F-35A Demonstration Team

{{Short description|USAF solo demo aircraft}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}

{{Use American English|date=April 2023}}

{{Infobox military unit

| unit_name = F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team

| image = 190116-F-BQ566-003.jpg

| caption = The F-35A Demo Team performs a weapons bay doors pass

| dates = 2018–present

| country = United States

| allegiance =

| branch = 20px United States Air Force

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| role = Aerobatic display team

| size = 1 officer
11 enlisted support personnel

| command_structure = Air Combat Command

| garrison = Hill Air Force Base
Davis County, Utah

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| website = https://www.388fw.acc.af.mil/F-35A-Demo-Team/

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| equipment = F-35A Lightning II

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| commander1 = Major Melanie "Mach" Kluesner

| commander1_label = Current Commander

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The F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team is a United States Air Force flight demonstration team under the 388th Fighter Wing currently stationed at Hill Air Force Base in Davis County, Utah. The team flies the USAF's F-35A fighter jet at airshows performing air maneuvers that demonstrate the supermaneuverability of the F-35A. Examples of these demonstrations include the minimum radius turn to high alpha loop, weapons bay door pass, pedal turn, slow speed to power climb and tactical pitch.{{Cite news|url=https://www.luke.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1737544/f-35-demo-team-pilot-practices-new-maneuvers/|title=F-35 Demo Team pilot practices new maneuvers|work=Luke Air Force Base|date=January 22, 2019|accessdate=April 13, 2023}}

The demonstration team was founded in late 2018 and was originally stationed at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona,{{Cite news|url=https://theaviationist.com/2019/06/03/how-the-f-35-demo-team-is-changing-minds-about-the-joint-strike-fighter-program/|title=How The F-35 Demo Team Is Changing Minds About the Joint Strike Fighter Program|work=The Aviationist|date=June 3, 2019|accessdate=April 13, 2023}} It moved to Hill Air Force Base in 2019.{{Cite news|url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/glendale/2019/09/07/glendale-arizona-luke-air-force-base-f-35-a-team-moves-utah/2248387001/|title=Air Force F-35A demo team to move from Glendale base to Utah|work=AZ Central|date=September 7, 2019|accessdate=April 13, 2023}}

The current demonstration pilot and commander of the team is Major Melanie "Mach" Kluesner. {{Cite news|url=https://www.388fw.acc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3692896/f-35-demo-team-announces-new-pilot-and-commander/|title=F-35 Demo Team announces new pilot and commander}} Kluesner took over for the former demonstration pilot and team commander, Major Kristin "Beo" Wolfe in March of 2024.{{Cite news |date=March 11, 2024 |title=Maj. Kristin Wolfe: A Trailblazing Legacy in the Skies |url=https://www.dvidshub.net/image/8281439/major-kristin-beo-wolfe |accessdate=June 1, 2024 |work=DVIDS}}