On June 15, at the Pedro Ruiz Gallo Air Base, the Chiclayo Air Festival 2024 began in Peru, commemorating the 83rd anniversary of the sacrifice of FAP Captain José Abelardo Quiñones. One of the festival’s highlights was the aerial display by F-16 fighters from the United States Air Force’s Viper Demo Team, featuring their new paint scheme commemorating the 50th anniversary of the first flight of the YF-16 in 1974.
The Chiclayo Air Festival 2024 kicked off on Saturday, June 15. The opening of the air show was attended by Peru’s Minister of Defense, Walter Astudillo, accompanied by the Chief of the Joint Staff of the Peruvian Armed Forces and the regional governor of Lambayeque, the mayor of Chiclayo, amongst other authorities.
The festival featured various flyovers by aircraft in service with the Peruvian Air Force, notably the Mirage 2000 fighter-bombers and the recently acquired Hercules KC-130H transport planes from Spain.
There were also acrobatic flights performed by Moravan Zlín Z-242 aircraft from the Bicolor Squadron. The event included static displays with participation from the Colombian Air Force, featuring an Airbus C295 (registration FAC 1285).
One of the most anticipated demonstrations was by an F-16 fighter from the U.S. Air Force’s Viper Demo Team. A notable feature of this aircraft is its paint scheme commemorating the 50th anniversary of the first flight of the YF-16. This aircraft was recently presented in May.
The Viper Demo Team was formed in 2015 from the merger of the Viper East and West teams. For the 50th anniversary, the team will represent the Air Combat Command and the Air Force at 25 shows in four different countries.
Photos: United States Embassy in Lima / Ministry of Defense of Peru.
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