Un gran bell'aereo l'F16!

[AirGek]

richelieu, te che pari informato su sti temi che dicii?

[richelieu]

richelieu, te che pari informato su sti temi che dicii?

Che dico ?
A lume di naso direi di no ..... a meno che non ci siano degli F-16 radiati e de-militarizzati di proprietà di qualche società commerciale ..... cosa che, al momento, non credo si sia ancora verificata .....

La società sud-africana cui faceva riferimento MatteF88 è questa .....

http://www.thundercity.com/

http://www.incredible-adventures.com/gr ... petown.pdf

http://www.incredible-adventures.com/ca ... _city.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunder_City

..... ma ha purtroppo cessato l'attività a seguito di un tragico incidente che ha causato la perdita del "Lightning" e del suo pilota .....

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... sh-335185/

[MatteF88]

Comunque al momento di F-16 smilitarizzati sono abbastanza sicuro che non ce ne siano, già per avere un F-4 o un F-105 serve l'autorizzazione del Congresso (vedi la Collins Foundation che non riesce ad ottenere quella per il Thud)..col blocco ex-sovietico è già piú semplice..ci sono due (gli unici) Su-27 privati negli USA e il proprietario immagino si sia fatto il type alla Sukhoi...sul web la cosa piú vicina a quella che dice AirGek è questa direi: http://www.easternblocaircraft.com/jet.html

[Vultur]

Io non lo so, ma questi aerei credo che trovino impiego pratico sono nelle forze armate o tra i mercenari. In genere credo che i piloti di aerei militari al di fuori delle forze armate di qualche paese siano mercenari che vengono dalle aeronautiche militari di tutto il mondo.
In questi casi non penso che usino aerei da guerra per accarezzare bambole, quindi quello che conta sarà soprattutto la precedente esperienza reale di combattimento, cosa che va al di là delle semplici ore di volo e che solo un pilota militare può avere.
Quindi, se si vuole pilotare un aereo militare fuori dagli ambienti militari "ufficiali" (guadagnandoci invece di pagare) e a meno di non pagare 2.000 dollari venti minuti di volo ("passivo"), io penso che sia possibile solo come mercenari nell'ambito di operazioni belliche più o meno "coperte" (a meno di non essere appassionati miliardari).
Trattandosi per la maggior parte dei casi di "lavori" relativamente circoscritti e "mirati", un caccia intercettore supersonico come un F-16 o un SU-27 credo vadano ben al di là delle reali necessità, in altre parole penso che i piloti di elicotteri, di cargo e di aerei "COIN" con precedenti esperienze di combattimento abbiano molto maggiori chances di venire assunti come contractors. La cosa quindi credo riguardi solo i militari e gli ex-militari.

[richelieu]

Come già annunciato alcuni giorni fa .....

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... de-374962/

..... il ramo statunitense di BAE Systems si è aggiudicato il contratto per l' aggiornamento avionico degli F-16 della Corea del Sud .....

E' apparso ora il commento di "AW&ST" .....

BAE Wins Korean F-16 Upgrade Contract .....

By Bill Sweetman (Washington) and Brad Perrett (Beijing) - August 06, 2012

Source: Aviation Week & Space Technology

What looked like a small acquisition five years ago has helped BAE Systems break Lockheed Martin's monopoly on F-16 upgrades—a market that has grown as the U.S. Air Force and other users confront delays and possible lower production rates for the Joint Strike Fighter, and seek to extend their F-16s' service lives and improve their effectiveness against evolving threats.

Until now, Lockheed Martin has ruled the market. In April the USAF identified Lockheed Martin as the sole source for a major upgrade of 300-350 F-16s, intended to render them “viable in the threat environment beyond 2025.” The company has signed an agreement with Taiwan's AIDC covering the modernization of 146 F-16A/B Block 20s, and has been awarded contracts for smaller batches in Indonesia and Thailand.

That winning streak ended late in July, when South Korea announced the choice of BAE Systems as prime contractor for the upgrade of 134 KF-16C/D Block 50/52 fighters.

South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Agency (DAPA) chose BAE to upgrade the fighters because its quoted price—$750 million—was lower than that of rival Lockheed Martin, which asked for more than $1 billion, according to the Segye (World) newspaper.

This is the first upgrade of any modern U.S. fighter that is not being led by the original equipment manufacturer. Companies such as Elbit have upgraded older U.S. aircraft, such as F-5s, Russian designs and some older European types. Aircraft like late-block F-16s are a different matter, having complex integrated avionics systems. The OEMs' experience with software integration and the development and release of operational flight program (OFP) revisions normally constitutes a high barrier to entry.

