“Drop Dead Gorgeous”

May 7, 2008

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

That is the feeling one of the latest 3,000-hour F-16 veterans has about his aircraft. Lt. Col. Sam Shaneyfelt, commander of the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron at Eglin AFB, Fla., recently became the 139th Air Force pilot to surpass 3,000 flying hours in the F-16, which he also described as “fast, lethal, and drop dead gorgeous.” He made his milestone flight out of Hill AFB, Utah. (Hill report by SSgt. Samuel King Jr.)

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

Trending Stories

B-1 Bomber Buildup at UK Base Hits Unprecedented Levels

KC-135 Crashes In Iraq While Supporting Iran Ops

Pentagon’s Efforts to Boost Industrial Base Not Moving the Needle Yet: Report

Six Airmen Dead in KC-135 Crash, First Air Force Fatalities in Iran War

Related

Air Force to Buy Developmental E-7s With $2.4B Contract Modifications

March 13, 2026
The Air Force on March 12 awarded contract modifications worth a combined $2.4 billion to Boeing to procure an undisclosed number of E-7 Wedgetail as part of the program's engineering and manufacturing development phase and continue work on the airborne battle management aircraft’s radar.

Space Force Components Building Up Units to ‘Surge’ Forward

March 13, 2026
As Space Force leaders call for the service to double in size in the coming years, the commander in charge of presenting forces to U.S. Space Command said part of that growth will need to go toward increasing the footprint of forward-operating units.

Culture of Fitness: It’s Not About the Test 

March 13, 2026
In an era of high-tech weapons, fast computers, armed drones, and layers upon layers of satellites, it’s easy to overlook a still-crucial element of military capability: a physically fit Active-Duty, Guard, and Reserve force.

KC-135 Crashes In Iraq While Supporting Iran Ops

March 12, 2026
A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker supporting Operation Epic Fury against Iran crashed in western Iraq after an incident involving two aircraft March 12, U.S. Central Command announced. The aircraft were not shot down, CENTCOM added.

B-1 Bomber Buildup at UK Base Hits Unprecedented Levels

March 12, 2026
About a dozen B-1 bombers are now at RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom as a base from which to launch strikes on Iran, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine—potentially representing more than half of the U.S. Air Force’s mission-capable Lancer fleet.

Pentagon’s Efforts to Boost Industrial Base Not Moving the Needle Yet: Report

March 12, 2026
While the Pentagon has signaled its intent to scale technology, field new systems faster, and work more with nontraditional vendors, a new report identifies persistent manufacturing capacity, resourcing, workforce, and modernization challenges that could hinder its ability to deliver on those goals. 

Celebrating 100 Years of Liquid-Fueled Rockets

March 11, 2026
March 16, 2026, marks 100 years since Dr. Robert H. Goddard launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket. Over the past century, new and ever more capable liquid-fueled rockets have literally propelled humanity into space. Why liquid-fueled rockets?