ALAMOGORDO, N.M. – Dozens of pilots plan to prove they are the best in the Southwest this weekend at Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo.

Holloman Air Force Base is hosting an air show where you can get up close to aircraft and talk to the people who fly them.

“It’s awesome. It’s a real blessing to do this job,” said Steel “Raain” Shoaf, an F-35 pilot. 

Steele grew up in Alamogordo. This weekend, he gets to show off his F-35 fighter jet to his hometown. He’ll be one of dozens of pilots at this year’s Holloman Air Show, including the United States Air Force Thunderbirds. 

Usually, he flies solo.

“You hold a lot of power into your hands, one hand on the stick and the other on the throttle. But there is a lot of times, you know, getting to and from the airspace where we’ll do missions and stuff where you just have a minute to sit there and think about how awesome it is to get to do that, and kind of prep yourself for what you’re about to do,” said Shoaf.

Australian pilot, Aaron Deliu, flies solo too. He describes it as peaceful.

“For me, it’s quite calm. So I’ve got two parts of my sequence. The first one is nice and flowy, and just to show what the aircraft can do. And then the second part is a little bit more authentic to who I am as an Australian. I’ve got a thing, a maneuver I’ve invented called the boomerang,” said Deliu.  

But for Shoaf, he knows that sense of peace comes with risks. For example, last week, when a pilot had to eject from his aircraft shortly after takeoff in Albuquerque.

“If nothing else the flying is awesome, I love the flying and to do that for the risk. But the mission is really probably the most important thing and that definitely, you know, there’s risk inherent to that. And everybody who becomes a fighter pilot, or even a pilot in general, understands that. So there’s risk in your job, you accept that risk. You’re willing to do that to make a difference,” Shoaf said. 

Despite the risks, both pilots say they love getting to share their passion with the next generation of aviators.

“I was 14 years of age. We’re going, I’m thinking my brain is ticking, I was like, ‘That can’t be a job. That’s not a job, right? You’re pulling my leg?’” said Deliu.

Giving southern New Mexico a show they won’t forget. People can catch all the action on Sunday. For more information, click here.