Is this the longest combat sortie in history?

Starting a discussion to see if this really is the longest combat sortie in a Viper. Feel free to add your comments here.

The longest F-16 combat sorties in history

Feel uncomfortable just reading about it!

I find myself entertained that he is so annoyed at having to brake ride back into the PAS (without being asked!). Cry me a river... Admittedly that had to have been an uncomfortably loooooong flight, but the jobs not done till it's done.

A mission the F-16XL w/CFT would have made standard operation... (minus some 75% +/- lb (?) of additional JP-8 per ship,, such a platform would have depended on in Strategic tanker burn)... Regardless, respects to the crew acknowledged.

I find myself entertained that he is so annoyed at having to brake ride back into the PAS (without being asked!). Cry me a river... Admittedly that had to have been an uncomfortably loooooong flight, but the jobs not done till it's done.

Have you ever flown in a viper for 12+ hours? I don't know your back ground so just asking.

Proud and pleased that there are still such combat crews alive and well, and patrolling the skies. Both here and there. Nice job! I'm sure the Eagle crew felt safe and sound knowing their backs were covered from above. Tuna, see you soon, Tatu, love to shake your hand someday.

Signed
Tuna's Dad

BTW, my longest sortie was 36.2

They need to get the comm guys to build 'em a splice to let 'em plug their mp3 players into the helmet audio so they've at least got something decent to listen to besides the radio chatter. (no Iron Eagle references, please)

BTW, my longest sortie was 36.2

Did you launch outta Barksdale or Whiteman?

They need to get the comm guys to build 'em a splice to let 'em plug their mp3 players into the helmet audio so they've at least got something decent to listen to besides the radio chatter. (no Iron Eagle references, please)

Yeah and they should listen to Dos Gringos song 12 inch *****.....

Big respect to Tuna and Tatu.

I'm just asking whether the date for this event mentioned in the article is absolutely sure?

I believe it happened instead on the evening of March the 22nd, with the second aircraft landing at ~1822 local time. It was 90-0829.

Or I'm wrong,

and the date in the story is correct (23rd).

But in this case there was also a landing with uncut "Little Buddy" on the 22nd.

http://legiero.blog.hu/2011/09/01/kesei ... _levegoben

Lajes

BTW, my longest sortie was 36.2

Did you launch outta Barksdale or Whiteman?

Silly question I'm sure, but are those bases for the Venerable BUFF and Darth Vader's Limo, respectively, or are those both BUFF bases?

The BUFF and the Beak respectively.

I find myself entertained that he is so annoyed at having to brake ride back into the PAS (without being asked!). Cry me a river... Admittedly that had to have been an uncomfortably loooooong flight, but the jobs not done till it's done.

Seriously? The job was done...riding brakes need not be done by the pilot, in fact it is most often done by maintainers.

Unless you've flown similar missions, I would say your opinion is mostly irrelevant. It seems much more logical to have the maintainer ride the brakes in this case than the pilot who hasn't been able to move for 13.5 hours. Heaven forbid someone has to climb up a ladder and sit in a seat for two minutes so a guy who's just logged the longest Viper mission in history can take a load off.

A mission the F-16XL w/CFT would have made standard operation... (minus some 75% +/- lb (?) of additional JP-8 per ship,, such a platform would have depended on in Strategic tanker burn)... Salute Wink Regardless, respects to the crew acknowledged.

A mission in something like this?

An artist's impression of a non-existing 'Block 70' Advanced Falcon, as proposed to the UAE at one time but never progressed beyond the paper and desk model stage. It would have been quite a flyer in my opinion. Next to the Raptor-like trapezoidal main wings I added canards derived from the Raptor's horizontal stabilizers. This in order to create an even more advanced CCV-like bird. Of course the latest additions in terms of Spine, CFTs, AESA radar and IRST balls back and front. To me, this one beats the F-35 anytime. Semper Viper... [Image by Peter van Stigt]

Pretty awesome artist's imprssion there, I've never seen that representation. Thanks!

So I'd have to say a definite Yes... something along that line should have been evolved and developed in the early 2000s (including significant in-house investment) and already operational by now. A would-be sustainable and reliable interim model (for conservatively estimated long-term defense budgets) until the next-gen multi-role could start to take over in the mid-20s, etc. LM would be taking orders for hundrends of them, for meeting foreign and domestic replacement needs imho. I'm sure Johnwill would have even been brought out of retirement and in charge of the thing.

And to keep this on topic... I might suggest such a single-seat variant to have had an even further reclined seat to better accommodate the long-endurance 13 hr flights, while easily maximizing use of the new cockpit displays and next-gen HMD just the same!