The F-16 Solo Display Team is currently based at Volkel Air Base in the Dutch province of North Brabant and consists of the pilot, two instructors and seven ground crew. The members of the team are always seconded from a squadron of the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The 2010 pilot, Kapitein (Flight Lieutenant) Tobias Schutte, flies with 323 Squadron.

The Dutch F16 demo team moves to another squadron and/or base every two years, season 2007-2009 being the exception. From 2005 until 2009 the demo team was based at Volkel Air Base.

In 2010 the team consists of members of the operational squadrons from Leeuwarden Air Base. They took over the orange F-16, J-015.

According to schedule, the team returned to Volkel Air Base early in 2012

The team was established in September 1979 with the first demonstration of an RNLAF F-16 during an air show at Twente Air Base (now Enschede Airport Twente). The team has since been seen at air shows in European countries and, in 2006, at Edwards Air Force Base in the United States, winning the prize for the best display team in the jet category at the air show held at Reims – Champagne Air Base in 2009.

The team has no single colour scheme. The present orange colour scheme was unveiled in April 2009.

Although it looks spectacular, the RNLAF F-16 Demo Team show contains maneuvers that occur during normal operational missions.

What makes the show special is that all of these maneuvers are smoothly choreographed together and are performed at very low altitude.

During the performance, the demo pilot's body is exposed to enormous positive and negative G forces.

Role                     

National origin         

Manufacturer     

First flight

Introduction

Status

Primary users

Number built

Multirole jet fighter

United States

General Dynamics/Lockheed Martin

20 January 1974

17 August 1978

In service, in production

United States Air Force

25 other users.

4,500+