Forum: General F-16 forum

JakeMelampy wrote:

Boman wrote:

Does anyone have the tail numbers of these 2 Vipers? Very Happy

One was 82-0926. That is the only one I've been able to ID.

Jake

Another one is 81-0929. Evidently, there were 3 jets scrambled, which is news to me.

Jake

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Okay, all three F-16s that scrambled from Langley AFB, Virginia on 9/11 are identified thanks to mohody on another forum post. It is posted here because they are also BRAC related changes.

82-0926 still listed as active but is being made into a museum piece for the 119th FW at Fargo, ND.
82-0929 to McChord AFB, Washington on December 26, 2006.
81-0789 not a primary jet scrambled on 9/11 and was sent to Sheppard AFB, TX as a GF-16.

Movements were somewhat quiet for the holidays, but now that January has started things will be getting very busy. I have received word that the 523rd FS will be losing their F-16s in the January to March 2003 time frame. I’m not sure about the rest of the Cannon F-16 squadrons.

87-0246 will be going to Colorado ANG in March.

81-0807/ND AMARC AA FG0523 dec06
82-0956/ND AMARC AA FG0524 dec06
82-0983/ND AMARC AA FG0522 dec06

Greetings,

Jurgen van Toor
Dutch Aviation Society / Scramble

Thank You Jon and Jurgen for Your additional information!!

Greetings,

Henrik.

Hello all,

Just found on the net.

Duluth's fighter jet unit looking for a new mission
By CHRIS HAMILTON Duluth News Tribune
The Associated Press - Tuesday, January 02, 2007

DULUTH, Minn.

A group of Duluth boosters dreams that the Minnesota Air National Guard's
148th Fighter Wing eventually will host the most-advanced Air Force fighter
planes, or at least the jumbo transports that shuttle our troops to hot
spots around the globe.

It's all part of what has been an under-the-radar initiative to find a new
long-term mission for the base and keep 1,100 airmen indefinitely situated
next to the Duluth International Airport.

The Air National Guard base - and Duluth - got a reprieve more than a year
ago when the federal Base Realignment and Closure Commission chose to keep the air base open, despite an Air Force recommendation to the contrary. However, that decision is set to expire in October 2011, said Col. Mark Johnson, commander of the 148th. Then the base's future again will be up for evaluation.

That's why officials from the 148th have been developing alternative flying
missions to try to keep the base - which employs about 600 people full
time - open for decades to come, said Capt. Audra Flanagan, spokeswoman for the 15-plane F-16C squadron.

Because the military is barred from lobbying, it has been the job of the
Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce-sponsored Military Affairs Committee to
formulate a political strategy with fighter wing leadership and make sure
that the right people in Washington know how accomplished and important the 148th is to the community and country, said Andy Peterson, public policy
director for the chamber.

Here are their ideas to keep the 148th in Duluth:

* By 2020, acquire a squadron of the long-awaited U.S. Air Force F-35 Joint
Strike Fighters, which is in development.

* In the meantime, secure more modern versions of the F-16 or F-15 fighters. The "bridge" aircraft could extend the 148th's homeland security and wartime troop ground support missions by years.

* Increase the number of F-16s or other fighters at the base from 15 to the
more typical 18, with an eventual goal of 24 planes.

* Change the 148th's mission to house, maintain and fly C-130 transport
planes or in-flight tankers.

In June, the Air Force and National Guard bases in Fargo and Grand Forks,
N.D., began new missions that no longer include fighters. The North Dakota
National Guard 119th Fighter Wing traded in its aging F-16s for state-of-the- art unmanned Predator aircraft as well as the latest cargo
planes.

Minnesota's congressional delegations, the governor and state National Guard adjutant general can influence the outcome for Duluth, but the decision ultimately rests with the Pentagon or BRAC, said Pat Mullen, chairman of the Military Affairs Committee of the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce. The military affairs committee also played an integral role in defending the 148th the last time around, he said.

No one is certain when or if a new mission will be forthcoming.
"We'd ultimately like to get the F-35," Flanagan said. "Everybody wants them in the Air Force, but we believe our performance is such that we will be in the running."

It will all come down to politics, and Duluth is well positioned with U.S.
Rep. Jim Oberstar, DFL-Chisholm, and Rep. Dave Obey, D-Wausau, now with House chairmanships, Peterson said.

John Schadl, communications director for Oberstar, said they are working to
procure the newer aircraft for the base. But he said they do not believe
that Duluth's National Guard base is in the running for the brand-new
aircraft, which typically go to active-duty units first.

Fighter wing proponents also noted that the 148th has never been more vital.

The fighter wing is preparing to send 450 airmen to Afghanistan, Iraq and
other locations over the next few months, which is just the latest of
several recent deployments for fighter wing members. The 148th also is used for U.S. air defense.

Meanwhile, the 148th has benefited from more than $35 million in
construction at the base, has won another major performance award this year and consistently has beaten recruiting goals.

In the past several years, the unit has built up its air recovery and fire
safety team, munitions storage program and maintenance facility. It also has a new base entrance, and construction is under way or planned for other
projects.

