Fightersweep

Let me give you my completely biased opinion: the Lockeed-Martin C-130 Hercules is THE greatest  American airplane ever built. It’s not pretty and it’s not glamorous. It’s a down and dirty, get-the-job-done, blue-collar working person’s airplane. To commemorate the 60th anniversary of its maiden flight on 23 August 1954, here are the top six reasons why  […]

Tomcat. Turkey. Bombcat. Peeping Tom. The Big Fighter. The first flight of the Grumman F-14 was 21 December 1970 and was made its first deployment aboard the USS Enterprise in September 1974. It saw several upgrades over the course of its career, including improved engines, avionics, and the capability to move earth by transforming from a dedicated air-to-air fighter […]

Last week we wrote about whether or not the airstrikes in Iraq against ISIS had a chance to be effective and what their objectives and scope should be. As it turns out, we were pretty much spot on. ISIS has presented itself as a juicy target for airstrikes and since the air efforts began on […]

Jet pilots never plan to get in a dogfight—it is more survivable and cheaper (think gas) to pick the enemy off well outside of visual range—but as Paco alludes to, there are plenty of reasons why even the most advanced fighters may find themselves mixing it up in the phone booth. And if you need […]

An in-house BFM sortie between two seasoned pilots would consist of a short brief, a quick candy bar and a walk from the Ready Room 20 to 30 minutes before takeoff. Once airborne off of Runway 31, it was a quick right 90 degree turn, a push into combat spread and a climb. Two or […]

Over the course of five and a half months, the U.S. Air Force Weapons School makes its students the very best mission commanders in their particular disciplines, and ultimately they are finely honed into leaders of airmen. The curriculum provides them with the opportunities to lead, but ultimately they are taught the techniques and personal […]

As the F-4G retired from service in 1996, a new aircraft stepped in: the Block 50/52 configuration of the Lockheed-Martin F-16C Fighting Falcon, commonly referred to as the Viper. The delineation between the Block 50 and Block 52 is simply the motor; Block 50s are reliant upon General Electric engines, and the Block 52s are powered […]

Great video of Captain Scott WORF Eshelman refueling his F-16C at night off the wing of a KC-135 Stratotanker in a Green Flag-West exercise.

The new Republic F-105F Thunderchiefs and their crews faced a significant challenge, as over 100 North Vietnamese SAM sites were operational by August of 1966. By that time the Weasels carried the new AGM-45 Shrike missile, which homed in on the radar antenna itself. Although the Shrike presented more of a threat than the weaponry […]

The U.S. Air Force Weapons School traces its origins back to the Aircraft Gunnery School, which was established at what was then Las Vegas Air Force Base in 1949. The initial cadre of instructors was composed of seasoned pilots, all combat veterans of World War II. These men, who dedicated their efforts to training the next generation, […]

An F-5 against an F/A-18 is not a fair fight. The Hornet has a spectacular radar with extremely capable ACM modes. At “Fight’s On,” a pilot has just to flick on his VACQ, select AMRAAM, put lift-vector on and pull until he gets a SHOOT cue. “Kill…Knock it off.” The Super Hornet (Boeing F/A-18E/F)has an even […]

The Eagle. Eagle Jet. The Mighty Mighty. World’s Greatest Air Superiority Fighter. Now, before all you fans of the Lockheed-Martin F-22A Raptor get offended, that statement is made strictly based on its combat record to date–not its performance characteristics or capabilities. The fact is, the Boeing F-15C Eagle has been involved in 104 real-world combat […]