NEW BELGIAN F-16 DEMO PILOT ANNOUNCED

Written By European Airshows

Belgian Air Force has announced that the new F-16 solo display pilot for the 2022-2024 season will be Captain Steven “Vrieske” De Vries.

Captain Steven De Vries, a Forty-eight-year old Limburg-born Belgian Air Force pilot, is a very experienced fighter pilot from the 31st “Tigers” Squadron at Kleine Brogel Air Base. He is the sixth pilot in the world and the first Non-US pilot to cross the 5,000-hour mark in an F-16. Only five American pilots had crossed this symbolic milestone before him.

 

© Sven Dillen

 

Those 5,000 flight hours were accumulated both during operational training missions and operational deployment. Captain De Vries, nicknamed “Vrieske”, has been a member of the Belgian Air Force since 1990.

Captain Vries is taking over the role as an F-16 demo pilot from senior captain aviator Stefan "Vador" Darte who displayed the F-16 since 2018.

 
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