BAE Systems, however, performed a quiet side-entry into the F-16 business in 2007 by acquiring Dayton, Ohio-based MTC Technologies. The company had been selected by the USAF's Ogden Air Logistics Center two years earlier to provide a replacement for the obsolete fire-control computer fitted to older F-16 Block 25/30/32 fighters flown by the Air National Guard and Reserve. The Commercial Fire Control Computer (CFCC), the basis for the South Korea offering, acts as an ethernet hub for the other systems on the aircraft. BAE now says its CFCC experience and the hardware itself are key to its ability to compete with Lockheed Martin.

Adding equipment and engineering to be supplied by equipment makers, plus local installation work, the Korean upgrade program will reportedly cost 1.80 trillion won ($1.60 billion), of which 673 billion won appears to be allocated to the radar.

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) or Korean Airlines Aerospace will presumably install the equipment. KAI and its predecessor company, Samsung Aerospace, built the F-16s from 1997 to 2004.

The South Korean defense ministry aims to sign a contract with BAE this year and have all 134 fighters upgraded by 2021. The last will leave service in 2038, local media report. The project is to be completed by BAE Systems' U.S. electronics unit.

The most important element of the Korean upgrade is an active, electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. This is to be selected separately by DAPA, between the Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar (Racr) and Northrop Grumman's Scalable Agile Beam Radar (Sabr). It will also incorporate a Link 16 datalink, new GPS-inertial navigation system and improved cockpit displays. South Korea plans to arm the upgraded aircraft with the Raytheon AIM-120C and AIM-9X air-to-air missiles, and the Textron Defense CBU-105 anti-armor weapon.

Lockheed Martin still leads the market due to its sole-source status on the USAF's Combat Avionics Programmed Extension Suite (Capes) program. This is closely linked to the F-16 service life extension program (Slep), intended to increase the F-16's lifetime from 8,000 to 10,000 equivalent flight hours. The first of about 350 Slep aircraft, modified from Block 40/50 aircraft, is due to enter service in 2017 and the first Capes aircraft in the following year, with “a substantial portion” of the Slep aircraft to be modified.

Capes includes AESA, Terma's ALQ-213 electronic warfare management system (already installed on many F-16s, but not on USAF aircraft), a center-pedestal display (making better use of the F-16's limited panel area, given the aircraft's dimensions and the pilot's knee position) and an integrated broadcast service receiver for joint force intelligence.

Also joining the fray is Boeing, which has said this year that it will consider participating in the market, based on its experience of modifying F-16s into target drones. According to some estimates, more than 800 F-16s could be suitable update candidates.

[richelieu]

SLEP .....

USAF details F-16 life extension programme .....

Fonte ..... http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... me-375914/

[richelieu]

La didascalia della bella immagine che avevo postato ieri e che non avevo fatto in tempo ad inserire .....

Air Frame:
A pilot from the 480th Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem AB, Germany, performs a pre-flight functions check on his F-16 Fighting Falcon, Aug. 23, 2012.
(Air Force photo by A1C Dillon Davis)

Fonte ..... "Daily Report" dell' AFA ..... http://www.airforce-magazine.com/DRArch ... ionWP.aspx

[richelieu]

Dal "Daily Report" dell' AFA di questa mattina ..... un aggiornamento relativo agli F-16 acquistati dall' Irak .....

I primi piloti si stanno già addestrando negli USA .....

Iraqi F-16 Pilot Training Taking Shape .....

Brig. Gen. Abdulhussein Lafta Ali Ali, who oversees the Iraqi air force's operations directorate, last week led an Iraqi delegation to the Air Force's international F-16 schoolhouse at Tucson International Airport in Arizona to observe first-hand the training Iraqi pilots are receiving on the multirole fighter.


*****
Col. Andrew MacDonald shows Iraqi air force Brig. Gen. Abdulhussein Lafta Ali Ali how to pre-flight an F-16D Fighting Falcon before an orientation flight at Tucson International Airport, Aug. 30, 2012.
MacDonald is the 162nd Operations Group commander.
Abdulhussein, with a delegation of senior Iraqi officers, visited the international F-16 training wing where Iraqi pilots are learning to fly the multirole fighter.
(U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Gabe Johnson)

*****

Iraq intends to acquire 36 F-16s, 18 of which are already on order.

http://www.airforce-magazine.com/DRArch ... F-16s.aspx

With the first deliveries scheduled for September 2014, two Iraqi pilots are already in Tucson training with the Arizona Air National Guard's 162nd Fighter Wing.

