Forum: F-16 News

Never trust a handshake with ACC.....their other hand will have a knife in it when they pat you on the back. Like I said earlier, it's the maintenance folks who lose out......A DCC without a jet...........major issue for any unit.....A man without a jet!!!!!!! Big No No

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Related to that what I already posted on June 15 in this topic, the "Richmond Times-Dispatch" reported:

Quote:

Va. Air Guard flies its last F-16 mission

Wednesday, Jun 20, 2007 - 12:37 PM Updated: 01:24 PM

The Virginia Air National Guard will say goodbye this afternoon to its F-16 Fighting Falcons.

The Guard's 192nd Fighter Wing will fly its last mission with the F-16. The wing is transitioning to flying the Air Force's first-line F-22A Raptor in association with the regular Air Force's 1st Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base.

The Air Guard has flown the F-16 since 1991, including combat missions in Iraq and combat air patrols over Washington.

<a href="http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2007-06-20-0181.html">Source</a>

Anybody from the 192nd FW who visits our website, who can/will provide us some more first-hand details of this "special aerial event to mark the wing's last training mission June 20 with four F-16 Fighting Falcons"? The F-16.net team would be very grateful for any additional info and photo coverage!

At Least they'll be able to still work on a manned aircraft. 174th is going unmanned REAPER... or so they say.
We're slated to lose the jets, but no one seems to have answers on the REAPERS.

Not to complain and switch subjects, I know were talking about the VA Guard.

Forum Veteran Joined: Dec 25, 2003 - 10:03 PM Posts: 679

Sorry to hear it man, I thought about joining that unit too. But are the UAV's all Officer flown? The Army let's their enlisted fly them.

Last edited by 174wepsw on Jul 16, 2007 - 12:04 AM; edited 1 time in total

All officer flown, but an enlistee sensor operator. But I read somewhere you had to have a 7 Level to even apply. I could be wrong, but that doesn't make much sense.

I don't know what will happen when the F-16's leave, all I know is that it'll be a sad day for Syracuse.

Not that its going to happen, but I was thinking it would be cool to send the VT guys home from Langley and have the Richmond guys pick up the alert mission with Raptors. The NEADS would never be the same! Very Happy

Hey Now......Leave us Vermont guys at Langley alone already......LOL. I just finished unpacking. Don't really want to have to pack up again and start another Det. somewhere else already.

Sorry man...Hey..I helped bring in the ND guys and I must say that the best folks I've worked with were the guard guys and gals. I'm sure ya'll are kick a$$ too! How are the facilities out there? I was SF and we had been trying for years to get the AFFF tank moved out of the clear zone...still there or did they move it? Later!

Active Member Joined: Jan 06, 2004 - 03:22 PM Posts: 209

J.J.
I was at the 192nd today. I'll post pics as soon as I get them out of the chip. It was three jets and they took off and 'returned' with two raptors in tow. The F-22s didn't land, just zipped around a bit. Pilots were hosed down etc. a good time was had by all. The last jet in was the squadron bird. the family model is down for repairs.

174wepsw wrote:

At Least they'll be able to still work on a manned aircraft. 174th is going unmanned REAPER... or so they say.

The old man retired from 174th in 2004. He still says that word on the street (from both his ACC contacts as well as his SYR buddies) is that the 138th will still fly vipers and a new squadron will fly the predators. At least, that is the best case scenario. But, they have also heard what you say, Syr loses the Vipers. Sad to see, as the old man was around for the A-37, A-10 and F-16 days.

Plus, how much would it suck to have to run the Det up at Fort Drum and the FOL as a predator pilot? You get to watch the guys at the range, but you don't get that mission anymore.

Active Member Joined: Jan 06, 2004 - 03:22 PM Posts: 209

June 20th turned out to be a very nice day for flying. Unfortunately for three pilots it was a bittersweet sortie. The last training sortie that t he 192nd FW would fly. Three pilots walking out to three jets for the last t ime. For those keeping track it was '86-219, 231 and 223 marked as the Squadron jet.

After the 1.2 they returned to the field making the 'required' pass in review this time dragging a couple of F-22s with them.

Active Member Joined: Jan 06, 2004 - 03:22 PM Posts: 209

a couple more shots

Active Member Joined: Jan 06, 2004 - 03:22 PM Posts: 209

Landing and the hose down. As soon as I get proper names etc. I'll post that as well.

The pilots that flew the last sortie were Col. Charlie Smith, Ltc. Mark McCauley. Maj. Bull Mitchum

Those jets are very clean, well taken care of!

Forum: F-16 News

VaANG to fly their last F-16 sorties