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.)
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.