Overall, 27 Iraqi pilots are slated to learn to fly the jet there.

"The F-16 project is most important for our two nations," said Ali, who took an orientation flight in an F-16D during his visit.

He added, "It's important for us to understand the training schedule and syllabus for our student pilots because the first pilots who train here will one day be examples for our other pilots."

Tucson report by Maj. Gabe Johnson ..... http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123316440

[richelieu]

Dal "Daily Report" dell' AFA di questa mattina .....

..... a proposito del futuro potenziamento degli apparati radar di 300 F-16 dell' USAF .....

Actively Scanning for the Solicitation .....

Northrop Grumman officials said they expect the Air Force to "imminently" release a request for proposals outlining requirements for upgrading the radars on at least 300 F-16s, said Joe Ensor, general manager of the company's ISR and targeting division.

http://www.airforce-magazine.com/DRArch ... eLife.aspx

The Air Force intends to equip these F-16s with advanced electronically scanned array radar systems.

Speaking during a Sept. 10 briefing with reporters in Washington, D.C., Ensor said the radar upgrade is likely to be separate from the planned service life extension program for the service's F-16s.

"We are working with the Air Force very closely on that right now," he said.

Company officials announced last year that they had begun incorporating software modes from the F-35 strike fighter's APG-81 AESA radar, which Northrop Grumman supplies, into its Scaleable Agile Beam Radar design for the F-16.

http://www.airforce-magazine.com/DRArch ... aring.aspx

Appearing with Ensor, Pat Antkowiak, general manager of Northrop Grumman's advanced concept and technology division, said integrating SABR on the F-16 would significantly boost the fighter's capabilities.

Raytheon is also expected to vie for the rights to upgrade the F-16s with its Advanced Combat Radar, or RACR, offering.

http://www.airforce-magazine.com/DRArch ... nF-16.aspx

Amy McCullough

Anche qui ..... http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... rs-376369/

[MatteF88]

Mi pare non sia già stato postato ma questo bellissimo F-16ADF é stato fotografato a Lajes il 4 giugno...e dovrebbe diventare Gate Guardian a Trapani

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Italy--- ... 0c8c236259



PS: ma l'abbiamo spedito negli USA e poi fatto tornare indietro?

[richelieu]

Dal "Daily Report" dell' AFA di questa mattina .....

..... ulteriori informazioni circa il futuro aggiornamento degli F-16 di Taiwan .....

Contract Let for Taiwanese F-16 Upgrade .....

The Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin a foreign military sales contract valued at up to $1.85 billion towards the upgrade of 145 F-16A/B Block 20 aircraft for the Taiwanese air force.

Lockheed Martin announced the deal on Oct. 1, but it initially appeared in the Defense Department's Sept. 28 list of major contracts.

http://www.defense.gov/contracts/contra ... actid=4887

"Lockheed Martin looks forward to a continued partnership with the Republic of China in upgrading their F-16s," said Jeff Babione, general manager of the company's F-16/F-22 integrated fighter group, in the company's release.

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/news/p ... the-r.html

The retrofit is based on the F-16V configuration that Lockheed Martin unveiled earlier this year.

http://www.airforce-magazine.com/DRArch ... F-16V.aspx

The Taiwanese fighters will get an active electronically scanned array radar, embedded global positioning, and receive upgrades to their avionics, including their electronic warfare suite, according to the company.

Work under this contract is expected to be completed in September 2022, according to the Air Force.

The Pentagon formally announced the FMS upgrade project in September 2011.

http://www.airforce-magazine.com/DRArch ... aiwan.aspx

It has a total potential value of some $5.3 billion.

In July, Lockheed Martin signed an agreement with the Taiwanese government-owned Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation to cooperative on the upgrade.

http://www.airforce-magazine.com/DRArch ... ideGo.aspx

[richelieu]

Erano partiti da questo .....

The USAF will buy 300 new AESA radars as part of the upgrade, but the service has not yet determined if it will buy the Northrop Grumman Scalable Agile Beam Radar or Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar.
The USAF will be holding a competition in the near future to select which vendor it will pick .....

Fonte ..... http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... me-375914/


Non sono neanche passati due mesi ..... che già hanno cambiato idea ..... ci penserà "Mamma Lockheed" .....

