Steve Davies
Aviation Writer & Photographer
Can anyone confirm if VFC-13 at NAS Fallon and VFC-111 at NAS Key West are still flying *any* F-5s? Or have they completely gone over to the F-16N?
TIA.
TIA.
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Navy F-5s
- Thread starter Steve Davies
- Start date
Steve Davies
Aviation Writer & Photographer
No, I am just curious.
Steve Davies
Aviation Writer & Photographer
The short, happy life of the F-16N was ended when cracks were discovered and they were "retired" to the boneyard. At that time, TOPGUN, VF-126, VF-45 and VF-43 had all operated the high performance F-16N. The F-5E has been in operation continuously since its first debut and additional former USAF Aggressor and Swiss airframes have been added to remaining Navy and Marine Corps Adversary units flying the F-5E (VFC-13 at Fallon, VFC-111 at Key West and VMFT-401 at Yuma). TOPGUN recently got reacquainted with the F-16, but these are F-16A models that were originally purchased by Pakistan and held in embargo status for many years. After 9/11 and relations improved, instead of releasing them to Pakistan, they opted for new F-16C models and the Navy requested them for use by TOPGUN (Air Force then asked for some as well). TOPGUN is only "unit" (actually NSAWC) to get them.
What's to be angry about? We fly them like they were intended to flown.
P'haps when your boys finish crew rest in their "suitable hotel", they can put on their ironed flight suit and scarf, jump on the crew bus for the 20 yard drive to the flight line, pick up a box lunch, and take a lesson!!
Nose
PS, The Navy has "Squadrons", the Air Force is full of "Units"
P'haps when your boys finish crew rest in their "suitable hotel", they can put on their ironed flight suit and scarf, jump on the crew bus for the 20 yard drive to the flight line, pick up a box lunch, and take a lesson!!
Nose
PS, The Navy has "Squadrons", the Air Force is full of "Units"
Hey, they are the adversaries, thus they are "targets" "Missile-sponges" "dead meat" "baby seals" "bastard step-children" so really they are quite synonymous with the Air Force.
Tex_Hill
Airborne All the Way!!!
Saudi F-5's will be in country shortly. The company I work for is one of the finalists for a contract to completely overhaul Saudi F-5's. It's a huge contract & the Saudis will be touring our facilities next week. If all goes well their aircraft will start arriving mid October.
Anger??? No anger.
As a former Adversary pilot .... no matter who was driving them .... I always found calling "GUNS KILL" or "FOX TWO" on AF aircraft to be a soothing tonic ...
Only fair as USAF operated "Navy" F-4 Phantom (not by choice initially, but they eventually operated it longer than Navy excepting drones), A-1 Skyraider and A-7 Corsair to name but a few.
As to F-5E, the first F-5E/Fs in US service were airframes intended for South Vietnamese, but never made it before the fall of that regime. At that time,the Navy had Adversary squadrons in full operation and the Air Force had established their Aggressors at Nellis flying T-38s (TOPGUN also "borrowed" a few T-38s as well). The shipment of F-5E/F aircraft were divided amongst Air Force Agressor and Navy Adversary squadrons (as well as TOPGUN).
