OPA-LOCKA, FLA. (WSVN) - A U.S. Air Force pilot is preparing to take to the skies above Miami Beach this holiday weekend as part of an annual celebration of military skill.
The Hyundai Air and Sea Show will take flight Saturday and Sunday. More than a dozen of the U.S. military’s biggest and fastest jets will rip across the ocean.
7News caught up with U.S. Air Force Capt. Aimee Fiedler in Opa-Locka, Thursday. She will be among the daredevils zipping above spectators.
“For me, as a pilot, flying these air shows, it’s very exhilarating, very fun,” she said.
Fiedler will lead the F-16 Fighting Falcon Team. She comes with six years of experience in the Air Force.
Fiedler goes by the call sign ‘Rebel.”
“The standing tradition is, if you want to know a pilot’s call sign, like, the story behind it, you owe them a drink at the bar so that they can actually sit down and give you the full story,” she said.
After consulting with his wife, 7News reporter Brandon Beyer concluded that the story behind “Rebel” is going to remain a mystery.
But what is certain is that Fiedler was born to fly. She has been in the air since she was 16 years old.
“Pretty much, once I got in the air, I knew that’s all I wanted to do,” she said.
The F-16 she flies can do just about anything.
“It’s capable of air-to-air missions and air-to-ground missions, so we call it a multi-role fighter, because we’re pretty much capable of doing any missions that are out there,” said Fiedler.
And the mission this Memorial Day weekend is to put on a show.
“Our main mission is to show the public – it’s bringing a little piece of the Air Force to the public they might not otherwise have access to,” said Fiedler.
The show takes place on the same weekend “Top Gun: Maverick,” the long-awaited sequel to the iconic 1986 film starring Tom Cruise, opens in theaters.
“Go see ‘Top Gun 2’ and then come see how cool pilots are in real life,” said Fiedler.
For more information about the Hyundai Air and Sea Show, click here.
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