This past weekend marked the end of an era as the A-10C Demonstration Team performed for the final time at the Stuart Airshow. This bittersweet finale follows the USAF’s earlier announcement to end the program, which came as a surprise to many fans. Known for its close connection with audiences and its extensive social following, the A-10C Demo Team has long been a crowd favorite at airshows nationwide.
The team’s distinctive liveries have celebrated the legendary history of the USAF, featuring liveries inspired by historic military aircraft from WWII and Vietnam. Its final jet, painted in camouflage as the “Memphis Belle III,” honors the F-105 Thunderchief’s “Memphis Belle II” and serves as a fitting tribute it’s storied past.
A brief history of the A-10 Demo Team, first activated in 1976 to showcase the capabilities of the A-10 Thunderbolt II, known as the “Warthog,” the Air Force’s top close air support aircraft. The team was deactivated in 2011, appeared in heritage flights in 2012 and 2017, before resuming single-ship demos in 2018. As the Air Force’s premier aircraft for close air support, the A-10 provides essential protection to troops on the ground and has become beloved for its ruggedness and distinctive design.
Based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, the team has brought the A-10’s combat prowess to airshows across the country for decades. With this final performance, the A-10C Demonstration Team ends a historic chapter, leaving a legacy of honoring military heritage and thrilling audiences.
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