Zeus F-16 demonstratieteam

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Zeus F-16 demonstratieteam

The Hellenic Air Force’s solo F-16 display from Souda, trained by the USAF and unusual in flying a combat-configured Block 52+ with conformal fuel tanks.

2010Opgericht
F-16CVliegtuig
1In the display
ActiefStatus
Photo: Sunburn1979 from Pershore, United Kingdom / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
OperatorGriekse luchtmachtLandGriekenlandTypeSolo displayHome baseLuchtmachtbasis SoudaStatusActief
Het verhaal

Zeus F-16 Demo Team: how the team came to be and what it flies today

Trained by Viper West

The Hellenic Air Force began work on an F-16 display in 2009. Its pilots trained with the USAF’s Viper West F-16 demonstration team at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, in a 28-day programme that ran from 4 January to 1 February 2010, and the first official display was flown at Tanagra on 7 November 2010. The first two display pilots came from 340 and 343 Squadrons of 115 Combat Wing at Souda, Crete, which remains the team’s home.

A Block 52+ with conformal tanks

Zeus flies a single F-16C Block 52+ drawn from 340 or 343 Squadron and displays with conformal fuel tanks fitted, which made it the only F-16 demonstration in Europe to do so. The programme pulls from +9.5 to -3 g and is flown in high, low or flat versions according to cloud base.

The Zeus livery

In 2015 aircraft 523 of 340 Squadron became the dedicated display aircraft and received a full Zeus paint scheme, designed by Alexis Kontiveis and Dimitris Palassis, days before RIAT, where it won the best livery award. The team has displayed in Poland, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Spain.

Zeus flies a single F-16C Block 52+ drawn from 340 or 343 Squadron and displays with conformal fuel tanks fitted, which made it the only F-16 demonstration in Europe to do so. The programme pulls from +9.5 to -3 g and is flown in high, low or flat versions according to cloud base.Zeus F-16 Demo Team · verified 2026-10-02
In één oogopslag

Zeus F-16 Demo Team in numbers

The team

Formation
1 vliegtuig

  • Single F-16C Block 52+
  • Display pilots from 340 and 343 Squadrons

Flies with conformal fuel tanks.

Het vliegtuig

Flown
Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 52+

  • F-16C Block 52+ (2010–)
  • Dedicated aircraft 523 in Zeus livery from 2015

Thuis

Based at
Luchtmachtbasis Souda

  • 115 Combat Wing, Chania, Crete

The display

Aircraft in the display
1
Livery
Zeus figure with lightning bolts on the fin (from 2015)
Het vliegtuig

Every type Zeus F-16 Demo Team has flown

Vliegtuig Jaren Number Opmerking
Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 52+ since 2010 1 Flown with conformal fuel tanks; aircraft 523 dedicated from 2015.
Known for

What Zeus F-16 Demo Team is known for

  • Best livery award at RIAT 2015 for the newly painted Zeus scheme (Argunners).
  • The only F-16 demonstration in Europe flown with conformal fuel tanks (Milavia).
Tijdlijn

Zeus F-16 Demo Team, year by year

2009

Hellenic Air Force begins work on an F-16 solo display.

2010

Training with the USAF Viper West team begins at Hill AFB.

2010

Training programme completed.

2010

First official display, at Tanagra.

2015

Aircraft 523 painted in Zeus livery; best livery award at RIAT.

2016

Displays at RIAT.

2025

Listed for the Aire 25 festival in Spain.

Vragen en antwoorden

Everything people ask about Zeus F-16 Demo Team

What aircraft does the Zeus demo team fly?
A Lockheed Martin F-16C Block 52+, flown with conformal fuel tanks.
Where is the Zeus demo team based?
At Souda Air Base on Crete, with 115 Combat Wing.
When was the Zeus demo team formed?
Its pilots trained with the USAF in January 2010 and the first official display was on 7 November 2010 at Tanagra.
Why is it called Zeus?
After the father of the Olympian gods in Greek mythology; the 2015 livery shows Zeus with lightning bolts on the fin.

Vervolg de rondleiding

Around Zeus F-16 Demo Team

De operatorGriekse luchtmachtFleet, bases and order of battle of the service that flies the team.Lees de pagina van de Griekse luchtmacht.Home baseLuchtmachtbasis SoudaThe units, runways and history of the airfield the team flies from.Read the base pageSolo displayDaedalus T-6A Demo TeamA single T-6A Texan II flown by instructors of 120 Air Training Wing at Kalamata, the longest-lived display team in Hellenic Air Force history.Read the Daedalus T-6A Demo Team pageToon teamsEvery military display teamAll the formation, solo and helicopter teams in the Order of Battle, active and disbanded.Open the list
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Verified 2026-10-02.