Lt. Col. John Klatt remembers the thrill he got as a child in Minnesota watching the daring performances of pilots dashing through the sky at local air shows.

A 25-year veteran of flying through the Air National Guard, he now hopes to pass that thrill on to younger generations that attend his shows.

Klatt brought his aerobatic air show to Seafair this past weekend, putting on an aerial display with his F-16 “Fighting Falcon” to the masses watching across Lake Washington.

Performing across the country under his own name for 15 years, Klatt called performing at Seafair “one of the highlights of my year.” As a longtime member of the Air National Guard, he’s quick to say how much he loves educating young people at his shows about the various career and educational opportunities the Air National Guard can provide.

“Probably the most exciting part is seeing a young boy or young girl and you can tell you’ve connected with them through a performance,” he said.

“To be able to meet somebody and spend some time with them and know they’ve been inspired to fly airplanes or try another avenue is a real positive experience. It’s connecting with that next generation that’s real exciting for me.”

The F-16 is one of two planes Klatt primarily flew during his service with the Air National Guard, the other being the C-130 “Hercules” aircraft. His military stints included stops in Somalia and Iraq.

He described the C-130 as a four-engine turboprop airplane, capable of air dropping paratroopers, jeeps and tanks, and landing on short run ways. The F-16 is designed as a fighter airplane to do a variety of forces on the ground and can travel 300 mph.

“The Air National Guard taught me to fly. When I went to pilot training, I was proud to serve and be a member of the Air National Guard,” Klatt said. “My service and my air show career are fairly intertwined.”

Klatt believes performing for crowds across the country helps make a positive impact not only toward the visibility of the Air National Guard but also toward piloting airplanes. Flying has proven to be a contagious love affair for Klatt, both at air shows and within his household.

“My mom and dad encouraged me to go to air shows, and I was inspired and awestruck by the ability of some of these air show performances,” he said. “Now here I am and I have a 16-year-old daughter taking flying lessons. She just got her driver’s license and is learning to fly as well.

“It’s my hope that my flying is inspiring to those who are watching and that they can see I’ve put my heart and soul into it over my entire career. And if a young person is interested in that, hopefully they will take a look.”