Belgian Air Force Dream Viper

On 9 June 2022, the Belgische Luchtmacht (BLu, Belgian Air Force) rolled out their new demonstration fighter aircraft for the coming show season. The F-16AM, serial FA87, is named Dream Viper.

During the ceremony, the pilot, Steven "Vrieske" de Vries, explained the naming of the aircraft and the choice of the paint scheme. The fighter is overall painted in the appearance of a Viper.

The official nickname from the F-16 is Fighting Falcon, but soon after it was introduced the pilots began calling this fighter the Viper due to its agility and lethality as it was build to be a true dogfighter.

On the nose the number 19 can be seen. This is a reference that Vrieske is the 19th Solo Display Pilot for the Belgian Air Force since they started displaying the F-16 at air shows.

Photo by Stefan Degraef