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I think about 10 Block 25s maximum showed up at Homestead right as the Aug 90 Gulf War build up was starting. They came from Shaw and as soon as Shaw deployed, they took the rest of their Block 25s with them to the desert. Post war, the whole plan changed with the deactivation of many wings and the first round of realignment. It was then determined that the 31st would go to Block 40 GP missions with three squadrons - 308th, 309th and reactivated 307th - and the 363rd at Shaw would continue their planned conversion to a Block 42 LANTIRN operation in the 17th, 19th and 33rd.

The 25s at Homestead would have went into the 308th AMU, since they were first on the conversion list. The first Block 40s started showing up in early 91 and the conversion was done in early 92. The 309th flew the last active duty A-Model sortie in mid 91.

Some of the Shaw Block25s ended up at Luke and the rest, to include the Homestead ones (I think), went to various guard units. I want to say the HST ones went to Terre Haute, but the memory is fuzzy on that piece.

Cheers!
Oscar

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Hi Oscar and welcome.

Thank you for this update of information, very useful for the history I'm working on. Oscar, do you have any tail numbers in mind of any block 25s at Homestead? Any photos as well?

Cheers,
Jon

Elite 1K Joined: Jul 12, 2005 Posts: 1581 Status: Offline

GREAT Oscar - and a very warm WELCOME to this great site!!

Thank You for some very interesting and unique F-16 history.

Greetings,

Henrik.

Jon,

I do not have any tail #s or photos of that. There is a USAF/USN tail # database at http://users.rcn.com/jeremy.k/serialSearch.html

I don't know that it has historical info on jet transfers or not.

Good Luck!

Doug

If you think that is impressive, you haven't seen the F-16.net serial database. We have tracked most jet transfers and is why I asked, to update our database. Check it out:

http://www.f-16.net/f-16_aircraft_database.html

Jon

Elite 2K Joined: Jan 14, 2004 Posts: 2814 Status: Offline

Henrik, que pasa? Cool

Thanks for setting me straight on those birds. Yeah, 95-96 was a little before my time. By the time I was there, they were Blk. 30s. Great birds, and definitely a great ride! Now, I'm on a much bigger bird, but still having a helluva lot of fun!

Most of the Terre haute Block 25's came from Hahn AB and a smaller number coming from Shaw(Ft. Wayne and Kansas ANG picked up the rest from those bases IIRC).We at one time had around 28-30 Block 25's on base,our PAA aircraft plus having the rest in "flyable storage"(in our unit markings)until other ANG units converting could pick them up,for about 6-10 months we had Block 25's all over the place!

Elite 1K Joined: Jul 12, 2005 Posts: 1581 Status: Offline

Hello all,

Regarding 85-1421 it came from the 363rd TFS at Shaw AFB, SC and after its brief stay in the 308th TFS / 31st TFW it was passed to the 457th TFS / 301st TFW in Ft. Worth, TX early 1991.

Greetings,

Henrik.

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308th TFS with block 25?