Posted on April 13, 2012 by Fighter Country
The US Air Force and Lockheed Martin are getting ready to demonstrate the first operational use of live virtual constructive (LVC) training technology on 26 April at Luke Air Force Base (AFB), Arizona.
The technology has the potential to revolutionize the way air forces train-particularly for aviators who will fly 5th generation machines like Lockheed’s F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.
Posted on December 15, 2010 by Fighter Country
12/10/2010 - LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. – The skies around Luke Air Force Base will be busier than normal Wednesday during Cactus Starfighter, a large force exercise for the 310th Fighter Squadron and 310th Aircraft Maintenance Unit. During Cactus Starfighter, the combined efforts of Luke units will launch more than 30 F-16s at one time. The exercise will focus on mission planning and coordination in addition to aerial maneuvers. All student pilots in the F-16 Basic Course must participate in similar exercises at the end of their training, but this Cactus Starfighter is unique in the number of aircraft launching simultaneously and…
Posted on March 15, 2010 by Fighter Country
The Thunderbirds, the Air Force’s F-16 aerial demonstration team, recently selected Captain Hubbard, 62nd Fighter Squadron instructor pilot, as their newest member. She will be Thunderbird 8, meaning she will narrate the Thunderbirds’ performances. She will also serve as the advance pilot. “It’s awesome,” she said. “I’m overwhelmed with excitement, honor and responsibility that come with being the No. eight. As the advance pilot, I’m the first person to show up at a location, the first to meet the media and the first person to meet kids and talk to them about what I do.” Captain Hubbard says she is…
Posted on March 14, 2010 by Fighter Country
Behind the scenes with USAF Thunderbirds pilots and crew from the Ambassadors in Blue at Nellis AFB in Nevada. The Thunderbirds will appear at Aerospace & Arizona Days at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base on March 20-21, 2010.
Posted on March 9, 2010 by Fighter Country
Over its career, the F-16 Fighting Falcon–or Viper, as it is more commonly known—has been continuously updated. Nowhere are those changes more evident than in the cockpits of the latest generation of F-16s, the Block 50/52+, and particularly the Block 60 version shown here. The latest F-16 cockpits feature color multifunction displays and lighting compatible with night vision systems. On-board computers process information from sensors and off-aircraft sources and present information to the pilot with straightforward graphics. Still, the cockpit retains many features that made the F-16 revolutionary from the beginning, including a frame-less bubble canopy, hands-on throttle and side-stick…
