ROME, Ga. — The Air Force F-22 Raptor and A-10C Warthog will join with several of the nation’s top aerobatic pilots this weekend as they perform under the blue skies of the Wings Over North Georgia air show.

The two military jets will come together to perform the crowd favorite Heritage Flight each afternoon. The rare sight of the F-22 and the A-10 will fly in formation joined with a P-51 Mustang to represent the Air Force’s 75-year-old legacy.

“We will fly our A-10 demonstration and it will be followed by the Raptor demonstration, and then we will have the Heritage Flight,” Air Force SSgt Horace said on Friday. “It’s gonna be an exciting show and we are happy to be here in north Georgia.”

F-22 pilot Major Paul “Loco” Lopez and A-10 pilot Capt Cody “ShIV” Wilton will each demonstrate the handling of these aircraft both low and high over the Richard Russell Regional Airport. Great weather is forecast for a high show each day.

New to the Rome air show will be Tora! Tora! Tora!, a flight team made up of six aircraft which will recreate with pyrotechnics and strong narration the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The chilling performance will feel very real as the aircraft storm across the airfield, smoke-on during moments of the 15 minute performance, firey explosions across the airfield, placing guests in Hawaii in December 1941.

Aerobatic pilot Patty Wagstaff will perform aboard her blue Extra 330SC aircraft during the Rome air show. She discussed with AvGeekery about the handling of her latest aircraft.

“It’s kind of a monster – its called a beast,” Wagstaff said on Friday. “It’s got alot of power and it just wants to go up. The hardest thing in this airplane is pulling the power back and slowing it down sometimes. It’s amazing.”

Patty will perform a 13-minute flight demonstration each day over the Rome air show. “I like to do barnstormer type aerobatics as I like to keep it low and close to the ground,” the three-time U.S. National Aerobatic Champion added. “I feel if you keep it moving, keep it in front of the crowd, keep the smoke on, you keep the attention.”

Tickets for the Wings Over North Georgia remain available online and at the gate. Gates open at 9 a.m. and the flying will begin at noon.

(Charles A Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)

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