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Airframe Details for F-16 #78-0001

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F-16 Aircraft Profile

Aircraft: 78-0001
USAF F-16A block 1 #78-0001 from the 310th TFTS is parked in the static at London IAP, Ontario on June 6th, 1986. [<a href="http://www.airfighters.com" target="new">Airfighters.com</a> photo by David F. Brown]
 LM Aero T/V 61-7
Plant General Dynamics
Local C/N
Delivered USAF 78001
F-16A Block 1
Current USAF 78001
F-16A Block 1
Status [pre]

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Aircraft History

Date Status Local S/N Airforce/Unit Version Name Info
18 Aug 1978 [act] 78001 F-16A Block 1
06 Sep 1978 [act] 80001 F-16A Block 1
An air-to-air right side view of USAF F-16A block 1 #78-0001 carrying an AIM-9J Sidewinder missile spotted on January 11th, 1983. The aircraft is assigned to the 34th TFS. [GD photo]
First USAF F-16
This F-16 was the first to roll off the General Dynamics production line at Fort Worth, TX. It was delivered to the USAF in August of 1978 and thus became the very first production F-16 to be delivered worldwide. Initial deliveries went to the 388th TFW at Hill AFB, where initial pilot training on the type was performed.
Unknown [act] 78001 USAF 6516 TS 'ED' F-16A Block 1
USAF F-16A block 1 #78-0001 is the first production model and flew with the 6512th TS at Edwards AFB for a while doing testing. [Photo by Richard Sawyer]
Mar 1979 [act] 78001 USAF 34 TFS 'HL' F-16A Block 1
A Hill AFB collection with F-16A #78-0001 from the 34th TFS, #78-0016 from the 16th TFTS, #78-0066 from the 4th TFS and #79-0301 from the 421st TFS flying together in early 1982. [Er-Ning Chang collection]
Unknown [msh] 78001 USAF 34 TFS 'HL' F-16A Block 1
Suffered a mishap on landing. The nose gear would not come down. The pilot tried everything to get it down, no luck. It was decided he would land on the runway and keep his nose up as long as he could. There was some concern the external wing tanks would drag so of course the crash trucks were there in case of fire. The pilot brought the plane in very slowly and landed on the mains, kept the nose up and almost came to a stop before the nose dropped. The radome was of course scraped up, the ring around the intake and the lower tacan antenna was gone. The wing tanks were about 5-6 inches from the ground. It was found out the seals in the nose gear were almost totally deteriorated. It was the original nose gear from the factory. Everything that was damaged was replaced and the plane was flying three days later. Anyone who knows the exact date, please let us know.

Update: A visitor wonders if this was the mishap involving pilot Dick Hoover who could not get the nose gear down at a Red Flag exercise, but also was not sure about the exact date.
Unknown [act] 78001 USAF 34 TFS 'HL' F-16A Block 1
Repaired.
Unknown [act] 78001 USAF 57 FWW 'HL' F-16A Block 1
USAF F-16A block 1 #78-0001 from detachment 16 in flight in the early eighties. [F-16.net collection]
Detachment 16 at Nellis AFB.
Jul 1983 [act] 78001 USAF 310 TFTS 'LF' F-16A Block 1
USAF F-16A block 1 #78-0001 with Luke AFB markings for the 310th TFTS. [Photo by Frank Ertl]
Nov 1989 [act] 78001 USAF 159 FIS F-16A Block 1
USAF F-16A block 1 #78001 being readied for a next flight. This was the first production F-16 that came off the Fort Worth productionline. Note the red 'danger area' markings in the front and the back of the aircraft. [Photo by <a href="http://www.philippecolin.net" target="new">Philippe Colin</a>]
No unit markings
May 1990 [act] 78001 USAF 134 FIS F-16A Block 1
Jun 1990 [act] 78001 USAF 107 TFS 'MI' F-16A Block 1
Oct 1991 [pre] 78001 F-16A Block 1
USAF F-16A block 1 #78-0001 seen at Langley AFB in August of 1993 where it is preserved on a pedestal. [Photo by Dirk A. Geerts]
On a pedestal in Langley's Memorial Park, Virginia

Crew Chief Comments

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Abbreviations and symbols:
[act] Active [i/a] Instructional Airframe [sto] Stored (e.g. at AMARG)
[cld] Cancelled Order [msh] Involved in Mishap [w/o] Write-off
[con] Converted [o/o] On Order
[des] Destroyed (drone) [pre] Preserved (museum, gateguard) T/V LM Aero Type/Version (Construction) number
[emb] Embargoed [scr] Scrapped Photo Available
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Errors and Omissions

Dec 31, 2019 - 03:50 PM
78-0001's landing with nose gear retracted

In Spring 1981, I went through the TX course taught by the 34th TFS. On 19 Jun, my logbook records that our four-ship had to divert to SLC for a few hours because the runway at Hill was closed for an unextended nose gear in the pattern. I recall that it was flown by a 34th IP, Capt. Ed Kosiba. One week before, Ed was my instructor on an ACM flight when I had to land 001 at Michael AAF (Dugway) after the aircraft battery failed. Thus 001 was on the schedule and why I believe that it was the tail that Ed was flying on 19 June. I enjoy seeing 001 every couple of weeks when I visit Langley.

Best regards,

Mark "Martin" Baker, 429th TFS


May 18, 2025 - 03:24 AM
78-0001's cockpit airframe section

Along with 78-0001's cockpit section a section cockpit section was being built as the egress system trainer for the FTD at Hill AFB. 78-0001 cockpit was ready but the rest of the airframe wasn't ready for the cockpit. A decision was made that cockpit 0001 would be shipped to FTD533 as the egress trainer. So aircraft 0001 when ready was given the next cockpit ( the one that designated as the egress trainer.)





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