Vermont Guard proud of longest flying F-16

[unhappycamper]

Vermont Guard proud of longest flying F-16
By Wilson Ring - The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Apr 6, 2008 15:11:14 EDT

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. — In the Vermont Air National Guard, they call it the “Lethal Lady.”

Through a 25-year career, this F-16 has flown missions in Iraq, chased radar blips and unexpectedly added a section to the book of military tactics during its 7,000 hours in the air.

Soon, the longest-flying plane of its type — aircraft No. 1165 — will be grounded for good. Later this year, it is due to land at the “Bone Yard” — the Air Force’s aviation graveyard, at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, where it will be retired or cut up for scrap.

“It’s been part of this unit for a long while and a lot of history here with it, a lot of history with the 7,000 hours and it’s going to go down in the books,” said crew chief Master Sgt. Terry Tracy.

One night last month, Air National Guard Lt. Col. T.J. Jackman was at the controls over New York’s Adirondack mountains when the plane turned over 7,000 hours of flight time.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/04/ap_vermontf16_040608/