U.S. Air Force F-16 demo team celebrates 50th with new paint scheme

The U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper Demonstration Team has released a video of a new paint scheme on one of its aircraft to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first flight of the fighter.

The red, white and blue paint scheme paint scheme unveiled at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Wednesday, was the original livery worn by the YF-16 prototype first flown in 1974, according to the U.S. Air Force. In 2024, the F-16 Viper Demonstration Team will represent Air Combat Command and the Air Force at 25 shows in four countries, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the F-16 Fighting Falcon

It’s worth remembering that the first flight of the F-16 in 1974 — then the YF-16 — was unintentional, as test pilot Phil Oestricher explains in the video of that flight above.