Highest flying time F-16 departs Luke

Aircraft #83-1178, an F-16D model currently assigned to the 61st Fighter Squadron, has accumulated 7,238 hours of flight time, but its mission is far from over.

Lt. Col. Karl Schlimm, 301st Fighter Squadron pilot, will fly the historic aircraft to its new home with the 162nd Fighter Squadron, an Air National Guard unit at the Tucson International Airport.

"I'll be flying 178 to Tucson today, and I feel privileged to have the opportunity to do so," said Colonel Schlimm. "I've enjoyed flying the aircraft over the past few years and have enjoyed working with its crew chiefs, Staff Sgt. Eric Hayes and Senior Airman Jeremy Roe, as well."

All three Airmen's names along with Lt. Col. Manoj Ravi, the squadron's flight surgeon, will be placed on No. 178 before it makes its way to the largest ANG fighter wing in the country.

"It is a tribute to all of the maintainers whose outstanding knowledge and craftsmanship led this jet to fly for so long," said Airman Roe. "You must be the best to do what we do."

F-16s, commonly referred to as Vipers, were designed to fly approximately 3,000 hours. By undergoing certain upgrades, the life expectancy can extend past 6,000.

"It's challenging enough for any maintenance unit to keep a Viper flying considering the torturous conditions they are subjected to out here," Colonel Schlimm said.

"Aircraft 178 has flown hours never envisioned by Lockheed or the Air Force, but were made possible due to the maintenance and hard work of Air Force individuals here at Luke," said Maj. Michael Dunn, 61st FS director of operations.

The F-16 whose tail number once read LF 83178, which has spent its entire life at Luke, now bears a new mark. It's time is not yet finished as it will continue to accrue more hours and serve the Air Force -- but just in a different home.

13th FS deploys to S. Korea

The first wave of pilots and F-16s flew out, with the main body of more than 300 support airmen expected to follow Tuesday.

The Misawa squadron, known as the Panthers, is supplying 14 jets to temporarily fill the close-air support role held by an Army Apache helicopter unit — the 1st Battalion, 2nd Aviation Regiment at Camp Eagle. The regiment will move to Fort Carson, Colo., this spring.

The fighters and airmen are deploying to Suwon Air Base, U.S. Forces Korea said in a news release. The overlap of both units will keep force levels on the peninsula at about 28,500.

Last fall, it was widely presumed the 13th Fighter Squadron would supplant the 14th Fighter Squadron in Balad, Iraq.

"This has been a common rotation of … assets in recent years," said Master Sgt. Allison Day, a 35th Fighter Wing spokesman at Misawa. "However, based on worldwide capability requirements and the need to optimize the use of U.S. military resources, the Air Force tasked the 13th to deploy to [South Korea]."

The South Korea deployment will enable Pacific Command to maintain stability with another key ally in the region, said Lt. Col. Jay Aanrud, the 13th Fighter Squadron commander.

"It will be a difficult set of challenges, but the mission set is aligned with our primary role in the Pacific," he said in a wing news release.

Even though it’s not a downrange tour and Korea is a little closer to home, several squadron members were eyeing their first deployments.

First Lt. Cory Farrer, of Brigham City, Utah, an F-16 pilot, was among them.

"It is difficult to leave my wife and children," he said in the release. "Despite the difficulties of separation, I am looking forward to experiencing my first deployment."

The distance won’t diminish the sacrifices, Aanrud added.

"Regardless of the location, a deployment implies separation from our families and this deployment will be for an extended period of time," Aanrud said. "It’s always a challenge when we are separated from friends and loved ones, but it’s also a part of the Air Force that makes it unique and rewarding."

UAE to get 224 latest AMRAAMS for F-16s

UAEAF F-16F #3002 takes off from NAS JRB Fort Worth on March 4th, 2005 armed with AMRAAM missles

The announcement from Raytheon came at the International Defence Exhibition (IDEX) Conference in Abu Dhabi that the UAE was purchasing 224 AIM-120C-7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM).

"AMRAAM is one of the most advanced missiles and already deployed in other regional countries, like Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Pakistan. The missiles are for the F-16 Block 60 fighter jets of the UAE Air Force," said Lt General (retired) Paul T Mikolashek, President of Middle East Raytheon.

When asked about the value of the deal, he said: "I cannot reveal the value, but can tell the number of missiles is 224 and these are for the F-16 jets".

Raytheon said the company was expected to make its first delivery within two to three years. “It really depends on how the governments want that to happen,” said Cesar Rodriguez, the programme manager at the company’s missile systems division.

Big 22 trains in Vegas

Sunny Las Vegas was a warm welcome for the Stingers after a more than 10-hour first leg ferry flight to Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., that kept pilots stuck in the cramped F-16 cockpit for roughly 13 hours.

The pilots were required to wear anti-exposure suits because they were crossing the icy Atlantic in January. The airtight, form-fitting, waterproof over-garments', are affectionately called "poopy suits," are a necessary evil that provide a pilot critical survival time while waiting for rescue in cold water if forced to eject for an emergency.