US Air Force changes acquisitions strategy for F-16 radar modernization .....

The US Air Force is changing its acquisitions strategy for the F-16 Radar Modernization Program, which it is running as part of its F-16 Combat Avionics Programmed Extension Suite (CAPES) effort to modernize the venerable single-engine fighter.

"The USAF is contracting with Lockheed Martin to develop an AESA [active electronically scanned array] fire control radar as a CFE (Contractor Furnished Equipment) item for the F-16 platform," says Dawn Sutton, deputy director of the USAF's F-16 System Program Office (SPO).
"We defer to Lockheed Martin as to their plans on how to most appropriately meet the subject requirement. However, it's our expectation that Lockheed Martin will conduct a source selection to choose a radar vendor to meet the Air Force requirements."

Fonte ..... http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... on-377627/

[richelieu]

L'Irak acquista una seconda tranche di F-16 .....

Iraq Says Signs Contract For 18 F-16 Fighter Jets .....

Iraq has signed a new contract to buy its second set of 18 F-16 fighters from the United States, part of a deal to purchase 36 of the jets to rebuild its air force, Iraq’s acting defence minister said on Thursday.

Fonte ..... http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.asp ... 508548.xml


..... e già starebbe pensando ad altro .....

Iraq Considers Mig-29 Fighter Buy .....

Iraq is considering a buy of Russian Mig-29 fighter jets as it attempts to bolster its air defenses, according to press reports our of Baghdad.

Fonte ..... http://blogs.defensenews.com/intercepts ... ghter-buy/

[richelieu]

Intanto ..... negli Stati Uniti .....

U.S. Air Force Nears SDB Integration On F-16s .....

Boeing is hoping to boost sales of its Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) with the forthcoming milestone of integration of the 250-lb. glide bomb on the F-16.

Fonte ..... http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.asp ... 508097.xml

[richelieu]

Missili "Sidewinder" di ultima generazione per gli F-16 olandesi .....

Netherlands requests AIM-9X missile buy .....

The Netherlands has requested a potential $60 million purchase of Raytheon AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, with the weapons to equip its Lockheed Martin F-16AM fighters.

Fonte ..... http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... uy-377849/





In dettaglio ..... http://www.strategicdefenceintelligence ... ck_ii_mis/



An AIM-9X Sidewinder missile attached to the wing pylon of a US Air Force's F-15C Eagle aircraft .....

.

[richelieu]

Lei ..... ci ha volato .....

In the Viper ..... Posted by Amy Butler 1:25 PM on Dec 03, 2012

As a journalist covering the transition for the U.S. Air Force to the stealthy F-35 fighter, I thought it would be useful to understand more fully what the experience of today’s fighter pilots is from the cockpit.
Aviation Week has a long history of publishing insightful, technical pilot reports.
A pilot, I am not.
So, my experience flying in the F-16D won’t be published in the pages of Aviation Week.
But, I thought it worth sharing the details and my impressions with our web audience, who often track the progress of programs and technology and generally like to read about the fun side of aviation.

Fonte ..... http://www.aviationweek.com/Blogs.aspx? ... 9523ee9bb0



Dave Madden, director of the Military Satellite Communications Systems Directorate, and Amy Butler, senior Pentagon editor for Aviation Week & Space Technology, pose with the 2012 Aviation Week Laureate Award, during the 55th Annual Laureate Awards ceremony, held March 7, in Washington, D.C. .....

.

[richelieu]

Il "Daily Report" dell' AFA di questa mattina riferisce dell'imminente consegna di altri 20 F-16 alle forze aeree egiziane .....

With Friends like Egypt .....

The United States is going ahead with plans to deliver 20 advanced-model F-16s to Egypt despite concerns in some circles that the Middle East country is slipping toward Islamist dictatorship, reported UPI.

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Securi ... 355254312/

The first four of these F-16s—made possible through US foreign aid—are slated to arrive in Egypt next month, noted the Dec. 11 report.

"The Obama Administration wants to simply throw money at an Egyptian government that the President cannot even clearly state is an ally of the United States," said House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairwoman Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.).

The United States agreed to the F-16 sale prior to former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's ouster by revolutionaries in February 2011.

Since assuming office, Egypt's newly elected President Mohammed Morsi has made a series of declarations seizing increasing power, despite the protest of Egypt's legislative and judicial branches.

