Media Gallery

im going to miss those 4 squadrons of birds. i was a ammo troop at the base from 1999-2001.

I was assigned to the 389th FS from December 2000 through March 2004 as a F-16 crew chief. This particular jet, 92-3880, was the one I was assigned to during that entire three year period. 880 is now part of the Thunderbird aireal demonstration team. I was very happy during the time I spent working on 880, and I would'nt trade it for the world. I imagine she will be a great jet for the T-Birds as well. I also have this very nose art tattooed on my right shoulder.

Those look like standard Mk-82s, not LGBs. The pic of 79-0386 shows it has large white circles on the wing, while this jet has white stripes. Anybody know how the other team jets were marked?

I was there, man all sorts of jets!

I was there, man all sorts of jets!

Best Jet in the whole D*mn fleet baby!

I crewed 79-0423 from 1982-84. I desigen the 9th AF colors and painfully cut out and tapped the entire stencile art work in this photo. This aircraft took hours to keep up with. It had to be as clean and a Thunderbird without all the glory that the T-Birds get. When we transitioned to Block 25s at Shaw I received 83-1037 as my new jet. I flew to the factory and flew back to Shaw in the back seat.

At Nellis when the winds are going to be high, cargo stpas are used to lash the aircraft to the ramp. Thaose are cargo straps.

I was the "3rd wipe" on this jet at this time. I crewed it from 4/90 to it transferred to the guard about a year later. If I could zoom in, my name is on the nose gear door.

I'd say this is an older photo, probably between 1992 and 1999. It is certainly not a 16th WS badge.

Photo from collection belonging to Joris. Place and date are unknown

The "red Sidewinder" is actually an AMD - Acceleration Monitoring Device - aimed at increasing the aircrafts visibility on radar durng exercises. Greetings, Henrik.

This Jet caught on fire during take off in 2006, punched the tanks, circled around and landed, punched the chaff and flare on the runway! Made for a good show! Oh yea and it was loaded with lives....

Jet in the foreground is 88-0533 and the one just behind it is 88-0521 both from the 4th FS and Viper West

Look at those beautiful "BLUE" name decals on the canopy. That shows Great LOVE from a real Dedicated Crew Chief. 5 Bucks to whoever can tell me the name on it.

This bird came out of depot maintenance for damage sustained in a hard landing and within months was sent to Cold Lake, Canada where it met it's untimely end.

is this a two-tone camou only..??

The aircraft was delivered to McEntire and later reasigned to Nellis

It's not a laser guided Mk82, it's a simple iron bomb Mk82.

I crewed this jet straight out of the factory...Literally as a matter of fact. We had an encentive program in the 79th FS. All DCC's or most of them...got a trip to the Lockheed Martin and tour of the facility...With the help of Lockheed Martin Rep, Bob Cook. I got to lauch 4047 straight out of the factory...This jet always looked like it rolled of the show room floor and because it was always well maintaned it was selected for a Tiger Tail. Later on 4047 was used by Maj Brison Phillips for the wingman for LtGen Hal Hornburg. Every where the General went 4047 was right there. General Horburg always complained that when he went cross county, ground crews and personnel always flocked to 4047 becaused they thought that had to be the Generals jet. Several months later LtGen Horburg asked me why his jet did'nt look this good? I simply replied "Because I am not your crew chief". He looked at me a said "You are now and I want my name on the side of 4047"

Yeah! What he said! Nice to see someone else remembers the 308 AMU! Al Selby, Louis Tagleri, and myself (best load crew on Ziegler Field (ZF)) all loaded this jet, 1079, 1083, 1084, 1085, 1086 RIP, and about 25 other jets at Homestead. I think we had about 90 total for three AMUs. It was hot and miserable during the rainy season, but looking back on it all I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. When we were the 306 AMU, while we were gening up, we had this lame looking rabbit on our AMU patch. Some of the older ones had Bugs Bunny. Those were cool, but I hated the lame rabbit that replaced Bugs. The Emerald Knights were a lot better. Ahhh! Memory lane! Hope things are goin great Frenchy!

i crewed this sled from 95-97

389th FS - not 368th.

I think that pic was taken when we first arrived in Bentwaters during the '85 deployment (around 20 APR 85) about 1 month after we bombed Lybia Two days after we arrived, all identifying decals were removed until the day before return to NAFB. I was in Coronet Crusader.

This would be my baby. I be the DCC of this amazing bird. She's a code 1 machine, baby!!!!!