The Thunderbirds are here! And F-22 Raptor pilot has returned home as one of the stars in the Quad City Air Show this weekend.
The U. S. Air Force Thunderbirds perform for people all around the world to display the pride, precision and professionalism the U.S. Air Force represents, according to the official website. They will be featured Saturday and Sunday at the Davenport Municipal Airport during the Quad City Air Show.
Through air shows and flyovers, The Thunderbirds aim to excite and inspire. In addition to showcasing the elite skills all pilots must possess, the Thunderbirds demonstrate the incredible capabilities of the Air Force’s premier multi-role fighter jet, the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
Among the other stars in the air show will be Captain Samuel Larson, who will fly the F-22 Raptor. Larson, who demonstrated his skills in the jet Tuesday, is from the Quad Cities. He discussed his experience with the air show.
“I attended my first Quad City Air Show when I was 6 months old,” he said. “The Thunderbirds were here for that show as well.”
“I grew up every summer going to the Quad City Air Show,” he said. “I lived near the Davenport Airport, so I saw jets flying over the house and I was immediately hooked. I knew I wanted to be a pilot growing up. And then meeting pilots at the air show is what illuminated the path forward for me.”
Larson graduated from Bettendorf High School in 2011 and from the Air Force Academy in 2015.
For more information about the air show, visit here.
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