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DAYTON — Military pilots flew two F-22A Raptors into Dayton International Airport on Friday, July 18, in preparation for this weekend's Vectren Dayton Air Show.

One of the supersonic fighters will be flown both days of the air show and the other serves as a spare.

The planes represent some of the Air Force's most potent attack aircraft with their ability to fly higher and faster than conventional fighters and to effectively hide from enemy radar with stealth technology.

"If they can't see us, they can't track us," said Maj. Paul Moga, of Langley Air Force Base, Va., the lead pilot for the Raptor demonstration team. "If they can't track us, they can't shoot us.

"I see everybody, nobody sees me," said Moga, 35, of Hampton, Va., an instructor pilot for the Raptors. "How much better could it be?"

Langley is home to the biggest force of deployed Raptors, with two combat-ready squadrons and 40 of the aircraft there, said Lt. Col. Bryan Turner, of the Virginia Air National Guard, who flew the second Raptor to Dayton.

The team flew demonstration flights at the Farnborough International Airshow in England before crossing five time zones to return to Virginia on Tuesday, resting before the trip to Dayton. The team does 25 shows each year and is on the road for about six months out of the year, Moga said.

The Air Force also is deploying Raptors to Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, and Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii.

Lockheed Martin built the planes. They cost about $128 million apiece, said 2nd Lt. Georganne Schultz, spokeswoman for the Raptor demonstration team.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or jnolan@DaytonDailyNews.com.