By continuing military aid, the Obama Administration is attempting to retain influence with the Egyptians, according to UPI.

Egypt already operates a large force of F-16s.


" Here, an Egyptian F-16 at Edwards AFB, Calif., Oct. 16, 2012."
Staff photo by Arie Church

Realpolitik o soltanto pie illusioni ?

[richelieu]

Se risponde a verità ..... è veramente grossa .....

F-16 engines stolen from Israeli army base .....

Israel's military police are investigating the theft of F-16 fighter plane engines from an military base in central Israel, with the military suspecting that the thieves had inside help.
The F-16C/D 'Barak' jets were undergoing repairs.

Fonte ..... http://www.f-16.net/news_article4667.html


Il "Jerusalem Post" parla invece di "parti di motore" .....

http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=294974

.

[richelieu]

Sempre a proposito di Israele .....

I piloti di un F-16D delle forze aeree israeliane costretti a lanciarsi dopo che l' aereo aveva toccato la pista .....

Fonte ..... http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... ap-380626/

Si sospetta un cedimento del carrello .....

Fonte ..... http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... nt-380642/

.

[MatteF88]

Nel secondo link si fa riferimento ad un precedente incidente.....l'aereo si cappottò..


http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... nt-380642/


Sembra incredibile che un aereo così danneggiato possa essere riportato in condizioni di volo, eppure dopo 7 anni di lavori (incidentato nel 2005) é rientrato in servizio l'anno scorso..

[richelieu]

Nel secondo link si fa riferimento ad un precedente incidente.....l'aereo si cappottò..



http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... nt-380642/

Sembra incredibile che un aereo così danneggiato possa essere riportato in condizioni di volo, eppure dopo 7 anni di lavori (incidentato nel 2005) é rientrato in servizio l'anno scorso ..

Infatti .....

Crashed F-16 Returns to Skies .....

Fonte ..... http://www.iaf.org.il/4384-38770-en/IAF.aspx

.

[MatteF88]

A proposito di incidenti una settimana fa, un F-16C block32 della California ANG é precipitato (il pilota si é eiettato)

http://www.cbs47.tv/news/local/story/Fr ... _vGDA.cspx
http://www.f-16.net/news_article4683.html
http://www.f-16.net/units_article40.html

[richelieu]

I difensori della Capitale .....

Dal "Daily Report" dell' AFA di questa mattina .....

Four Thousand Scrambles and Counting .....

F-16s from the District of Columbia's Air National Guard earlier this month scrambled for the 4,000th time since September 2001 in response to a potential airborne threat to the nation's capital, announced Air Forces Northern officials.

Lt. Col. Christopher Hardgrave, who commands the district's 113th Wing air control alert detachment at JB Andrews, Md., said in AFNORTH's Jan. 24 release he is "extremely proud of the accomplishments of the men and women" of the detachment for hitting this alert milestone, which they reached on Jan. 9.

"It is a testament to the dedication, professionalism, and daily sacrifice of our folks who have done the alert mission day-in and day-out for over 11 years," he added.

The detachment is the busiest NORAD alert unit, responding to more alert events—whether rushing pilots to cockpit standby or launching to intercept a threat—than all of the other ACA units across the nation, according to the release.

Andrews report by MSgt. Jerry Harlan ..... http://www.1af.acc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123333786

See also "Capital Defenders" from Air Force Magazine's December 2012 issue .....

http://www.airforce-magazine.com/Magazi ... enders.pdf

[MatteF88]

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... 16-381609/

Pare siano stati trovati i primi rottami del Viper americano finito nell'adriatico ieri..

[richelieu]

Da "AW&ST" .....

Debris Of F-16 Missing In Italy Believed Found, Search Focuses On Spot .....

Link ..... http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.asp ... 542307.xml

[richelieu]

Migliorie in vista per gli "Aggressori" .....

US Air Force hopes to upgrade aggressor F-16s .....

The US Air Force is hoping to upgrade its fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon "aggressors" so that those aircraft can better replicate enemy fighters, the service's Air Combat Command (ACC) says.

Fonte ..... http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... 6s-381625/

[richelieu]

Dal "Daily Report" dell' AFA di questa mattina ....

Air Force Identifies Aviano's Missing F-16 Pilot .....

US and Italian search teams on Tuesday continued efforts in the Adriatic Sea to find and rescue Capt. Lucas Gruenther, the F-16 pilot from Aviano AB, Italy, who is missing after his airplane presumably went down in the water on Monday during a nighttime training mission.

http://www.airforce-magazine.com/DRArch ... iatic.aspx

Aviano officials identified Gruenther as the missing pilot on Tuesday.

