The Air Force’s single F-22 Raptor aerial demonstration pilot, Maj. Paul “Max” Moga, so wowed the air show circuit that AirShowBuzz named him the Person of the Year for 2007. The Raptor and Moga, says AirShowBuzz, became a “game changer for the industry. “Without a doubt, the Raptor demo brought even the most experienced pilots to a grinding halt as they watched Moga drive the F-22 through its powerful paces,” says AirShowBuzz.com. Air Combat Command gave formal approval last spring for a single Raptor and pilot to begin public demos.
A-10 Thunderbolt II attack planes in the Middle East are flying with fresh modifications as the Air Force looks to make the plane more versatile amid America’s ongoing blockade of Iranian ports and a tenuous ceasefire in the U.S. air war against Iran.