VIPER EAST COMMANDS ATTENTION AT SHAWFEST 2008

Shaw Air Force Base's community appreciation day, ShawFest 2008 "Thunder Over the Midlands," set for Sept. 6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. will feature the Viper East Team, one of two F-16 aerial demonstration teams in Air Combat Command.

The F-16CJ is a single-seat, multi-mission fighter with the ability to switch from an air-to-ground to air-to-air role at the touch of a button. With its lightweight airframe and powerful engine generating 29,000 pounds of thrust, the F-16CJ can fly at speeds in excess of Mach 2.

Additional information on the team, along with photos and videos, can be found on their Web site at http://www.shaw.af.mil/library/vipereast/index.asp.

ShawFest is free and open to the public with free parking. Gates open at 7:30 a.m.

Other aircraft taking to the sky are the F-22 Raptor, C-17 Globemaster, P-51 Mustang and the Trojan Horsemen Aerobatic Team. Visitors will also see a wide variety of vintage and modern aircraft on the ground like the C-45, A-10 Thunderbolt, HC-130, MH-53, F/A-18 and the V-22 Osprey.

Shaw AFB is located just off Highway 378 in Sumter, S.C. For complete directions to the base or more details on ShawFest 2008, please visit our web site at www.shaw.af.mil and click on the link for ShawFest 2008.

NOTE: For more information on the event please call the 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office at (803) 895-2019. Please RSVP for ShawFest by Aug. 28 to ensure adequate media parking is available. Media members interested in media flights should call Public Affairs ASAP.