"I hate wearing that thing," said 1st Lt. Max "Efes" Cover, 22nd FS pilot. "It's like getting wrapped in a plastic bag and then taped shut at the neck."

It wasn't all fun and games for 22nd FS Airmen in Vegas. They participated in Green Flag - West, an air-to-ground Army-Air Force exercise, which called for a rigorous work schedule of 12-plus hour days, six days a week. The pilots flew over the California Desert in radio contact with Air Force Joint Terminal Attack Controllers who were positioned with Army forces conducting Operation Iraq Freedom preparation training in the National Training Center, the largest desert training area in the U.S. When the Army needed a bird's eye view of enemy activity, or precision guided munitions on target, "The Big 22" was there to deliver. The squadron flew a total of 374 flights, dropped 22 Global Positioning System-guided bombs, 18 laser-guided bombs and shot more than 18,000 20-mm rounds at targets identified by the JTACs.

"We couldn't have done it without the great team work and professionalism of our phenomenal maintenance personnel," said Lt. Col. "Rolex" Waite, 22nd FS director of operations.

The 22nd Aircraft Maintenance Unit delivered a constant stream of healthy F-16s for the pilots to fly for more than 686 hours. The AMU was able to quickly repair aircraft problems that threatened to take the jets off the flying schedule. Their outstanding efforts didn't go unrewarded, as AMU and support Airmen received a total of 39 familiarization flights in the F-16 as part of the 52 FW's incentive ride program.

"The flight was really great" said Senior Airman Leo "Ollie" Oliphant, 22nd AMU crew chief. "It was pretty cool to see what the pilots actually do up there."

The squadron did find some time for rest and relaxation after the conclusion of the GF-W AEF spin-up exercise. Stinger pilots, as well as numerous pilots from Nellis AFB and Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., and guests, started off the weekend with a much anticipated "Dos Gringos" concert Jan. 30, 2009. The band featured the 52nd Operations Support Squadron chief of wing weapons, Maj. Robert "Trip" Raymond, on lead guitar and entertained more than 300 fans with their animated fighter pilot-based lyrical music.

The $3,300 generated from ticket sales was donated to the Air Warrior Courage Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by a group of retired USAF pilots, "The River Rats," who support former prisoners of war and their families. Lieutenants from the 22nd FS put a lot of work into making the event a success.

"We are happy and honored to donate to such a fine cause and demonstrate our support to those who made such a huge sacrifice in the past," said 1st Lt. Abe "Skids" Lehmann, who managed the event.

Following two weeks of in-depth training in the GF-W exercise, the Stingers flew one more week out of Nellis AFB to hone their close air support skills by flying training sorties in conjunction with the 422 Test and Evaluation Squadron and other JTACs from Fort Hood, Texas. This additional flying time enabled pilots to complete their remaining spin-up training events with emphasis on current downrange tactics that readied "The Big 22" for potential tasking during their AEF bucket during the next five months.

"I couldn't be more proud of the Stinger Team that deployed to Nellis," said Lt. Col. Doug "Stoli" Nikolai, 22nd Fighter Squadron commander. "Thanks to the hard work and dedication to all involved, we are now fully prepared to support the Combatant Commander and the full spectrum of associated downrange taskings."

USAF F-16C block 50 #91-0344 from the 22nd FS is on short final to runway 03R at Nellis AFB on January 21st, 2009.

BAF F-16AM #FA-87 from 31 sqn is shining in a slight wintersun at Kleine Brogel AB on March 25th, 2008.

F-16 tyres burst at Indian airshow

BANGALORE, India (AFP) — Two tyres of an F-16 burst while the fighter jet was landing after a display at an Indian airshow on Sunday, the organisers said, adding that no one was hurt.

US-based aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, which hopes to sell 126 such jets to India, said the accident did not disrupt other flights on the final day of the five-day show in this southern Indian city.

"Both the left and right rear tyres burst one after the other due to heat and friction," F-16 test pilot Paul Randall told reporters after the blow-outs at the airshow.

"An indication that the right tyre was going to burst before landing was shown on the flight control panel before the landing," Randell said as the company in a statement added that no one was hurt.

Besides Lockheed Martin, five global aerospace firms are in the race to win the Indian fighter jet deal estimated to be worth 12 billion dollars.

F-16 Fighting Falcon

The World Standard

The F-16 soars above all others as the world’s standard. Nations around the world have evaluated the variety of choices available and consistently selected the F-16, the world’s most capable multirole fighter. More than 4,300 F-16s have been produced for 24 countries with 52 follow-on buys by 14 customers – a key indicator of customer satisfaction. These customers have experienced the performance and reliability of the F-16 firsthand and reaffirm the high quality of the aircraft.

Nations who operate and will operate the F-16 have made an important commitment to its citizens: national defense. To that end, no other fighter can match the F-16’s record . . . because no other fighter comes close to offering all its strengths.