Australian International Airshow Interview: F-22 Demo Team
Report and photos by Ryan Imeson
April 14, 2025
The US Air Force F22 Raptor Demonstration Team have attended the Australian International Airshow for the seventh-consecutive show led by Captain Nick ‘Laz’ Le Tourneau.
Without doubt one of the most highly anticipated acts to feature at any airshow around the world is the United States Air Force F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team.
In mid-January of this year, it was announced by organisers that the Raptor would be heading downunder to Avalon to feature at the Australian International Airshow.
The United States Air Force have generously contributed multiple F-22’s to each iteration of the airshow since their inaugural appearance with the jet in 2011, as either flying or static displays.
In 2025, the team is led by Captain Nick Le Tourneau, callsign ‘Laz’. Not to be confused with his predecessor Major Samuel Larson, callsign ‘Razz’.
‘Laz’ hails from New York Mills, Minnesota. With more than 750 hours in fixed wing aircraft including over 600 in the F-22, Avalon 2025 marked his first overseas airshow demonstration.
When asked what it meant to head overseas for the first time as F-22 Demo Team commander, Laz spoke of his happiness to be in Australia.
“It really is a dream. I started on the other side of the fence watching airshows and that’s how I got started in the realm of aviation in the first place” said Capt. Le Tourneau.
“To now take that team that inspired me on the road, and hopefully inspire the next generation of aviators is a true dream for me. Australia has been welcoming and it’s awesome to be here”.
Like fellow United States Air Force demonstration pilot Captain Ethan ‘Bantam’ Smith who piloted the F-16 Viper at Avalon, Laz also began his military flying career in 2018.
So how did he get to become the F-22 Demo Team pilot so quickly?
“I followed the standard path that everybody else does. It starts out by going through pilot training and ‘dropping’ the F-22” said Captain Le Tourneau. Dropping the F-22 is how fighter fighter pilots speak of the aircraft they have been assigned following initial training.
“You go through a formal training unit at Virginia (where the F-22 Demonstration Team is based). After that you go through a realm of upgrades, earning your flight lead qualifications a couple of times, an instructor pilot qualification, and then an application after that (to become the demonstration pilot)” said Capt. Le Tourneau.
As well as finding inspiration by sitting on the spectator side of the fence at airshows, Laz spoke of the internal inspiration that came from within the F-22 Demo Team.
“Being inspired by former demo pilots along the way. I actually used to serve as ‘Cabo’s’ safety observer. (Cabo is former demo team pilot Major Joshua Gunderson). He was the last (demo) pilot to come out to Avalon, so it’s pretty special to have served as his safety observer and now come full circle”.
So what sort of advice did ‘Cabo’ and ‘Razz’ pass on to Capt. Le Tourneau?
“Some of the best advice that they gave me was that the team comes first, not just the team that we take on the road but the team back home. This jet takes a village to get airborne, so making sure that they (the team) are all taken care of is a huge part of it” Capt. Le Tourneau said.
“They were both spectacular pilots, and I hope to fill their shoes in any way that I can”.
Mental preparation is a big factor prior to Laz performing at Avalon and one that he views as extremely vital.
“The mental aspect is a huge thing, not just for the pilot but also for the team,” Capt. Le Tourneau stated.
“We will typically fence off 90 minutes to 2 hours prior to the show. We will go through a pre flight briefing where we all walk the entire demo. So everything from launch out with the maintainers to the narration, to the ground flow, take off and music. We rehearse it every single time we fly. That kind of gets us into the business mentality of what we are about to do”.
“That ensures that hopefully we put on a great show” Capt. Le Tourneau said.
The famous quote prior to any Raptor airshow demonstration is that ‘It’s time to stand up and move forward, the show is about to begin’.
These words in 2025 were uttered by Demo Team Superintendent Master Sergeant Brady Pummel prior to the Raptor leaping off the runway and into the Avalon sky within a mere 300m.
During the demonstration Laz performs the tailslide, which consists of the aircraft pulling into the vertical at show centre, stopping, and literally sliding backwards toward the Earth reaching speeds of up to 80 knots.
“The jet is very stable. It’s a very easy jet to fly, and you can barely tell you’re even flying backwards. It’s a fun one to fly”, said Capt. Le Tourneau when asked just how uncomfortable that feeling is.
For this chat, APD and Laz were also joined by RAAF Squadron Leader Paul ‘Ando’ Anderton, number 2 Operational Conversion Unit F-35A Lightning II pilot, who himself back in 2017 flew F-22 Raptors on exchange with the US Air Force for three years.
‘Ando’ flew with the 90th Fighter Squadron The Dicemen out of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, so to see Laz and the F-22 return to Australia to him is something quite special.
“It brings a tear to my eye. It’s always good to see the F-22 back in Australia” Sqn Ldr Anderton said with a smile, also following the 2024 visits of the 19th and 27th Fighter Squadrons for Exercise’s Iron Raptor and Pitch Black respectively.
“It really shows how important the relationship is between the United States and Australia, in that they are willing and keen at every opportunity to bring their premier air dominance fighter to Australia to integrate with the RAAF”.
Captain Le Tourneau who previously served with the 27th Fighter Squadron also spoke of the enhanced interoperability between the USAF and the RAAF that comes with this airshow visit.
“We are so happy to be here to demonstrate not just the capability of the jet, but the interoperability between the United States and Australia and why we are such good partners and what we can do when we join forces together”.
“The people are what make this partnership so special.”
Flying the demonstration requires numerous ‘work up’, or practice flights, before Laz can be certified to fly it publicly.
“We go through an upgraded syllabus, I went through that through the winter. There’s about 20 upgrades. We did have the opportunity to fly a show in Texas just prior to this (Avalon) which was my first show. Definitely a lot of training day in day out, whether it’s flying or on the ground or with the team”, Captain Le Tourneau said.
With Laz performing approximately 20-30 different manoeuvres during the 17-minute demonstration routine, we asked what his favourite was.
“I think it would be the dedication pass for sure. It’s not necessarily the most aerobatic manoeuvre that we do, but the meaning behind it is really special. We dedicate that to those who have gone before us and paid the ultimate price in war”, Capt. Le Tourneau said.
“Not just us but our allies. We bring that into the narration as well, it’s a special manoeuvre that we do that I really enjoy”.
On the Sunday of the airshow, the team used the dedication pass to acknowledge fellow Avalon pilot Glenn Collins who was seriously injured in an accident at the show earlier in the week.
“We would like to dedicate this pass to Glenn Collins and the Sky Ace team. We are praying for you, your family and your team as you continue to fight and hope for a full recovery”, said team narrator Master Sergeant Brady Pummel over the PA system.
Outside of being the demonstration pilot of the most dominant air superiority fighter in the world, it’s obvious that for fun, Laz enjoys keeping the adrenaline flowing.
“I’d like to bring my wife into that conversation” he laughs.
“We are both ice skaters. I’m a hockey player and she’s a figure skater. So we love to spend our time out on the ice rink. Or out on the water in Virginia, that is a blast”.
“Anything to keep the adrenaline pumping” Capt. Le Tourneau says.
APD would like to thank Captain Nick ‘Laz’ Le Tourneau, Squadron Leader Paul ‘Ando’ Anderton, 1st Lieutenant Casey Sturdivan, Staff Sergeant Michael Bowman and the United States Air Force F-22 Demonstration Team for their very generous time in making this possible.
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