Tag Archives: viper

New colors for Minnesota’s old F-16 Falcon

Minnesota Army National Guard photo by Sergeant Jorden Newbanks, 03AUG2023.

Minnesota Army National Guard photo by Sergeant Jorden Newbanks, 03AUG2023.

Minnesota Air National Guard photo by Airman First Class Tylin Rust, 24JUL2023.

Minnesota Air National Guard 75th Anniversary F-16 attended the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture 2023, in Wisconsin, 24JUL2023.

Minnesota Air National Guard photo by Airman Addie Peterson, 17JUL2023.

Despite the 75th Anniversary F-16 making its first appearance towards the end of June, its first flight with its new clothes didn’t happen until 17JUL2023.

Minnesota Air National Guard photo by Airman First Class Tylin Rust, 16JUL2023.

The bulldog mascot of the 148th Fighter Wing (FW), Minnesota Air National Guard, poses for a photo with the 148th FW’s 75th Anniversary heritage jet, at the Duluth Air Show, 16JUL2023.

Minnesota Air National Guard photo by Airman First Class Tylin Rust, 16JUL2023.

Minnesota Air National Guard photo by Airman First Class Tylin Rust, 15JUL2023.

Minnesota Air National Guard photo by Airman First Class Tylin Rust, 15JUL2023.

Minnesota Air National Guard photo by First Lieutenant Crystal Kirchner, 25JUN2023.

The ‘heritage’ jet was unveiled on 25JUN2023.

Iowa Air Militia: EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN…AND STILL F-16 GOLD

Kawaii: OHIO AIR MILITIA ENTICES LITTLE CHILDREN WITH THEIR BABY F-16!

Saylor Creek: USMC & Idaho Air Guard invades, preps JTAC for ‘Near Peer’ fight! With China?

“This is a world-class range that is run very well. The units here in Idaho, along with the range, OCTC [Orchard Combat Training Center], and Mountain Home communities have taken care of us every time we’ve come up here. If we find ourselves in a jam, or need something or don’t know this procedure or that procedure, we get nothing but help here.”-Master Sergeant Daniel Haack, JTAC manager for 11th Marine Regiment, 1st MARDIV

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Corporal Dean Gurule, 17APR2023.

In April 2023, the U.S. Marine Corps launched operation (Exercise) Garnet Rattler, seizing the U.S. Air Force’s gunnery range known as Saylor Creek, in Southern Idaho.

USMC photo by Corporal Dean Gurule, 17APR2023.

The use of the word ‘garnet’ is appropriate because Idaho is officially known as The Gem State.  Exercise Garnet Rattler is about training Joint Tactical Air Controllers (JTAC): “Garnet Rattler’s main objective is to take entry level joint terminal attack controllers, forward air controllers, air officers and joint fires observers, and put them in a live-fire environment that has a lot of maneuver flexibility, as well as aviation employment, in order to train realistic scenarios for their entry level controls in the fleet.”-Master Sergeant Daniel Haack, JTAC manager for 11th Marine Regiment, 1st MARDIV

U.S. Marine Corps video report by Corporal Dean Gurule, 29APR2023, note the Idaho Air National Guard’s 124th Fighter Wing/190th Fighter Squadron A-10Cs in action, also, a Mountain Home Air Force Base (AFB) F-15E pilot admits it is all about “…the Air Force and Marines are starting look to the Pacific and preparations for the Near Peer fight…”:

The following USMC videos, recorded (between 10-29APR2023) by Corporal Dean Gurule and Lance Corporal Juan Torres, have been edited by me.

“Rotors comin’ in!”:

Mountain Home AFB F-15E Strike Eagle:

USMC photo by Lance Corporal Juan Torres, 26APR2023.

Machine guns & mortars:

Idaho National Guard photo by Staff Sergeant Joseph Morgan, 25APR2023.

Idaho Air National Guard’s 124th Fighter Wing/190th Fighter Squadron’s A-10C Thunderbolt-2 (remember, the ‘woke’ USAF has been trying to get rid of this awesome aircraft):

Saylor Creek: IDAHO’S TACP/JTACs TRAIN WITH INFANTRY WEAPONS!

