U.S. Air Combat Command Announces Capt. Aimee Fiedler As New F-16 Demo Pilot

Published on: March 7, 2022 at 9:22 PM
The specially painted F-16CM "Viper" Demo Team aircraft and Capt. Aimee Fiedler. (Photo: TheAviationist.com/20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs)

Capt. Fiedler Brings Extensive Military and Civilian Flight Experience to Team as New Commanding Officer.

The U.S. Air Force Air Combat Command has announced that Capt. Aimee Fiedler will lead the ACC F-16 “Viper” Demo Team beginning in this coming 2022 air demonstration season. The announcement was made during the annual Heritage Flight Conference at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, Arizona, on Saturday, March 5, 2022.

Capt. Fiedler advances to the position of team commander and lead demo pilot after already serving as a member of the team and following deployments in the F-16 Fighting Falcon that include service in South Korea. Capt. Fiedler replaces former and long-time F-16 “Viper” Demo Team commander, USAF Maj. Garrett “Toro” Schmitz, who served as the team’s commander and lead demo pilot since 2019. Back then, “Toro” took the commanding position from USAF Capt. Zoe Kotnik, the USAF’s first female single-ship tactical demonstration pilot, who was relieved of her command position as the Air Force’s F-16 Demonstration Team pilot after only two weeks in the assignment for a loss of confidence in her ability to lead and command the team.

Capt. Fiedler said in an announcement on the Air Force Heritage Flight website that, “When you travel to air shows, you are meeting the next generation of fighter pilots and Airmen, and that inspires me to do my job better.” Fiedler went on to say that, “They are the ones that are going to be flying alongside me or trained up to take on this mission after my time is done. We get to show the people we meet that this is an attainable goal and as long as they set themselves up for success, they can do this job.”

U.S. Air Force Capt. Aimee Fiedler has been named as the new commander of the Air Combat Command (ACC) F-16 “Viper” Demo Team.
(Photo: 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs)

The USAF Air Combat Command (ACC) F-16 “Viper” Demo Team inspires airshow audiences and aviation enthusiasts of all ages through flight demonstrations and personal appearances that showcase the Air Force experience and the flight capabilities of the General Dynamic F-16 Fighting Falcon, often referred to by its nickname, the F-16 “Viper”.

The mission of the ACC F-16 “Viper” Demo Team is significant since it serves as a vital recruiting asset for the U.S. Air Force and showcases the performance of one of the most successful and prolific combat aircraft in aviation history.

Over 4,600 General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons have been produced since the aircraft first flew in 1974, and the aircraft is in service with 25 countries in addition to the United States. The F-16 Fighting Falcon has seen combat in service with multiple countries, including Israel, the United States, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Norway and Venezuela.

Capt. Aimee Fiedler and the Air Combat Command F-16 “Viper” Demo Team is scheduled to appear at 21 airshows during the 2022 flight demonstration season in addition to other appearances and events.

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Tom Demerly is a feature writer, journalist, photographer and editorialist who has written articles that are published around the world on TheAviationist.com, TACAIRNET.com, Outside magazine, Business Insider, We Are The Mighty, The Dearborn Press & Guide, National Interest, Russia’s government media outlet Sputnik, and many other publications. Demerly studied journalism at Henry Ford College in Dearborn, Michigan. Tom Demerly served in an intelligence gathering unit as a member of the U.S. Army and Michigan National Guard. His military experience includes being Honor Graduate from the U.S. Army Infantry School at Ft. Benning, Georgia (Cycle C-6-1) and as a Scout Observer in a reconnaissance unit, Company “F”, 425th INF (RANGER/AIRBORNE), Long Range Surveillance Unit (LRSU). Demerly is an experienced parachutist, holds advanced SCUBA certifications, has climbed the highest mountains on three continents and visited all seven continents and has flown several types of light aircraft.
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