Airshow Aerobatics: Incredible Fighter Jet Maneuvers Named & Explained

Fourth- and Fifth-generation fighter jets continue to push the envelope of what is aerodynamically possible. These amazing aircraft regularly show off their maneuverability at airshows around the world. While these maneuvers look cool and evoke Wow! moments from the crowd, they also have practical applications in air combat. Many of the maneuvers discussed below require thrust vectoring, which is only available on fifth-generation fighter jets.