[jim]

enough,

Lorraines looking over my shoulder at your photos,
She has a thing about F16 pilots every since she met one at Duxford. Talk about star struck!!!!

Lorraine wants to know were your shades are, she says that she thought they was part of the F16 pilots uniform.

Pilots aside I think the F16 has to be near the top of the list for the best plane ever built.

It must be a great feeling to look back and say, "been there, done that".

BTW I hope your diecast collection is on the ground floor, there certainly must be some hefty weight there!
Your collection is just awesome.

[Hurriup!]

Thanks once again FVD I really enjoyed viewing the photos of you and your "ride" that is really cool!!

[FormerViperDriver]

Originally Posted by jim

enough,

Lorraines looking over my shoulder at your photos,
She has a thing about F16 pilots every since she met one at Duxford. Talk about star struck!!!!

Lorraine wants to know were your shades are, she says that she thought they was part of the F16 pilots uniform.

Pilots aside I think the F16 has to be near the top of the list for the best plane ever built.

It must be a great feeling to look back and say, "been there, done that".

BTW I hope your diecast collection is on the ground floor, there certainly must be some hefty weight there!
Your collection is just awesome.

Hi Jim!

Well, I know what you (and Lorraine) mean about the shades, but I was never much for them myself. When flying, I just used the dark visor for sunny weather.

The F-16 is indeed an awesome jet, and will go down in history as a classic. It was first in a number of areas (Fly-by-Wire controls, unstable aerodynamic configuration for added maneuverability, reclined seat, side stick, etc...) and still, 30 years later, it is competitive (with upgraded avionics) against the best stuff Europe is just now bringing in service (Eurofighter and Rafale), in fact still superior to them in a few areas (though not raw maneuverability, where they have a slight advantage). A true marvel of engineering! And a huge commercial success as well.

My collection is on the second floor, by the way.

FVD

[jim]

Originally Posted by FormerViperDriver

Hi Jim!

Well, I know what you (and Lorraine) mean about the shades, but I was never much for them myself. When flying, I just used the dark visor for sunny weather.

The F-16 is indeed an awesome jet, and will go down in history as a classic. It was first in a number of areas (Fly-by-Wire controls, unstable aerodynamic configuration for added maneuverability, reclined seat, side stick, etc...) and still, 30 years later, it is competitive (with upgraded avionics) against the best stuff Europe is just now bringing in service (Eurofighter and Rafale), in fact still superior to them in a few areas (though not raw maneuverability, where they have a slight advantage). A true marvel of engineering! And a huge commercial success as well.

My collection is on the second floor, by the way.

FVD

I remember well the first time I ever saw the F16 display, it took off and went straight into a vertical climb until I lost site of it.
I had never seen a plane do that before and it left me speechless, its was just awesome.
I think it was the first fighter to match and indeed beat the performance of the British lightning.

I have done a little structural engineering in my time so when I am next over visiting my friends I will call by and fix up some support girders to hold the your place together.

[Arno 01]

Originally Posted by FormerViperDriver

OK, Arno 01, here are a couple of pictures. First one is me and crew chief (then Airman First Class) Yeager in front of 274. My name on canopy rail and his on landing gear door.



Second is me infront of 292 at Zaragoza, Spain, just before mission on which I dropped the 6 x BSU-49s (parachute-retarded Mk-82s) on Bardenas Reales range. These are inert rounds (correct weight/shape but no explosives).



FVD

Great photos FVD,what other squadrons did you fly with?

[FormerViperDriver]

Thanks Arno01. I was also in the 35th FS at Kunsan Air Base, Korea in the F-16 (1994-1995). And in the 61st FS as an F-16 student pilot going through upgrade.

In the F-111: 389th, 390th, and 391st TFS (Mountain Home AFB, ID); 495th and 492nd TFS (RAF Lakenheath).

FVD