Taming the Viper
At Luke Air Force Base, young pilots learn to fly the F-16.
- By The Editors
- Photographs by John M. Dibbs
- AirSpaceMag.com, January 11, 2013
Young pilots arriving at Arizona's Luke Air Force Base are considered to be "all mach and no vector." Translation? The kid has lots of energy but no experience beyond a year of Air Force basic pilot training.
To learn what it takes to transform a young pilot into a successful F-16 "Viper Driver," photographer John Dibbs and Lieutenant Colonel Robert Renner traveled to Luke, near Phoenix, to the Air Force's air education and training command. See the gallery above for images from their book, Viper Force: 56th Fighter Wing—To Fly and Fight the F-16.
Pictured: Major Brandon “Cracker” McBrayer, an instructor pilot at Luke, merges with a MiG-29 adversary in a flight simulator. One Viper pilot equates flying the F-16 to "driving a Ferrari, whittling a piece of wood, and playing Stratego—all at the same time."
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Comments (7)
Could you please provide some clarification as to the name of the F-16? I've always know it to be Fighting Falcon. It is referred to as such elsewhere on your website. Where did the name Viper come from? Thanks.
Posted by Dalton Campbell on January 11,2013 | 02:54 PM
Remarkable story. And I bet, like me, you guys want to see this unofficial first flight.
http://youtu.be/qAp4RtGKbHE
Posted by P.H on January 11,2013 | 10:33 PM
According to all the stories I've read, the F-16 picked up the name "Viper" either from its resemblance to a snake (the arched canopy/nose profile and the sculpted fuselage) or from its resemblance to the Viper fighters in Battlestar Galactica. (popular at the time of the F-16s introduction) I've also heard that the pilots who fly the plane will be offended if it's referred to as "Fighting Falcon" in their presence.
Posted by Cal Hadley-Thomas on January 15,2013 | 02:23 PM
The plane was also called the "Electric Jet" thanks to its fly-by-wire technology.
Posted by MikeT on January 28,2013 | 06:34 PM
I was stationed at McDill AFB when we received the first F-16 and remember clearly that it was called "Fighting Falcon."
Posted by alberto l echevarria msgt usaf ret on January 29,2013 | 11:00 AM
Talk to anybody that has flown it in the past 20 years and they will call it the Viper. USAF F-16 pilots refer to it as the viper and to themselves as viper drivers.
Posted by James Collins on February 14,2013 | 12:36 AM
I was with the 61st FIS at the end of Korea and was told several years ago that the 61st was training pilots at Luke.
Are they the organization responsible for this training program?
thank you.
Posted by Jerry Holloway on February 20,2013 | 09:23 PM