How an F-22 fighter pilot transforms the stealth jet’s combat capabilities into a soaring spectacle

US Air Force Capt. Samuel “RaZZ” Larson, F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team commander, shakes hands with a senior airman before taxiing.

The F-22 Raptor, a fifth-generation stealth jet developed by Lockheed Martin, is considered the top US air superiority fighter.

As one of the US Air Force’s most advanced jets, the supersonic fighter is outfitted with cutting-edge military technology. It was one of the first fighters designed with supercruise capability, allowing it to fly at supersonic speeds without using afterburners.

Despite granting the US an edge in air dominance, the Air Force scaled down its planned fleet of F-22s due to budget constraints, the high cost of production, and a shifting focus to more modern platforms.

With less than 200 aircraft operated by the Air Force, the limited F-22 fleet has been reserved for high-priority missions, including reconnaissance and aerial interdiction.

It’s rare to see the Raptor in action and even rarer to step inside its cockpit, which makes Maj. Samuel “RaZZ” Larson’s role as F-22 Demonstration Team commander particularly unique.

Airshow attendee turned Air Force airman

Larson inspects the interior of the F-22 before take-off.

Larson was inspired to become a military pilot after regularly attending airshows throughout the Midwest and in his hometown of Davenport, Iowa.

“It was purely airshows that got me inspired to join and hopefully become a fighter pilot,” he told B-17.

As a cadet at the US Air Force Academy, he joined the service’s parachute team, Wings of Blue, performing more than 700 skydives as a jumpmaster and instructor.

Upon graduating from USAFA in 2015, he attended pilot training at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas, earning his pilot wings two years later. After being selected to fly the Raptor in 2017, Larson completed an eight-week Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals course, as well as an F-22-specific training course in Florida.

While serving as an instructor pilot at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia, Larson was selected to command the F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team in August 2022.

“Becoming a demo pilot was one of those things I would daydream about, but it was tough to imagine it would pan out the way I’d planned,” Larson said in an Air Force Academy interview. “Now, seeing it from the other side, I know it’s not easy for anyone.”

Becoming a demo pilot

A US Air Force senior airman with the F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team prepares to signal to the pilot.

In order to fly the F-22, Larson said he had to go through basic pilot training, consisting of 55 weeks of flying in trainer aircraft like the T-6 Texan II and a T-38 Talon.

Potential F-22 pilots then undergo a nine-month training course to fly the Raptor, followed by an assignment to a fighter squadron to get certified for combat.

“All in all, you can go from having never flown an airplane to combat mission-ready to F-22 under two years, so it’s a pretty accelerated program,” he said.

Only instructor pilots are allowed to apply for the demo team, Larson said. Aspiring demo pilots are required to complete a rigorous training process to ensure they are proficient in executing high-risk aerobatic maneuvers while also adhering to strict safety requirements for aerial demonstrations.

“That usually means you’ve been flying the F-22 for about four to five years by the time you’re an instructor pilot, and then you can apply for the team,” he said.

Combat vs. airshow maneuvers

A US Air Force F-22 Raptor deploys flares during a performance.

After nearly eight years flying the Raptor, Larson accumulated over 850 hours in the aircraft, which includes multiple deployments to the Middle East and Indo-Pacific alongside airshow demonstrations.

While the F-22’s impressive loops and passes are meant to wow aviation enthusiasts, the pilot said the performance is derived from real-life combat maneuvers.

“All of our maneuvers are just basic derivations from what we do really in dogfighting, and we’re trying to showcase what’s unique about the F-22,” Larson said. “It’s the only fighter in the US arsenal that has thrust vectoring, and it’s the most maneuverable fighter in the world.”

He added: “We try to showcase what the F-22 can do that other fighters cannot do, and some of the moves that we use in basic fighter maneuvers or dog fighting, we showcase in the demo.”

Lockheed Martin is also the prime contractor for the F-35 stealth fighter and is expected to be a contender for the Next Generation Air Domination fighter slated to one day replace the F-22. Lockheed posted second-quarter net earnings of $1.6 billion, or $6.85 per share.

Flying the F-22

Rainbows are reflected in the vapor clouds surrounding an F-22 mid-flight. 

The experience of flying the F-22 is “always an adrenaline rush,” Larson said, at times pulling “just shy of 10 Gs in the F-22” during demos — or “about 10 times your body weight of pressure pushing back on you.”

“It’s always a blast because you don’t feel limited by the aircraft at all,” Larson said. “One of the things I love most is that it demands all of your focus in the time you’re flying. It’s pretty rare to be able to block everything out from the rest of the world and be solely present and focused on the task at hand, but that’s absolutely what it feels like flying the Raptor every time.”

“When the canopy closes, that’s all there is — just flying that jet and making it happen,” he continued.

Pulling off aerial aerobatics

The F-22 ‘s design includes increased thrust that allows it to cruise at supersonic airspeeds without an afterburner.

Before he gets into the cockpit, Larson said he has to prepare mentally and physically for the strain of the aircraft’s high G-force turns, enabled by the jet’s unique maneuverability.

“What’s unique about the F-22 is even in that regime, you still have full nose authority and can point the nose at will,” he said. “We have the thrust vectoring to be able to backflip, and then we have a very advanced flight control to be able to yaw the nose around. So that definitely takes getting used to because other airplanes really just can’t do that.”

In one particularly challenging maneuver, Larson said he would stop the F-22 midair at a 90-degree angle, allowing it to fall backward at about 80 miles per hour in reverse. With safety being the utmst concern, certain moves can only be executed at specific airspeeds and altitudes, in addition to rigorous practice and thorough on-the-ground communication.

“At every point during our demonstration, we could have a catastrophic flight control failure or lose an engine, and we’d still be able to recover the jet on the one functioning engine and just fly it to land,” he said. “It’s all built based on safety.”

From demos back to duty

Condensation trails emerge from the wings of an F-22 surrounded by clouds.

After nearly a decade of pursuing his childhood dream of becoming a demo pilot, Larson’s two-year tenure as the commander of the F-22 demo team is soon coming to an end.

“This best job I’ve ever had,” he said. “It’s very unique that we travel with 10 individuals, minimal equipment, support, personnel, and in $300 million worth of assets,” referring to the high price tag of an F-22 aircraft.

“It’s such a phenomenal team to work with, and I think I’m going to miss that the most,” he continued. “After this, I go back to flying in the combat F-22 units — back to the normal flying.”