He is chief of flight safety for Aviano's 31st Fighter Wing.

"We are dedicating all available resources to the search and rescue operation," said Brig. Gen Scott Zobrist, 31st FW commander .....

http://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=14437

..... in a base release on Jan. 29.

http://www.aviano.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123334284

Throughout Tuesday, more US assets joined the effort, including an Air Force HC-130 and a rotation of Navy P-3s, states the release.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Captain Gruenther and his family," continued Zobrist.

"I am hopeful that we will bring him home safely."

After Aviano officials lost contact with Gruenther on Jan. 28, Italian aircraft and ships were quickly dispatched to his jet's last-known location: 10 nautical miles to 15 nm east of Cervia, Italy.

Italian search teams on Tuesday recovered debris in the water believed to belong to Gruenther's F-16.

http://www.airforce-magazine.com/DRArch ... iatic.aspx

See Aviano's Facebook page for updates ..... https://www.facebook.com/avianoairbase

[richelieu]

Le ricerche continuano .....

Dal "Daily Report" dell' AFA di questa mattina ....

Search Continues for Aviano's Missing Pilot .....

The 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano AB, Italy, launched several of its F-16 fighters on Wednesday to join the ongoing search for Capt. Lucas Gruenther, an Aviano F-16 pilot who went missing during a nighttime training mission over the Adriatic Sea on Monday.

http://www.airforce-magazine.com/DRArch ... Pilot.aspx

"While not specifically designed for reconnaissance like the other aircraft already involved in the search, our F-16s have targeting pods which can be used to augment the search," said Brig. Gen. Scott Zobrist, 31st FW commander .....

http://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=14437

..... in the base's Jan. 30 release.

http://www.aviano.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123334340

He added, "The weather and size of the search area have limited our ability to provide assistance with F-16s up to this point; however, now that the ships and reconnaissance aircraft have refined the search area, we hope to help by putting more sensors and eyes out there."

Gruenther is the wing's chief of flight safety.

"I am hopeful that we will bring Captain Gruenther home safely," said Zobrist.

The search has already turned up Gruenther's drogue parachute and his helmet, and indications are that he ejected, according to a Jan. 30 release from Gruenther's family posted at Aviano's website.

http://www.aviano.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123334491

See Aviano's Facebook page for updates ..... https://www.facebook.com/avianoairbase

[richelieu]

Rinvenuto il corpo del pilota .....

Aviano pilot's body recovered .....

Fonte ..... http://www.aviano.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123334566

Anche qui ..... http://www.stripes.com/body-of-missing- ... a-1.205953

[richelieu]

Una promozione alla memoria .....

Aviano Pilot Posthumously Promoted .....

Fonte ..... http://www.airforce-magazine.com/DRArch ... moted.aspx

[FAS]

un video molto triste.....

[MatteF88]

un video molto triste.....

Va be' dai magari per quelle 3/4 kill che si vedono nel video i Typhoon ne hanno fatte una decina! Chissà !

[richelieu]

I Danesi sono di nuovo in Italia con i loro F-16 per partecipare all'esercitazione "Winter Hide 2013" .....

“Winter Hide 2013″: Danish F-16s and Italian Eurofighter Typhoons joint air combat training .....

This is the second time the Danish bring their F-16AM and BM MLU (Mid-Life Update) jets to Italy to train in the mild Italian climate in a period when bad weather usually affects flying operations in Denmark.

Fonte ..... http://theaviationist.com/2013/01/23/wi ... RA_P35d6M9

Speriamo non si debba ripresentare l'occasione per l'uscita di ulteriori video "tristi" .....

[MatteF88]

F-16 greco con "spina dorsale"..appartiene al demo team greco "Zeus" ( http://www.haf.gr/en/demoteam/index.html ) e, se non sbaglio é un F-16D Block-52 usualmente basato a Souda (http://www.f-16.net/units_article320.html )



http://www.airliners.net/photo/Greece-- ... 50bd8b6da7

[richelieu]

F-16 greco con "spina dorsale".. e, se non sbaglio é un F-16D Block-52 ..

Un F-16 ..... che si potrebbe definire on steroids .....



..... con 'gobba', CFT e quant'altro .....

Un bel salto rispetto a quello originario .....



Chissà che ne pensa Pierre Sprey .....