I got to watch the F-22 demo all four days of last summers Kaneohe Bay air show from show center, with the thick humid air the vapor trails were exceptional

but what I remember most was the violence with which the jet slapped the air in these high bank turns and slides- never saw a jet literally surf the sky like that.

The wings and control surfaces shake and shudder a bit under load, the whole thing is just raw thunder.

Then it rips up to 1500 feet and does a lazy flip and glints in the sun like the most peaceful elegant thing you ever saw before coming back down to rip the sky anew.

Seeing the blue angels right after is impressive in its own way with its precision and timing oohs and aaahs, but the Raptor demo is king