High-speed F-16 Viper jets to thrill 2025 Water Follies air show crowds
This weekend’s STCU Over-the-River Air Show at Water Follies features an elite group of pilots in impressive, roaring aircraft.
The show is daily from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And you don’t have to be sitting on the shore of the Columbia River to see the planes zipping through the sky.
F-16s have flown at Water Follies in the past but this year they plan a 12-minute demonstration. The planes can reach speeds of 900-1,000 feet per second, or close to Mach 2 speed, which is twice the speed of sound. They won’t be reaching top speed this close to people.
Maj. Taylor Hiester will demonstrate a series of aerial maneuvers that’s sure to wow the crowd.
He’s the commander and pilot for the F-16 Viper Demonstration Team based at the Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, S.C. Two F-16s made the trip to Tri-Cities.
Usually a matte gray, Hiester’s plane is painted patriotic colors to celebrate 50 years since the first F-16 flight in 1974.
The F-16 jets make up about 40% of the Air Force’s fighter fleet.
The demonstration team performs at about 20 shows each year. Earlier this month, he flew at F-AIR 2025, the Colombia Feria Aeronáutica Internacional in Rionegro, Colombia.
There’s a team of 10 active duty Air Force members in the Tri-Cities this weekend. They’ll support Hiester, who has been a demo pilot since 2018, as the maintenance crew on the ground.
The planes to watch for this weekend are:
- Two U.S. Air Force F-16s
- P-51 Mustang “Val-Halla” (Heritage Flight Museum)
- MX2
- PBY Catalina (Soaring by the Sea Foundation)
- Mini Airjet
Heritage flight & more demos
Pilot Greg Anders is back at the Water Follies air show after coming for more than 10 years. This weekend, he’ll be in the WWII era P-51 Mustang nicknamed “Val-Halla” from the Heritage Flight Museum.
Anders is based at the Skagit Regional Airport in Burlington, Wash. The P-51 is his favorite plane to fly. He told reporters Thursday it “well-balanced, honest and smooth” and said it is similar to the F-15 that he flew when he was in the Air Force.
The Mustang’s V12 engine is actually the same engine used in original hydroplanes.
Pilot Brad Wursten from Logan, Utah, will be flying the MX2, a small, fast Australian-made plane built from carbon fiber.
He spent eight years learning how to perform and now has 18 years of experience in demo shows. This is his fourth year at Water Follies.
He told the Herald that Water Follies is one of his favorites
“As somebody who loves boats and high horsepower, the atmosphere at Water Follies is great,” he said.
This story was originally published July 24, 2025 at 6:18 PM.