"I accept the fact it may be on the block at any point, but at least we
don't need to say that we need this or that for a new mission," Mullen said.
"We have a lot of the infrastructure in place."

All this has been done for a complement of 1983- and 1984-era F-16Cs. While the 148th's planes are rebuilt and upgraded regularly, they are expected to be phased out in the coming years as the Air Force brings more F-22 Raptors and the F-35 on line.

The first F-16s began service in 1979. There are numerous models of the
planes and they are still in production for other nations. None have been
built for the United States since the 1990s.

"The planes (F-16s) could be retired, but we could still keep flying them,"
Johnson said. "There is no hard-and-fast date for when they'll be decommissioned. "

Lt. Col. Rob Ronigen of the 148th added that their version of the F-16C
Fighting Falcon continues to be as capable as any other plane out there.
The bulk of Duluth's pilots and maintenance staff soon will be deployed to
Balad air base in Iraq, where they'll support ground troops with air
strikes, fighter wing officials said.

"Right now there is a lot going on just concentrating on our mission (in
Iraq)," Flanagan said. "Those units are the priority. We're doing our
share."

Greetings,

Henrik.

Hello all,

Related to the "Happy Hooligans" I have found this;

Happy Hooligans to get 1st C-21 jet
Forum staff reports, The Forum
Published Saturday, January 06, 2007

Fargo's Air National Guard unit is starting the new year with a new jet.
The 119th Fighter Wing is expected to receive the first of eight C-21 jets
on Monday.

The C-21, a military version of the Lear Jet, is considered a bridge mission
for the Happy Hooligans until 2010, when the unit is assigned the new Joint
Cargo Aircraft.

The new transport planes are one of two flying missions assigned to the
Guard, which also will fly Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.
UAV operations are expected to begin at the Fargo base in March. North

Dakota will be one of five states where Air Guard units will operate the
unmanned aerial vehicles.

The C-21 jets were supposed to arrive in October. The F-16s flown by the
Happy Hooligans were retired in October at the Langley (Va.) Air Force Base.
Guard personnel have been trained to fly and maintain the C-21 aircraft.
Officials expect the C-21 to arrive at the N.D. Air National Guard Base,
Hector International Airport, between 3 and 5 p.m. Monday.

A ceremony is scheduled Jan. 16 at the base to honor the last F-16 flight and to officially roll-out the C-21.

It will also celebrate the 60th anniversaries of the U.S. Air Force and the N.D. Air National Guard.

All the best to the Hooligans!!

Greetings,

Henrik.

More aircraft to AMARC:

81-0810
82-0914
82-1031
82-1039

Unfortunately this is all I have, but AMARC keeps good records so just need to wait.

The first two aircraft above were with the 148th FS, but did they get moved to the 195th FS when the 148th started to fly the block 60?

Looking for movements with the 163rd FS, any one heard anything yet. I've seen their new squadron logo and it indicates the F-16C+.

Hi Jon,

Many thanks for Your up date!! I have nothing about the 163rd at the moment. Remember that all Block-25/30/32 aircraft that have undergone the CUPID, SCU etc. mods are referred to as F-16C+s.

Greetings,

Henrik.

KVIIIonline reported:

Quote:

Cannon to reassign pilots

Posted: Tuesday, January 09, 2007 at 5:44 PM

CLOVIS -- Airmen at Cannon Air Force Base with positions involving F-16’s will be given new assignments next month.

That's the word from Cannon Staff Sergeant Brandon Seals.

He said some 300 airmen will be given new assignments the first week of February.

Those airmen will be assigned permanent changes of station because their current positions will be eliminated when Cannon's F-16’s are moved to bases around the country.

It's all to make room for Cannon's new mission with the 16th Special Operations Wing.

The F-16’s will be moved to bases in Wisconsin, South Dakota, Maryland, Nevada, and Utah.

J.J. wrote:

Quote:

[b]

The F-16’s will be moved to bases in Wisconsin, South Dakota, Maryland, Nevada, and Utah.

Hello J.J.,

Thanks again for Your topic information and great support!!

The Block-30s from the 523rd FS will go to Wisconsin, Colorado, New Mexico and San Antonio.

The Block-40s from the 524th FS will go primarily to the 388th FW!!

The Block-50s from the 522nd FS will at the moment go th the "War Reserve".

Greetings,

Henrik.

Block 52's to war reserve! Why not send them to Fargo, that would save us from the lear jet. We were told that there was no iron to be had. Huh lied to again.

adfvipermech wrote:

Block 52's to war reserve! Why not send them to Fargo, that would save us from the lear jet. We were told that there was no iron to be had. Huh lied to again.

The 522nd Vipers are Block-50s Very Happy

.

Greetings,

Henrik.

An older BRAC update but not in this list yet:

89-2051 to the 112th FS

Three more jets from the 195FS to AMARC
82-1031 9 Jan 2007
81-0818 10 Jan 2007
82-0924 11 Jan 2007

Forum: General F-16 forum

Post-BRAC 2005 F-16 line-up