Correct Unit Designation for "HL" coded F-16 1979/

stevenation · by **stevenation** » 08 Mar 2004, 23:46

I'm trying to determine the correct unit designation for the dozen or so F-16A/B coded "HL' at Nellis AFB, NV (LSV) in period 1979/80 that also carried the distinctive y/bk checked tailband of the 57FWW. I've seen the unit designation variously referred to as 57FWW OT&E, 57FWW Det 16 and 388TFW OT&E. Clarification would be appreciated. I also received a slide the other day of 78-0002 in June 1979 with a full color emblem on the left main wheel door. Is this the OT&E logo?

Thanks in advance and I'm always looking for correspondents to trade slides (my interests are F-16/14/15/18, air trankers/firefighters and civilian registered ex-warbirds/military). Have thousands of slides in exchange (including F-4 and others).

Steve Nation
Kensington, CA 94707 USA
steve.nation@ucop.edu

jordan1900d · by **jordan1900d** » 09 Mar 2004, 04:50

Sounds like its from Hill AFB in Utah.... 388th FW is the main operator out of there... has been since early 70s (?) or so.... does major LANTIRN,ect. overhauls to the AF F-16 fleet.... my buddy is a crew chief in Spangdalem and says most of the fleet out of his squadron is currently at Hill getting new gadgets.

Answer the q or am I way off?

habu2 · by **habu2** » 09 Mar 2004, 05:13

Can you post some pics? That would help us ID them.

stevenation · by **stevenation** » 09 Mar 2004, 21:52

Thanks Jordan, but not yet on target. All of the aircraft that I have slides of eventually went to Hill AFB with the 388TFW where they received the wing emblem on the fuselage and a colored tail band (yellow = 4TFS; blue = 16TFTS; red = 34TFS; bk = 421TFS). The aircraft in question -- F-16A 78-0001/0002/0022/0023/0024/0025/0026/0027/0038/0039 and F-16B 78-0077/0099 carried the HL tail code but had a yellow & black checked tailband a la the 57FWW (57TTW?) at Nellis AFB where all the photos were taken. I think most went to 16TFTS after they finished at Las Vegas.

Seems to me they were assigned to Nellis for Operational Tests & Evaluation but carried HL (the code of their operational unit) rather than the WA tail code of the 57th at Nellis. Kind of a hybrid operation and makes me wonder why they carried HL even before they were assigned/based/flown to Hill AFB (where the 388FW remains). General Dynamics painted them incorrectly at the plant, it was a morale factor for the 388TFW pilots, maybe 388 pilots helped with OT&E?????

Anyway, I'm sure someone out there has the answer.

Steve

jordan1900d wrote:Sounds like its from Hill AFB in Utah.... 388th FW is the main operator out of there... has been since early 70s (?) or so.... does major LANTIRN,ect. overhauls to the AF F-16 fleet.... my buddy is a crew chief in Spangdalem and says most of the fleet out of his squadron is currently at Hill getting new gadgets.

Answer the q or am I way off?

stevenation · by **stevenation** » 15 Mar 2004, 18:35

Viper Fans,

I knew if I posted something and received no replies, that I'd get off my rear-end and do some sleuthing. Paul Martin's excellent book Tail Code reports that the HL coded F-16A/B with yellow/black checked tail bands were in fact 57FWW Det 16, the OT&E unit based at Hill AFB, UT (HIF) but doing much of its flying out of Nellis AFB, NV (LSV) and environs. So in case anyone else is interested, that seems to be the answer!

Steve Nation
44 Lenox Road
Kensington, CA 94707 USA

mohody · by **mohody** » 21 Mar 2004, 19:27

Is the tail in question "HL" or Hl"? The 419th FW flies F-16s, they went from vanilla A/B models to Big Mouth Block 30s back around 1996 or so. If I remember correctly they are the "Diamondbacks" and they have a yellow/black checkerboard tailflash with Hl as the basecode.

awetsock · by **awetsock** » 22 Mar 2004, 01:31

We had a couple of the 419th jets with us for OEF...

mohody · by **mohody** » 23 Mar 2004, 06:08

Hey, there's the picture I was looking for!!! Oh yeah, I never had any pictures of any 419th birds to begin with---that's why I couldn't find them; thanks wetsock!!! Is that the tail you were looking for Stevenation?

IDCrewDawg · by **IDCrewDawg** » 22 Apr 2004, 21:45

jordan1900d wrote:Sounds like its from Hill AFB in Utah.... 388th FW is the main operator out of there... has been since early 70s (?) or so.... does major LANTIRN,ect. overhauls to the AF F-16 fleet.... my buddy is a crew chief in Spangdalem and says most of the fleet out of his squadron is currently at Hill getting new gadgets.

Answer the q or am I way off?

Yes, lots of our jets are there getting CCIP refurbish. The HL tail flash is the hill designation, the checkerd colors are for the reserve stationed there, however they use HI, as you can see in the pic.