Captain Samuel Larson is the United States Air Force F-22 Demonstration Team commander and pilot stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va. As the F-22 Demo Team Commander, he is responsible for representing Air Combat Command, the United States Air Force, the Department of Defense, and the United State of America at more than 20 air shows annually. He leads the 14-member F-22 Demonstration Team, oversees maintenance actions performed on one of the most advanced fighter jets ever built, and showcases the Raptor’s exceptional maneuverability for more than 10 million spectators around the world each year. He is an operational F-22 pilot assigned to the 1st Operations Group within the 1st Fighter Wing.
Capt. Larson is from Davenport, Iowa. Growing up, he regularly attended his hometown airshow and airshows around the Midwest as a photographer/writer for an aviation magazine. After high school, Capt. Larson attended the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. During his time as a Cadet, Capt. Larson was a member of the United States Air Force Parachute Team "Wings of Blue". He accumulated over 700 free-fall skydives as a jumpmaster and instructor on the team. In 2015 Capt. Larson earned his commission and graduated from the Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in management science.
Capt. Larson then attended undergraduate pilot training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas as part of the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot training program. There he flew the T-6 Texan II and the T-38C Talon. He earned his pilot wings and was selected to fly the F-22 Raptor after completing the program in 2017. Following pilot training and Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals, Capt. Larson attended the F-22 Raptor Basic Course at Tyndall AFB, Florida. Upon graduation, Capt. Larson was assigned to the 525th Fighter Squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska as an operational fighter pilot and Mission Commander.
Capt. Larson was then assigned to the 27th Fighter Squadron, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia as an F-22 Instructor Pilot. While serving in the 27th FS, Capt. Larson was selected to be the F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team commander and pilot in August of 2022.
Capt. Larson is an experienced combat proven Fighter Pilot with over 850 hours flying the F-22 and multiple deployments to the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific region. Capt. Larson is thrilled to be a member of the F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team with the mission of showcasing American airpower and inspiring the next generation of pilots and maintainers.