Cold War to Ukraine Crisis: USAF sends 27 Block-25 Falcons to the Boneyard!

“It’s a little surreal, to be honest with you. I can remember as a lieutenant growing up, flying with a lot of guys in F-4s and watching that historic change from F-4s to F-16s. And here I am, 20 years later, watching an F-16 I’ve flown be retired. I’ve gone full circle, and it’s bittersweet. But it’s an awesome opportunity to be the last commander to fly this jet.”-Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Eldredge, 309th Fighter Squadron

On 07SEP2022, the last of 27 F-16C ‘Block 25’ Falcons was flown from Luke Air Force Base, in Arizona, to The Boneyard. The retirement ceremony was held on 06SEP2022.

U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman David Busby, 07SEP2022.

The 309th Fighter Squadron (FS) ‘Wild Ducks’ had been flying Block 25 F-16C/Ds for 28 years.  The 309th FS has an interesting history, going back to World War Two, in that it has been based at various locations around the world and around the United States, and repeatedly in-activated and re-activated.  The last time it was in-activated was in 1993, after the non-official, non-declared Cold War ended, yet was re-activated the very next year, in 1994.  It also experienced a period of being officially “unmanned”, from May 2014 to July 2014.

USAF photo by Senior Airman David Busby, 07SEP2022.

Pilots, ground crew and honorary members of the 309th FS signed their names to the last Block-25 F-16C.

309th FS F-16Cs fly alongside F-35A Lightning-2s from the 63rd FS, 11NOV2017. USAF photo by Senior Airman James Hensley.

The 309th FS still uses the newer Block 42 ‘Night’ Falcons, but perhaps will eventually get the outrageously expensive, and long overdue, F-35A Lightning-2.

Airman First Class Keilani Durfey shakes the hand of the pilot who gets to take the final flight the 309th’s last F-16C, Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Eldredge. USAF photo by Senior Airman David Busby, 07SEP2022.

The Boneyard is part of Davis-Monthan AFB, also in Arizona, it is considered to be the largest military aircraft graveyard in the world.

How long will those signatures last in the Arizona Sun? USAF photo by Senior Airman David Busby, 07SEP2022.

The F-16 Falcon first flew in 1974, the first F-16’A’ in 1976, the first F-16’Cs’ began with production Block 25, in 1984. The first Block 42 Night Falcons appeared in 1988, so the 309th FS is still flying a Cold War era aircraft.

An F-16C of the Wild Ducks 309th FS, 12JUL2019. USAF photo by Airman First Class Aspen Reid.

Cold War: Approximately 1947 (due to U.S. President Harry Truman’s Truman Doctrine) to 1991 (Operation Desert Storm, collapse of Soviet Union).

309th FS F-16C, 14AUG2018. USAF photo by Airman First Class Zoie Rider.

USAF video by Senior Airman BreeAnn Sachs, showing 309th FS F-16C/Ds (Block 25 & 42) operating from Holloman AFB, New Mexico, 05AUG2016:

In the Cold War 1980s the Wild Ducks were known as the 309th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS), with a different tail code due to being based on Homestead AFB, Florida.

USAF photo by Airman First Class Nancy Smelser, 19DEC1986.

The first of the original F-16Bs to hit 1-million flight hours belonged to the 309th TFS, in 1986.

 

Cold War to Ukraine Crisis: EC-130H COMPASS CALL MAKES ITS LAST CALL?

Vehicle I-D: AH-1Z USMC FARP

Marine Wing Support Squadrons (MWSS) refuel a AH-1Z Viper (Cobra) during a Forward Arming Refueling Point (FARP) exercise at Yuma, Arizona, 03 APR 2017:

Pic of AH-1Z Viper-Cobra based in Okinawa, Japan

VEHICLE I-D: NATO GERMANY SHOWS OFF ARMORED FIGHTING VEHICLES, IST KOOL!

NEW HH-60M BLACK HAWK FOR HAWAIIAN MILITIA MEDEVAC