Summary
- US Air Force’s A-10 Demo Team showcases history and maneuverability with ground pyrotechnics and sound effects.
- A-10 Demo Team allows outreach for recruiting and infotainment at airshows, honoring veterans and teaching aviation history.
- Major Lindsay “MAD” Johnson emphasizes importance of interacting with audiences at airshows, leaving a lasting impact.
As part of the last season, the US Air Force’s A-10 Warthog Demo Team will stop at the United States’ largest airshow in EAA Air Venture Oshkosh. The Demo Team was created to showcase the Warthog.
Why the A-10 Demo Team?
The A-10 Demo Team allows the US Air Force to make outreach to airshows not just for recruiting and infotainment of airshow audiences but also to show the US Air Force’s history by flying with warbirds. According to the A-10 Demo Team’s media kit, the A-10 Demo Team used to be two teams for both coasts before both were deactivated in 2011, then a limited Heritage Flight Demo in 2012 and 2017 before reactivating as a single-ship demonstration in
The A-10 Demo also does not use actual 30mm bullets or other A-10 weapons but ground pyrotechnics and sound effects to facsimile training missions when possible. The demo shows off all angles of the A-10 to the photographer and provides some idea of the A-10’s maneuverability.
The current demo pilot is Major Lindsay “MAD” Johnson, who has more than 1,380 flight hours, including 431 in combat with the 354th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Kandahar AB, Afghanistan. As such, Major Jonson has won the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters. Major Johnson is also a qualified A-10 flight instructor.
What is EAA AirVenture Oshkosh?
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh is the United States’ largest airshow and pilot meet-up by the Experimental Aircraft Association in central Wisconsin. The event runs from July 22 to July 28, 2024, and there is a massive general aviation fly-in, static displays of many types of aircraft, and even two evening-to-night shows on July 24 and July 27. However, the A-10 will not be performing at every show, so check the EAA AirVenture site for the latest schedules.
There is also an honor flight conducted to honor veterans:
![53088471217_380a0a8e44_o - Old Glory Honor Flight](https://static1.simpleflyingimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/53088471217_380a0a8e44_o.jpg)
Related
100 Vietnam War Vets Will Take EAA AirVenture Yellow Ribbon Honor Flight To Washington DC For 10th Year
100 Veterans of the Vietnam War are being treated to a “Yellow Ribbon Honor Flight” during the United States’ largest airshow.
Finally, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh has aviation living history experiences, such as many speaker opportunities and a significant aviation author lineup to help teach. Additionally, aircraft anniversaries are honored.
Bottom line
We’ll let Major Lindsay “MAD” Johnson have the last word as per an interview Major Johnson did with the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation on May 3, 2023,
“Whether you’re at Oshkosh with hundreds of thousands of people or a smaller air show where there are only a couple of thousand, you must treat every interaction with the utmost importance. Each of those is important, and just taking the time to stand next to a person that has some questions and tell them about your opportunity to get here always leaves an impact. I think we all have moments like that in our lives where a single interaction like that has been extremely influential.”
Are you planning on seeing the A-10 Demo Team this final season? Please share in the comments.