(Have been on phone -- sitting down to a computer for this reply) I actually don't know who the Viper team has doing their PR. Back at Vance it was often flight instructors and an occasional Colonel. I really don't know what the guys do that walk around and meet people for the Viper team. For the B2s, SR71, Blue Angels, random F15s, etc -- it's all the actual pilots and they're generally pretty badass.

re: "We'll do our best speech" That's likely true. I was chatting with a few of the guys, mentioning the severe weather coming in (~40 minutes) and trying to ask when they were taking off. "Don't worry, we can fly" is a douchebag answer. They could not fly. You're putting kids in lightning and hail stones. Just be honest that it's an obvious delay. We had mammatus clouds above us. (Unless basic meteorology is too difficult for an Air Force chrony -- pilot or not)

Yes they ended flying and I loved their performance. The B2 was also delayed and still made it an hour late. I was also impressed with that.

In the air -- the guys rock. I admit I was too personally offended by two random AF guys working on the Viper team