F-16 team from Air Show doing flyover at Air Force museum this afternoon

Capt. Taylor “FEMA” Hiester, right, pilot for the F-16 Viper Demonstration Team and crew members talked to visitors Monday, June 24, 2024 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. The team performed at the Dayton Air Show over the weekend to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the F-16 Fighting Falcon. MARSHALL GORBY\STAFF

Capt. Taylor “FEMA” Hiester, right, pilot for the F-16 Viper Demonstration Team and crew members talked to visitors Monday, June 24, 2024 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. The team performed at the Dayton Air Show over the weekend to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the F-16 Fighting Falcon. MARSHALL GORBY\STAFF

The Dayton Air Show just ended, but aviation fans can still enjoy an F-16 flyover near the Air Force museum at 2:25 p.m. today.

This was the 50th Dayton Air Show, and this year also marks the 50th anniversary of the F-16, which makes it impactful to the flight team. The F-16 Viper demonstration team doing today’s flyover has their plane painted in the same way it was during its first flight in 1974.

“This year, our entire mission is to not only inspire people to serve their community,” Air Force Captain Taylor Hiester said, “but also to honor everybody that has served in the orbit of the F-16 for the last 50 years, whether engineers, maintainers, pilots and all the people who have served in the military and supported the airplane.”

The F-16 Viper Demonstration Team flies over the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Monday, June 24, 2024 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the F-16 Fighting Falcon. MARSHALL GORBY\STAFF

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Hiester, who’s call sign is ‘FEMA,’ said the Viper team travels the world to do about 25 shows in a year. Last weekend they were in Peru, and next weekend, they’re in Canada.

Senior Airman Grayson Reams, who is the environmental and electrical specialist on Hiester’s team, noted that “Everyone in their craft is the best of the best.”

The F-16 flyover will happen at 2:25 p.m. at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Riverside.

“So if you didn’t have a chance to see it at the Air Show, it’s going to be really special to see it over the National Museum of the Air Force, which is unlike any other museum in the world,” Hiester said.

Owen Cheatwood has his photo taken Monday, June 24, 2024 with part of the F-16 Viper Demonstration Team, from left, Grayson Reams, Colton McMicken and Elias Sanchez at the 
National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. The team was at the museum to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the F-16 Fighting Falcon. MARSHALL GORBY\STAFF

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