First female pilot to fly solo in U.S Air Force’s F-16 Viper Demonstration Team REMOVED from role after two weeks

Daily Mail

The first female pilot to fly solo for the United States Air Force in its team airshows has been relieved of duty just two weeks into the role.

The Air Force said that Captain Zoe ‘SiS’ Kotnik was removed from her position as commander on Tuesday by Colonel Derek O’Malley due to a ‘loss of confidence in her ability to lead’ the F-16 Viper Demonstration team.  

Officials did not provide details on what led to her removal, but Colonel O’Malley claimed she had made ‘mistakes.’

In a statement on Facebook, Colonel O’Malley, the 20th Fighter Wing Commander, said: ‘We have thousands of Airmen across our Air Force serving our country, and not one of them is perfect.

‘As good people, like Capt. Kotnik make mistakes, I want them to have the opportunity to learn from them without being under public scrutiny, and to continue to be a part of this great service.

‘This will be a difficult time for Capt Kotnik, but she’s surrounded by wingmen [who] will help her every step of the way.’

He claimed that he hoped Kotnik will continue to serve the Air Force despite the incident.

Captain Kotnik’s predecessor Major John Waters has now resumed command of the team at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina.

The Viper team is one of four air performance teams under US Air Combat Command (ACC).

The demonstrations conducted by the team help with recruitment efforts, as well as demonstrating plane and pilot abilities at air shows and events to millions of spectators every year, according to the USAF.

Kotnik has a military background that includes eight years of service and more than 1,000 flying hours, according to the U.S Air Force.

Military.com reported that her first air show as commander had been scheduled for 30 March.

She will still serve in a non-supervisory role with the 20th Fighter Wing, according to Military.com.

Since graduating from the Air Force Academy in 2011, Kotnik went on to experience aerial performances for the U.S. Air Force.

She participated in a flyover of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. during the January 2017 inauguration of President Donald Trump, according to WMTV.

In a statement at the time of her appointment last month, Kotnik said she hoped her new title would help influence younger generations who came after her at the academy.

‘What I’m looking forward to most is the potential to have an influence on younger generations,’ Kotnik said in the news release.

‘I know firsthand how impactful airshows can be and what a difference it makes to young people to see just one example of what they too can do and who they can become.

‘I hope to be a source of inspiration and motivation they can draw from to apply in their own lives.’

The F16 Viper Demonstration Team also serves as a public relations tool for the military.

‘These shows allow us to demonstrate the capabilities of the F-16 to a worldwide audience while highlighting the work of the Airmen who keep the Viper flying,’ Master Sgt. Chris Schneider, F-16 Viper Demonstration Team superintendent said last month.

‘It’s not every day people get the chance to hear the sound of freedom roaring over their heads or watch a team of maintainers working together to make it happen.’

The team is currently in preseason training with the first demonstration scheduled in Key West, Florida, on March 30 and 31.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6697683/First-female-pilot-head-Viper-unit-REMOVED-just-two-weeks.html