--- title: "These hilarious USAF ‘Freestyle Friday’ videos will start your weekend with a laugh" date: "2018-04-02" modified: "2020-10-22" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/these-hilarious-usaf-freestyle-friday-videos-will-start-your-weekend-with-a-laugh/" categories: - "Entertainment" - "Join the Military" - "Military Culture" --- # These hilarious USAF ‘Freestyle Friday’ videos will start your weekend with a laugh ![]() Most outsiders may not know about an Air Force tradition that gives the hard-charging crew chiefs of some of the most high-tech airplanes in the world a chance to show a little personality. --- You might have seen some funny videos or gifs here and there featuring Air Force maintainers directing taxiing aircraft with the flair of a funny dance or outrageous outfit, and you might have wondered how they got away with it without their commander coming down on them like a ton of bricks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np1RXE1ym0c YouTube user [Kyle Gott]() What you're seeing is "Freestyle Friday," a military version of "casual Fridays" where Air Force crew chiefs – the tactical aircraft maintainers who coordinate the maintenance and care of the world's most expensive airframes — are allowed to have a little fun on the job. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blx-VjMGxCU YouTube User [alexwannberg]() https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cLsu5Acf0k YouTube User [alexwannberg]() https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGwrDbzhJg4 YouTube User [alexwannberg]() Crew chiefs have one of the hardest jobs in the Air Force; one that requires a lot of training, long hours, and a lot of responsibility to make sure the planes are in tip-top shape for their dangerous missions. There's a reason the crew chief often gets his name on the nose of a plane with the pilot's. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBiwdB8txHI YouTube User [AirmanSnuffie]() Some consider Air Force crew chiefs and maintainers the "grunts" of the Air Force, and no one should be surprised when they have a little fun on the flightline during Freestyle Fridays to blow off a little steam. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ORXQm-DguY YouTube user [Jeff Wilms]() The ground crews work in extreme heat and cold, depending on their duty station, with little rest between shifts, and sometimes multiple launches and recoveries per day. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekz2UELgHNg YouTube User [juukbox]() Crew chiefs have to deal with exhaustion from a high operational tempo, hearing loss from the jet noise on the flightline, and may sometimes feel a little underappreciated by the rest of the maintenance group. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAsaNdU3U6E YouTube User [Chris Bosley]() Like most enlisted folks with this level of responsibility, they're known for blunt talk and a no-nonsense attitude. They take care of the planes they're charged to maintain very seriously. So it's no surprise they're known to be hardasses for doing things their way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWAB-6fwHeg YouTube User [jw040789]() But while crew chiefs work hard, they play hard too and are often the genesis of some hilarious nicknames for the airmen that work with them. Happy Freestyle Friday from We Are The Mighty! ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()