Posted on 02/12/2019 1:18:15 PM PST by Yo-Yo
The United States Air Force has removed Captain Zoe Kotnik, the first women to lead one of the flying force's demonstration teams, after being in the position for just two weeks. Kotnik took the reins of the F-16 Viper Demonstration Team in parallel to a potent media blitz on behalf of the Air Force. The announcement was seen by many as an exciting example of how women are becoming an ever more dominant force within the service's ranks and pilot culture.
You can read all about Kotnik and her rise to such a prominent flying position in this previous piece of ours. Suffice it to say that in a year when the Air Force is set to make a major media splash with the highly anticipated blockbuster action film Captain Marvel, which stars Brie Larson as a superhero that has a fighter pilot past, axing its first female demo team lead is far from convenient.
A posting on the team's highly active Facebook page from the Commander of the 20th Fighter Wing who oversees the team reads:
I removed Capt. Kotnik from her position as the commander of the Viper Demo team yesterday, because I lost confidence in her ability to lead the team.
I know that loss of confidence is a common response from the Air Force, whenever someone is removed from a command position, and I think it’s important to understand why we take this approach.
We have thousands of Airmen across our Air Force serving our country, and not one of them is perfect. As good people, like Capt. Kotnik make mistakes, I want them to have the opportunity to learn from them without being under public scrutiny, and to continue to be a part of this great service. They’ll be better for the experience, and in turn, we’ll be better as an Air Force.
In these types of situations, I never forget that we’re dealing with real human beings, that I care deeply about, and that we are charged to take care of. This will be a difficult time for Capt. Kotnik, but she’s surrounded by wingmen that will help her every step of the way.
It was exciting to have the first female demo team pilot here at Shaw, but I’m also just as excited about the many other females that are serving with great distinction across our Air Force. I’m proud to serve with them, and I’m inspired by them. Even as I speak, another female pilot from the 20th Fighter Wing is flying combat missions in the Middle East.
Maj. Waters, last season’s Viper Demo pilot has resumed command, so the team is in great hands, and the show will go on. We’re looking forward to another amazing season with this team.
Col. Derek O’Malley
Commander, 20th Fighter Wing
It's not all that uncommon for the Air Force to remove people from command, but it is quite rare that something like this occurs after just a matter of days of taking up the new position. We don't know for certain the circumstances surrounding this abrupt dismissal, but it's very likely that we will soon.
The Air Force Academy grad turned F-16 pilot was very active on Instagram, regularly communicating with her tens of thousands of followers, but it appears that she shut down her personal account.
We will update this post as more information comes available.
Contact the author: Tyler@thedrive.com
Texting too much while flying?
Oh my guess is that her capabilities (or lack thereof) were well known before she got the demo flight gig. PC is fine until someone’s ass is really on the line.
This is military code for a morality violation,
I have a vague memory that a Black member of the Thunderbirds asked to be taken off the team.
To his credit he did not think his skill was up to the job and did not want to endanger his team mates.
“Texting too much while flying?”
OWWWWW!
Ding, ding, ding, ding...we have a winner.
That posting above from the team’s “highly active” Facebook page made me angry.
What a load of PC crap.
It is pretty clear to me that there are a huge number of things impacting the Air Force’s oversight of this command, and sound operations, airmanship, and tactics are at the bottom of the list.
There are only two things that I could think of which would result in her being taken off:
1) The entire flight team refusing to fly with her due to low confidence in her skills, or
2) An affair with one of her subordinates.
And if it were (1), I think there would have been several weeks of analysis and cajoling before her commander gave up.
They found out that’s she’s heterosexual?
She had an Instagram account joking around with the son of Major John “Rain” Waters, the previous Viper demo pilot. AF guys know if such would be crossing some kind of fraternization line?
She does appear to be attractive.
3) An affair with all of her subordinates.
How can this be? I thought women were perfect and excel in every situation.
Is the son an Air Force enlisted man, or if an officer her direct subordinate? And what was the nature of the "joking around"?
I’m usually one to assume the worst like a lot of post after yours, but after reading yours and scrolling by, it kinda stuck with me... You could very well be right and she’s the one who backed out gracefully. I imagine theres a bit of a difference between dropping bombs and a negative G dive in a turn just a few feet away from your wing men.
I don’t care the “color”; I have immense respect for people that know their current limits (not saying he didn’t want to push them; I just respect he didn’t put other butt’s on the line).
Hope he found a solid billet to serve..
When ALL four of the Air Force Thunderbirds Diamond Demonstration Team died from crashing into the ground in practice way back when the Lead Pilot was a Man.
Just sayin’...
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