The Air Force reports that Air Force Special Operations Command flew a total of more than 13,000 hours and nearly 3,150 sorties over the course of 2006. Those flying statistics were spread across six models (see chart). The leader in flying hours is the AC-130V, with more than 6,500; the leader in sorties is the MH-53 helicopter, besting the gunship by 35 sorties, but flying about half as many hours.
No injuries were reported after an external fuel tank fell off an F-16 fighter into a residential neighborhood outside Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., on Jan. 7, a base spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine. Photos posted online show what appears to be a centerline fuel tank that hangs from…