F-16s' arrival brings 'battle rhythm' to JSF wing

USAF Material Command ^ | 1/16/2011 | Ashley M. Wright

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

After 17 months of silence, the 33rd Fighter Wing flightline finally roared back to life Jan. 13, 2011.

The 33rd Fighter Wing received four F-16s from the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke AFB, Ariz. The jets will help establish a "battle rhythm," as the wing stands up the first Joint Training Center for the fifth generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

"Everybody who operates on this base will benefit from an airplane taxiing out of here," said Col. James Ravella, 33rd Operations Group commander, "and outside the base, from Tyndall AFB to Pensacola Naval Air Station and other divert bases will get used to us coming over there."

Officials elected to bring the F-16 to the wing because of its similarity to its descendant, the F-35. Its flying characteristics are similar to the F-35 so the training and mindset pilots are going to have in a single-engine fighter transitions from the F-16 into the F-35.

The initial cadre of F-35 instructor pilots will fly the F-16s for about one year to validate processes and warm up the ramp, which has not been used to fly an aircraft since the wing transitioned to Air Education and Training Command in October 2009. Officials from AETC, Eglin and Luke worked to bring the F-16s to Eglin for more than a year.

"You are driving down risk by the type of aircraft, the type of flying we are going to be doing, and just establishing a battle rhythm at the 33 FW with the integration of Team Eglin," said Navy Capt. Michael Saunders, 33 OG deputy commander.

Team Eglin members play multiple roles in the success of the 33 FW training mission, and the addition of these four aircraft will rekindle those partnerships.