Belgian F-16 Solo Display Team

Order of Battle · Display teams · Belgian Air Force

Belgian F-16 Solo Display Team

Belgian Air Force F-16 Solo Display Team · F-16 Demo Team

Belgium’s F-16AM solo display, known for flare-heavy routines and liveries such as the Dark Falcon and Dream Viper, closed in February 2024 as the Air Component shifted to the F-35.

F-16AMAircraft
1In the display
Disbanded 2024Status
Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Thomas Barley / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
OperatorBelgian Air ForceCountryBelgiumTypeSolo displayHome baseKleine-Brogel Air BaseStatusDisbanded 2024
The story

Belgian F-16 Solo Display Team: how the team came to be and what it flies today

A pilot from each wing

The Belgian Air Component kept a long tradition of sending a single F-16 to air shows across Europe. An experienced F-16 pilot was chosen every two or three seasons and the post alternated between the two fighter wings at Florennes and Kleine-Brogel. The display was known for its use of flares, shown at the Rome International Air Show in 2012, and a small team of crew chiefs, armament technicians, a coach and a spare-aircraft pilot travelled with it. At AIRPOWER 2016 in Zeltweg the display jet suffered a compressor stall and landed as a precaution.

Dark Falcon and Dream Viper

Senior Captain Stefan “Vador” Darte of the 1st Squadron at Florennes flew the display from 2018 in the black and grey “Dark Falcon”, with a falcon head added in 2019 for 40 years of the F-16 in Belgian service. In October 2021 Senior Captain Steven “Vrieske” De Vries of Kleine-Brogel, the first non-US pilot to pass 5,000 hours on the F-16, was chosen for 2022–2024. His FA-87 “Dream Viper” won the Bill Hartree Trophy at Cosford and the most spectacular colour scheme award at RIAT in its first season.

Closed for the F-35

On 19 February 2024 the Air Component closed the team and cancelled the 2024 season, which had been meant to mark the F-16’s 50th anniversary and 45 years of Belgian service. It cited the transition to the F-35A, the run-down of the F-16 fleet and the resources committed to training Ukrainian pilots. The 2023 season, flown by De Vries in the Dream Viper, was therefore the display’s last; the closure came 45 years after the F-16 entered Belgian service.

Senior Captain Stefan “Vador” Darte of the 1st Squadron at Florennes flew the display from 2018 in the black and grey “Dark Falcon”, with a falcon head added in 2019 for 40 years of the F-16 in Belgian service.Belgian F-16 Solo Display Team · verified 2026-10-02
At a glance

Belgian F-16 Solo Display Team in numbers

The team

Formation
1 aircraft

  • Display pilot plus spare-aircraft pilot
  • Coach, team chief, crew chiefs, armament technicians

Pilot rotated between Florennes and Kleine-Brogel

The aircraft

Flown
General Dynamics F-16AM Fighting Falcon

  • F-16AM (to 2023)
  • FA-87 “Dream Viper” (2022–2023)

Home

Based at
Kleine-Brogel Air Base (last pilot)

  • Florennes for the 2018–2021 pilot
  • Alternated between the two F-16 wings

The display

Aircraft in the display
1
Livery
special schemes: “Dark Falcon” (2018–2021), “Dream Viper” FA-87 (2022–2023)
The aircraft

Every type Belgian F-16 Solo Display Team has flown

Aircraft Years Number Note
General Dynamics F-16AM Fighting Falcon 2023 1 Final display jet FA-87 “Dream Viper”.
Known for

What Belgian F-16 Solo Display Team is known for

  • Bill Hartree Trophy for the most entertaining display at Cosford, 2022 (team site).
  • Most Spectacular Colour Scheme at RIAT 2022 for the Dream Viper (The Aviationist).
  • Display pilot Steven De Vries passed 5,000 F-16 hours on 5 March 2021, the first non-US pilot to do so (team site).
  • Flare-heavy display at the Rome International Air Show, 2012 (The Aviationist).
The pilots

Who leads Belgian F-16 Solo Display Team

  • Senior Captain Steven “Vrieske” De Vries · Display pilot, 2022–2023 seasons
  • Senior Captain Stefan “Vador” Darte · Display pilot from 2018 (1st Squadron, Florennes)
Timeline

Belgian F-16 Solo Display Team, year by year

2012

Pyrotechnic display at the Rome International Air Show rehearsals

2016

Compressor stall during the display at AIRPOWER, Zeltweg

2018

Stefan “Vador” Darte begins displaying the Dark Falcon

2021

Steven “Vrieske” De Vries chosen for 2022–2024

2022

Dream Viper wins at Cosford and RIAT

2024

Team closed and 2024 season cancelled

Accidents

The cost of flying this close

Display flying is among the most demanding flying there is. These are the accidents on record, with the findings as published.

2016

General Dynamics F-16AM. Apparent compressor stall with a loud bang and backfire during the display at AIRPOWER 2016, Zeltweg; the pilot made a precautionary landing.

Questions & Answers

Everything people ask about Belgian F-16 Solo Display Team

What aircraft did the Belgian solo display fly?
The General Dynamics F-16AM Fighting Falcon; the last display jet was FA-87, the Dream Viper.
Does the Belgian F-16 Solo Display Team still exist?
No. It was closed in February 2024 as Belgium moves to the F-35A; the 2023 season was its last.
Who was the last Belgian F-16 display pilot?
Senior Captain Steven “Vrieske” De Vries, who flew the Dream Viper in 2022 and 2023.
Where was the Belgian F-16 display based?
At the display pilot’s wing, alternating between Florennes and Kleine-Brogel; the final pilot was at Kleine-Brogel.

Continue the tour

Around Belgian F-16 Solo Display Team

The operatorBelgian Air ForceFleet, bases and order of battle of the service that flies the team.Read the Belgian Air Force pageHome baseKleine-Brogel Air BaseThe units, runways and history of the airfield the team flies from.Read the base pageFormation aerobatic teamRed DevilsBelgium’s national team in three lives: red Hunters from 1957, Fouga Magisters until 1977, and SF.260 trainers from Beauvechain until the ageing aircraft forced a…Read the Red Devils pageDisplay teamsEvery military display teamAll the formation, solo and helicopter teams in the Order of Battle, active and disbanded.Open the list
Sources & Further Reading

Every fact, checked

Verified 2026-10-02.