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 switch controls, a thirty-degree seat back angle for increased g tolerance, and a head-up display.
| Manufacturer: | Lockheed Martin |
| Type: | Fighter (Multirole) |
| Number Built: | 80 on order (More than 4,300 F-16s have been produced worldwide.) |
| First Flight: | 6 December 2003 (Two-seat F-16F) |
| In Service: | 2005 – Present (F-16E/F) |
| Notable: | United Arab Emirate pilot training began on the F-16E/F in September 2004 at the 162nd Fighter Wing, the US Air National Guard unit charged with training international F-16 operators at Tucson International Airport, Arizona. |
| Photographer/Location: | Tom Harvey/Fort Worth, Texas |
