17TFS tailband - Only "OWLS" or also "HOOTERS" ?

Boman · by **Boman** » 13 Sep 2014, 23:20

The 17TFS had "OWLS" written on the white tailband of their F-16A's, but this changed to "HOOTERS on white tailbands when transitoning to the F-16C.
But from the Unit history database here, the 17TFS is know as the HOOTERS, regardless of A or C models

Does anyone know if the F-16A's ever carried "HOOTERS" on the tailband?

Curious modeller wants to know

Bjorn · by **Bjorn** » 14 Sep 2014, 09:00

Niels, the answer is no. We only depict the current name (or the last one before disbandment). We mostly don't keep records of previous names, except for the tail histories.

So the name did change to Hooters from the C-models onwards. I don't remember seeing any A-models with that name nor C-models with the 'Owl' name on it.

Greets,

Boman · by **Boman** » 14 Sep 2014, 13:01

Thank you Bjørn

jtsc1 · by **jtsc1** » 16 Sep 2014, 00:27

Bjorn is correct concerning the A models only having the "Owls" tailband, however the block 25 C models carried the "Owls" tailband for a few years while sporting the lower portion of the fin painted in the dark gray.

I found one photo online that displays it very clearly: http://f16crewchief.deviantart.com/art/FY-1984-Block-25-F-16-No-1-271197473
There is also a photo here on this site, but the resolution makes it impossible to read the tailband:

USAF F-16C block 25 #84-1248 from the 17th TFS is parked on the tarmac with opened canopy. Note the dark tailfinbase color scheme. [Er-Ning Chang collection]

Photos in a book produced by the 363rd Tactical Fighter Wing office of history for the 50th anniversary of Shaw AFB indicate that the 17th was still using the "Owls" tailband during the exercise "Quick Force 90-2" in April 1990. If that is accurate the name change took place between April and August when the squadron deployed for operation "Desert Storm" with the "Hooters" tailband.

depotdog · by **depotdog** » 16 Sep 2014, 03:45

I got to the 17th in 89 and we were already the Hooters. There's a picture of my jet 84-1378 at Desert Storm with the Hooters tail flash in this sites photo gallery. Kind of hard to make out, but it's definetely not the Owls.

Boman · by **Boman** » 16 Sep 2014, 21:34

Phantastic that my query generated this response - thank you very much

edpop · by **edpop** » 17 Sep 2014, 06:59

Here is a decal sheet with the word "Hooters" on it so they must have gotten it from an aircraft somewhere for a F-16.?

Boman · by **Boman** » 19 Sep 2014, 05:42

There is no doubt that the 17TFS used "Hooters" during their F-16C days. The question was more towards if this was also used during their F-16A days, which they didn't.

BTW - the Elite decals are full of errors unfortunatelly. As an example it has the ACC badge rather than TAC badge wich is correct

AfterburnerDecalsScott · by **AfterburnerDecalsScott** » 01 Mar 2018, 06:40

Bjorn wrote:Niels, the answer is no. We only depict the current name (or the last one before disbandment). We mostly don't keep records of previous names, except for the tail histories.

So the name did change to Hooters from the C-models onwards. I don't remember seeing any A-models with that name nor C-models with the 'Owl' name on it.

Greets,

Davis83 · by **Davis83** » 07 Mar 2018, 02:42

http://www.f-16.net/units_article124.html

Has the timeline and a good pic with Blk 25 "Owl" we changed from Owls to Hooters prior to DS.

I was 17th from 1987 thru 93 when we became the Gamblers. The tail flashes got repainted beginning summer 88.

capt-fig · by **capt-fig** » 17 Mar 2018, 16:43

Have to disagree with DAVIS83. I was Hooter pilot 85-88. I have dated photos that show we transitioned from OWLS to HOOTERS in 1987. Wasn't all at once, but 1987 is the correct year the change-over began.