Forum: F-16 News

Godspeed Brother.........Godspeed!!!

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I'm just at a loss.....that is just Godawful news, and I cannot possibly express my outrage at Reuters adequately on a family forum. They did in fact hear from me EXACTLY what I thought about them airing that video.

This is meaningless I know, but God bless the pilot, his family, friends and squadron mates.

I really can't say much more beyond that, except again, thanks to the military people who lay it on the line for us every single day.

I JUST uploaded a shot of it from better times here the other day.

http://www.f-16.net/modules/Gallery2/ga ... alNumber=1

This Reuters news photo, posted already by HazF16, clearly shows the tail of 90-0776 (Block 40K), marked 524 FS, tailcode CC. As widely known, all non-marked aircraft of the squadron have the smaller "AF" and the serial number´s first two digits at left from the bigger painted last three digits.

Unfortunately, it sounds like the pilot did not survive. Damn! But I will wait for an official statement.

Man, it really hits home when it was one that you worked on. I was there with 776 the first time over for OIF...

Here's another good shot of 776 (and some of her sisters). She was a great bird to fly. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the pilot's family.

ONE MORE ROLL

We toast our faithful comrades
Now fallen from the sky
And gently caught by God’s own hand
To be with Him on high.

To dwell among the soaring clouds
They knew so well before
From dawn patrol and victory roll
At heaven’s very door.

And as we fly among them there
Were sure to hear their plea--
"Take care, my friend; watch your six,
And do one more roll...Just for me."

- Commander Gerald Coffee, Hanoi, 1968

"Here's a toast..."

Rexxxx

Can we not take this down the road its currently heading. We'll start removing/editting posts that that have no relevance to subject matter.

Quote:

Can we not take this down the road its currently heading. We'll start removing/editting posts that that have no relevance to subject matter.

Good call.

F-16 got to take some of them with him...that was a good call too

Just found on KVIA (part of ABC-7):

Quote:

Air Force officials confirm F-16 was from Cannon

Nov 28, 2006 01:28 AM

CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AP) - An F-16 that crashed today in Iraq was from Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico.

Cannon spokeswoman Captain Rebecca Garcia had no immediate information about the fate of the pilot or the cause of the crash, which occurred 20 miles northwest of Baghdad. Al-Jazeera satellite television showed videotape images of the wreckage.

The Arab news station reported a pilot was dead in the crash. The 524th Fighter Squadron, part of the 27th Fighter Wing from Cannon, has been operating from Balad Air Base in Iraq.

An Iraqi witness reported seeing the jet flying up and down erratically before it crashed. A US military spokesman doubts the jet was shot down, saying F-16s fly very fast and haven't run into weapons in Iraq that are capable of taking them down.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Current source link: http://www.kvia.com/global/story.asp?s=5735456

This night, I will "feed" some news media with the following stuff:

Crashed U.S. F-16 in Iraq identified by F-16.net

The U.S. Air Force F-16CG which crashed in Iraq on November 27, 2006, is certain identified by the website F-16.net (www.f-16.net) – the leading online reference of this aircraft type.

A news photo, published by Reuters, clearly shows the scattered tail of serial number 90-0776 which belongs to the 524th Fighter Squadron "Hounds of Heaven", 27th Fighter Wing (Air Combat Command), Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. Readable on the photographed tail are the letters CC (USAF´s tailcode for Cannon AFB) and a big 5. This digit is the first part of the special marking 524 FS, painted only on the 524th Fighter Squadron´s "squadron bird" or "flagship". The tails of all none-special marked aircraft of this squadron are also painted with the tailcode CC, but with a shortened version of their serial number, combined with the letters AF (for Air Force).

Background Info

Elements of the 524th Fighter Squadron are currently deployed as 524th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron (probably with twelve F-16CGs) to the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Balad Air Base, Iraq. This long-scheduled deployment is part of the current Air and Space Expeditionary Force´s AEF 3/4 (Cycle 6) rotation (September – December 2006).

Also currently deployed to Balad Air Base are twelve F-16Cs of an Air National Guard "Rainbow Team", dubbed 332nd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron. This team consists of aircraft and rotating personnel from the following four units: 107th Fighter Squadron, 127th Wing (Michigan ANG), Selfridge ANGB, Mount Clemens, Michigan; 121st Fighter Squadron, 113th Wing (District of Columbia ANG), Andrews AFB, Maryland; 138th Fighter Squadron, 174th Fighter Wing (New York ANG), Hancock Field, Syracuse, New York; 175th Fighter Squadron, 114th Fighter Wing (South Dakota ANG), Sioux Falls RAP (Joe Foss Field), Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Balad Air Base is the only host unit for U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcons in Iraq. The first F-16s were deployed to this huge air base as part of the AEF 9/10 (Cycle 4) rotation (June – August 2004). Since the AEF 5/6 (Cycle 5) rotation (May – August 2005), Balad Air Base hosts two F-16 Expeditionary Fighter Squadrons at the same time (all in all 24 aircraft).

With best regards

Joachim Jacob
F-16.net Editor (username J.J.)
Private e-mail: joachim.jacob@gmx.de

Related links:

The Reuters news photo:
http://in.news.yahoo.com/061127/137/69rtu.html

U.S. F-16 crashes in Iraq (F-16.net Mishap News):
http://www.f-16.net/news_article2066.html

F-16 down in Iraq (F-16.net Forum Topic):
http://www.f-16.net/f-16_forum_viewtopic-t-6912.html

Older photo of the crashed aircraft (F-16.net Media Gallery):
http://www.f-16.net/gallery_item32144.html

Don't forget the shadowed letters on the tail flash. That paint is only applied to jets w/ squadron lvl or higher markings....

HazF16 wrote:

looks like it was the squadron bird... damn

Dunno why, but that thing looks Photoshopped, i swear that tail is a lot bigger than that.. Overall though, it is a sad ordeal, having been there crewing Vipers, them coming back was something we always were positive about.

With my improved "press release" (see above), I already "fed" Reuters Germany in Berlin and Associated Press Germany in Frankfurt/Main (both contacted by personal phone calls and followed by the e-mailed stuff). I also send messages to "Stars and Stripes" and "Air Force Times". Anyone from our U.S. users who can tell me a local news media, located near Cannon AFB, New Mexico?

I live in Lubbock and have been to Cannon many times for air shows and to just watch sorties. I have met and seen many 524 jets and pilots. Hate to think that the pilot is gone. God bless our troops.

The Clovis News Journal is one of the local newspapers. You can get contact info from the net. I was there for 13 years total. Say what you will about Cannon and Clovis, I'd rather be there than Luke sometimes (frequently). Sad.

Bill

Here JJ:

http://www.clovis-news-nm.com