I think you mean during 2013? Sequestration didn't kick in until June I think, didn't they get some early 2013 shows in? I know I saw demos in 2012.
-C-17 & KC-135 Demo Team used to exist at Altus AFB. I'll have to get dates of when they began, but they stopped in 2011. A C-17 Demo Team (used to be West Coast Demo Team) presently is based out of JB Lewis-McChord.
They performed at Nellis as the "Altus Demo Team" and seem to be sticking around https://www.facebook.com/AltusDemoTeam
Glad to hear about the Altus team. Between later last year and then dealing with COVID affecting the industry this year, they must've slipped under my radar (but that also makes my planning easier because I know the team exists).

As for sequestration, negative. All shows were without military beginning in April, though only the F-22 was performing demos for ACC. The Thunderbirds were able to perform one lone show in Titusville, Florida though, I believe. As for 2012, only the F-22 was flying demos. The A-10 and F-16 were Heritage Flight only (though they did do a few extra passes) in 2012 but did not fly tactical demos (that's what I was trying to allude to above).

Article Mentioning the A-10 Demo Returning (mentions the 2012 Heritage Flight and 2011 Stand Down): https://www.acc.af.mil/News/Article-Dis ... nstration/

Article discussing the return of the F-16 Demo Team in 2015 after a 4 year hiatus: https://airshows.aero/News/ID/443

Milavia: https://www.milavia.net/news/2011/usaf- ... shows.html

It was a big deal because it was a shocking announcement that came the week before the ICAS Convention. But during the convention was when some minds were put at ease and they said that the A-10 and F-16 would be available for Heritage Flights.
Last edited by Bretten Bailey on Tue Oct 27, 2020 10:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by n33d4sp33d_85 » Tue Oct 27, 2020 11:43 pm

Let's not forget about the F/A-18C Hornet and CF-18 Hornet demos. Demonstrations by the Hornet, aka Legacy Hornet, occurred during the 80s. Some of you may remember the amazing CF-18 demonstrations put on by Bob Wade during that period.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgO6rhyA2FA

At one point, both the F/A-18 Hornet and CF-18 Hornet demos had a West Coast and East Coast demo team. For the US Navy demos, the West Coast Demo Team was VFA-125, while VFA-106 was the East Coast. For the CF-18 Hornet, the West Team was based in CFB Cold Lake, Alberta and the East Team was based in CFB Bagotville, Quebec.

Not sure when the first year for the West Coast and East Coast Demo Teams for the CF-18 Hornet took place, but I know that the last year for both was 2003. I'm assuming that due to budget, the CF-18 Hornet demo teams were reduced to alternating every year. The East Team from Bagotville performed in the even years starting in 2004 while the West Team from Cold Lake performed in the odd years.

The West Coast F/A-18 Hornet Demo Team was from probably the early 1990s until 2010 when VFA-125 temporary disbanded and their F/A-18s switched over to the F/A-18 Super Hornet squadron, VFA-122. After that the East Team based at NAS Oceana would be the only F/A-18C Hornet Demo Team until its final season in 2017.
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Post by alphatango » Wed Oct 28, 2020 12:44 am

Wow, thank you! Yes, I knew I came to the right place for this type of questions... :D

Here is the summary, based on the input from members in this thread.

USAF
F-15C: from 1980s(Holloman) through 2006(East, Langley)/2009(West, Eglin)
F-14: from 1980s through 2004(last season) + 2005 at NAS Oceana
F-16: from 1986, disbanded in 2012 (both East & West), reactivated in 2015(Shaw)
A-10: from 1980s, disbanded in 2012 (both East & West), reactivated in 2018(DM)
F-15E: from mid-2000s(SJ), disbanded in 2012
F-22: from 2006, full schedule from 2009 (Langley)
F-35A: from 2018 (Luke->Hill)
T-6: from 2002, until 2006
KC-135: until 2011(Altus)
C-17: unitl 2011(Altus), reactivated in 2020 (McChord)
F-117: from 2001 until 2007
QF-4: from 2005 until 2011(Tyndal->Holloman), reactivated & disbanded in 2016 (Holloman)

USN
F/A-18C: from 1980s until 2000 (VFA-125, Lemoore) /2017 (VFA-106, Oceana)
F/A-18E/F: from 2001 (VFA-122) / 2015 (VFA-106, co-exist with Legacy Hornet)
EA-18G: from 2020 (Whidbey Island) - I observed the flight in 2019 Nellis

------------------------------------------------------------------------
More questions...
- Did navy setup two demo team for F-14 like Hornet?
- USMC AV-8B: from 1980s <- does USMC established actual "demo team" like USAF or USN?
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Post by n33d4sp33d_85 » Wed Oct 28, 2020 2:53 am

alphatango wrote: Wed Oct 28, 2020 12:44 am Wow, thank you! Yes, I knew I came to the right place for this type of questions... :D

Here is the summary, based on the input from members in this thread.

USAF
F-15C: from 1980s(Holloman) through 2006(East, Langley)/2009(West, Eglin)
F-14: from 1980s through 2004(last season) + 2005 at NAS Oceana
F-16: from 1986, disbanded in 2012 (both East & West), reactivated in 2015(Shaw)
A-10: from 1980s, disbanded in 2012 (both East & West), reactivated in 2018(DM)
F-15E: from mid-2000s(SJ), disbanded in 2012
F-22: from 2006, full schedule from 2009 (Langley)
F-35A: from 2018 (Luke->Hill)
T-6: from 2002, until 2006
KC-135: until 2011(Altus)
C-17: unitl 2011(Altus), reactivated in 2020 (McChord)
F-117: from 2001 until 2007
QF-4: from 2005 until 2011(Tyndal->Holloman), reactivated & disbanded in 2016 (Holloman)

USN
F/A-18C: from 1980s until 2000 (VFA-125, Lemoore) /2017 (VFA-106, Oceana)
F/A-18E/F: from 2001 (VFA-122) / 2015 (VFA-106, co-exist with Legacy Hornet)
EA-18G: from 2020 (Whidbey Island) - I observed the flight in 2019 Nellis

------------------------------------------------------------------------
More questions...
- Did navy setup two demo team for F-14 like Hornet?
- USMC AV-8B: from 1980s <- does USMC established actual "demo team" like USAF or USN?
To answer your questions, yes and no. Yes for your first question about the F-14. The Navy did setup two demo teams for the F-14 Tomcat. The West Coast Team was from VF-124 "Gunfighters", based at NAS Miramar (now MCAS Miramar), California and the East Coast Demo Team was VF-101 "Grim Reapers", based at NAS Oceana, Virginia. Both squadrons were fleet replacement squadrons. When VF-124 was disbanded in 1994, VF-101 "Grim Reapers" would be the only F-14 Tomcat Demo Team from that point until 2004 when the F-14 Tomcat began to be slowly phased out of service with the US Navy.

No for your second question regarding the AV-8B Harrier II. The Marines don't have an actual demo team. Just to add that MCAS Yuma, Arizona provides Harrier demonstrations on the Western part of the United States while the Eastern side is provided by MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina. Because of budget, since 2016 with the exception of Marine bases, only four lucky shows get to receive a demo by the AV-8B Harrier II.

Your list is good. Just a few minor adjustments. For the F/A-18C, the last season for VFA-125 was 2010. For the F/A-18E/F, the first season for the East Coast Demo Team was 2005. And for the F-22, the first year for the full demo was 2008.
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Post by alphatango » Thu Oct 29, 2020 3:57 am

Got it. Truly appreciated for the input, everyone!
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