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F-22 Raptor Demo Team new pilot
Gen. Ken Wilsbach, commander of Air Combat Command, certified the new F-22 Demo Team Pilot ahead of the 2025 air show season recently during a certification flight at Langley Air Force Base (AFB), VA.
As Tech Sgt. Matthew Coleman-Foster, 1st Fighter Wing Public Affairs, in the article F-22 Raptor Demo Team names new pilot to soar into 2025 air show season, Capt. Nick “Laz” Le Tourneau, 27th Fighter Squadron will be replacing Maj. Samuel “RaZZ” Larson at the helm as the F-22 Demonstration Team’s commander and pilot.
Le Tourneau is an experienced fighter pilot having accumulated over 750 flying hours in aircraft such as the T-6 Texan, T-38 Talon, and F-22 Raptor since he began his Air Force career in 2018.
Capt. Nick “Laz” Le Tourneau
“I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to join this team, and to follow in the footsteps of great teams before us. The legacy of Air Force demonstration pilots and the unforgettable airshows I experienced growing up in the Midwest have been some of my biggest motivations in my journey to become a fighter pilot,” Le Tourneau said. “Our mission is to motivate that next wave of aviators and maintainers, who are so crucial to continuing the American legacy of Air Dominance. We have a great team lined up for the 2025 season, and I am truly privileged to work alongside these dedicated maintainers and specialists to showcase Raptor Nation to the world.”
As F-22 Demonstration Team lead, Le Tourneau will be responsible for leading the team by not only being an ambassador but also showcasing the unmatched maneuverability of the Air Force’s fifth-generation air dominance stealth fighter, the F-22 Raptor.
Another key aspect to the mission of the team is highlighting the history of the Air Force by taking part in heritage formation flights and interacting with local communities through outreach events as they travel and perform throughout the season.
F-22 Demo Team
The F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team performs precision aerial maneuvers at airshows across the world to demonstrate the unique capabilities of the world’s premier 5th generation fighter aircraft. The team also performs with the Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation to showcase modern day fighter jets flying in formation with World War II, Korean, and Vietnam era aircraft.
The team is stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Hampton, Virginia. In March 2007, the team participated in its debut air show at Tyndall Air Force Base.
Prior to 2016, the team consisted of the pilot, safety officer, superintendent, team chief, multiple crew chiefs, and avionics specialists. Now, the team has 14 total members to include public affairs and aircrew flight equipment technicians. Together, the team visits local schools, hospitals, and participates in various community events in addition to performing aerial demonstrations.
Raptor
The F-22 Raptor is combination of stealth, supercruise, maneuverability, and integrated avionics, coupled with improved supportability, represents an exponential leap in warfighting capabilities. The Raptor performs both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions allowing full realization of operational concepts vital to the 21st century Air Force.
The Raptor, a critical component of the Global Strike Task Force, is designed to project air dominance, rapidly and at great distances and defeat threats attempting to deny access to our nation’s Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps. The F-22 cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter aircraft.
The F-22 engines produce more thrust than any current fighter engine. The combination of sleek aerodynamic design and increased thrust allows the F-22 to cruise at supersonic airspeeds (greater than 1.5 Mach) without using afterburner — a characteristic known as supercruise. Supercruise greatly expands the F-22 ‘s operating envelope in both speed and range over current fighters, which must use fuel-consuming afterburner to operate at supersonic speeds.
The sophisticated F-22 aerodesign, advanced flight controls, thrust vectoring, and high thrust-to-weight ratio provide the capability to outmaneuver all current and projected aircraft. The F-22 design has been extensively tested and refined aerodynamically during the development process.
Photo credit: Tech Sgt. Matthew Coleman-Foster and Staff Sgt. Codie Trimble / U.S. Air Force
