Maj. Jared J. Maline, ground boss of the 2016 show and operations flight commander of the Second Civil Engineer Squadron, described the enormous amount of effort and coordination required to produce the event. “It can definitely be a hectic kind of effort,” he said.

Coleman really knew he wanted to be a pilot from the time he was just 3 years old, he said, but he didn’t get to begin his professional career until the age of 19. Before that time finally came, he made sure to hit every flying milestone as soon as he could.