F-16 alive, well at Luke

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Marcy Copeland
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  
For years, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, has trained pilots to fly the F-16 Fighting Falcon while graduating more than 17,000 pilots and 11,000 F-16 crew chiefs. Luke continues that legacy with four fighter squadrons and aircraft maintenance units.

F-16 student pilots continue to train in the 21st, 309th, 310th and 425th fighter squadrons as the jets are maintained by the respective aircraft maintenance units.

"The maintainers here at Luke are doing an amazing job," said Capt. Brian Crawford, 309th Fighter Squadron B flight commander. "It is only due to their tireless effort and vital skills that these jets are able to fly the missions required to get our students ready to enter the combat air force."

Surface temperatures on the flightline at Luke can reach between 115 to 125 degrees with air temperatures reaching 110 to 115 degrees. The pilots and maintainers endure weather challenges to keep the jets flying day and night.

"These jets don't fly without our blood, sweat and tears," said Senior Airman Peter Rowe, 310th AMU aircraft armament weapons specialist. "We all have our fair share of scars from working on these aircraft. There are a lot of maintainers working on these jets to keep them flying."

The Fighting Falcon is a compact, highly maneuverable multirole aircraft. It is capable of flying more than 500 miles, delivering its weapons with accuracy, defending against attack and returning to its starting point with the ability to detect low-flying aircraft in radar clutter in all types of weather.
 
The first F-16A, single-seat model, flew in December 1976 and was first operational in January 1979. All F-16s delivered since November 1981 have built-in structural and wiring provisions and systems architecture that permit expansion of the multirole flexibility to perform precision strike, night attack and beyond-visual range interception missions.

"The F-16s are performing extremely well considering the amount of hours we've flown them," Crawford said. "The avionics and system upgrades throughout the lifespan of the F-16 continue to make this jet an essential player in combat and training."

The F-16 is also used by the Thunderbirds for aerial performances in airshows around the world. The United States has recently delivered four of 30 aircraft to The Iraqi Ministry of Defense at Balad Air Base. It is currently in use in combined training with the Polish air force.

More than 25 nations across the globe fly the F-16 in defense of their nations. To date, more than 4,500 F-16s have been built with over 2,200 produced for the U.S. Air Force. With plans to keep the F-16 in service until 2025, the F-16 remains an Air Force workhorse.

"Its mission supports combat forces and protects the borders, land, sea, and air from all enemies," Crawford said.

With 27,000 pounds of thrust, a wingspan of 32 feet, eight inches, a ceiling above 50,000 feet and a speed of 1,500 miles per hour (Mach 2 at altitude), the F-16 produces a sound that many have come to call the sound of freedom.