An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | March 11, 2008

Air Guard aerobatic pilot booked for busy season

By Tech. Sgt. Mike R. Smith National Guard Bureau

ARLINGTON, Va. - Air National Guard sponsored aerobatic pilot Maj. John Klatt and his Guarding America, Defending Freedom aerobatic team announced it will again take flight for the Air Guard this summer to entertain spectators at 18 air shows across the nation.

"He is a tremendous advocate for the Air Guard," said Lt. Col. Randy Johnson, chief of Air Guard Recruiting and Retention. "He goes out and does a terrific show, and then he follows that up by meeting and greeting and signing posters and pictures."

This will be the fourth air show season for the private aerobatic pilot and Operation Iraqi Freedom-seasoned, F-16 fighter pilot from the Minnesota Air Guard's 148th Fighter Wing.

Klatt's main job is to promote the Air National Guard, and his aircraft is painted with colorful red, white and blue Air Guard designs.

In the last three seasons, Klatt and his Staudacher S-300D, a single-prop, high performance aerobatic plane that reaches speeds of 250 mph, have performed for hundreds of thousands of spectators throughout the country.

During his performances, he narrates to the crowd as he performs aerobatic maneuvers that include barrel rolls, loop-the-loops, flips, and flying upside down at what appears to be just a few feet above the ground.

Klatt also partners with local Air Guard recruiters as he and his team travel to events much like a racecar team travels from racetrack to racetrack. Together, they help educate the public about the Air Guard, the Air Force and the National Guard.

"This is like old time barnstorming in a real grass roots way," said Klatt during last summer's Air Force Week, New England at Otis Air Guard Base in Massachusetts. "It's out in the community just like the barnstormers who would land and then take their airplanes up and show others the gift of flight."

At each show, Klatt's team and the recruiters operate a 39-foot mobile recruiting unit, a flight simulator and a second two-seater plane that Klatt uses to give orientation flights to community members.

Klatt's season opener is scheduled for the Great Tennessee Air Show April 12-13 in Nashville. Following performances are scheduled for:

  • April 18-20, Prairie Air Show, Peoria, Ill.
  • May 10-11, Wings Over Pittsburgh
  • May 17-18, Open House 2008, Andrews Air Force Base, Md.
  • May 24-25, Jones Beach, N.Y.
  • June 7-8, Thunder on the Lakeshore, Manitowoc, Wis.
  • June 21, Klamath Air Show, Klamath Falls, Ore.
  • June 28-29, Rhode Island Air Guard Open House, Quonset Point, R.I.
  • July 19-20, Duluth Air Expo, Duluth, Minn.
  • August 1-3, Seattle Seafair Air Show
  • August 8-10, Hillsboro Air Show, Hillsboro, Ore.
  • August 23-24, Indianapolis Air Show, Mt. Comfort Airport
  • August 30-Sept. 1, Wings of Freedom Air Show, Bay City, Wis.
  • Sept. 10-14, Reno Air Races and Show, Nev.
  • Oct. 4, Partners in the Sky Air Show, Vance AFB, Okla.
  • Oct. 18-19, Wings Over Masietta, Dobbins ARB, Ga.
  • Nov. 1-2, Sertoma Cajun Air Festival, Lafayette, La.
  • Nov. 8-9, Visiting Nurses Association Air Show, Stuart, Fla.

John Klatt's schedule is subject to change, so please visit www.johnklattairshows.com throughout the year for updates, information and news.

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Soloff, an infantryman with Charlie Company, 1st Brigade, 178th Infantry Regiment, Illinois Army National Guard, observes Polish Territorial Defence soldiers as they prepare range cards necessary for Javelin deployment during Javelin anti-armor ambush training at the TDF Training Center in Toruń, Poland, June 11, 2025. The Illinois National Guard and Poland are partners in the Department of Defense National Guard State Partnership Program, which pairs Guard elements with partner nations worldwide for mutual training and subject matter expert exchanges. Servicemembers with the 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team spent two weeks alongside their Polish counterparts training on sniper operations, the Javelin anti-tank weapon system, combat medical care, and remote observer techniques.
State Partnership Program Enables Global, Shared ‘Peace through Strength’
By Maj. Jon LaDue, | June 27, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C.  – For more than 30 years, the National Guard has helped bolster the capabilities of foreign militaries, effectively broadening the pool of partners who are willing and able to support defense and security...

U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Gary Keefe, the adjutant general of the Massachusetts National Guard (MANG), observes the progress of the ongoing M1117 Armored Support Vehicle refurbishment initiative at the Kahawa Barracks in Nairobi, Kenya, May 30, 2025. This collaborative initiative between MANG and the Kenya Defence Forces underscores a decade of collaboration through the State Partnership Program.
Massachusetts National Guard, Kenya Strengthen Partnership
By Senior Airman Julia Ahaesy, | June 27, 2025
NAIROBI, Kenya - In 2025, the Massachusetts National Guard and the Kenya Defence Forces commemorate a decade of collaboration through the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program.  Since its...

(From left) U.S. Army Col. Brian Martinus, Michigan National Guard State Chaplain; AFL Maj. Urias Zogaa, Chaplain General, Armed Forces of Liberia; U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Paul Rogers, Adjutant General, Michigan National Guard; AFL Maj. Gen. Davidson Forleh, Chief of Staff, Armed Forces of Liberia, U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. William Russell, III, Senior Enlisted Advisor, Michigan National Guard; U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Ravindra Wagh, Assistant Adjutant General, Michigan National Guard; CW5 Allen Robinson, State Command Warrant Officer, Michigan National Guard; AFL Lt. Col. Francis Gbodi, Military Advisor; Armed Forces of Liberia; U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Hopkins, Senior Enlisted Advisor, Michigan Army National Guard, stand for a photo in front of a white pine – Michigan’s state tree – dedicated near the Camp Grayling chapel to symbolize the strength of the Michigan-Liberia partnership
Michigan Guard, Liberia Mark 15 Years of Partnership
By Capt. Andrew Layton, | June 27, 2025
CAMP GRAYLING, Mich.—The Michigan National Guard and the Armed Forces of Liberia celebrated the 15th anniversary of their partnership in the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program with a...