Despite a rise in F-16 crashes this past fiscal year, the commander of the Montana Air National Guard’s 120th Fighter Wing, Col. Mike McDonald, believes the F-16 has “an excellent safety record given the demanding missions in which it is flown every day.” In an interview with the Great Falls Tribune, McDonald called the sleek fighter the Air Force’s “workhorse.” The Montana Air Guard has flown Vipers, in various models, since 1987. Under BRAC 2005, the unit must switch its F-16s for F-15s.
When Lt. Col. Dustin Johnson was ordered to deploy to the Middle East last year, he and his fellow F-22 Raptor pilots prepared for an unusual challenge. As America’s premier air superiority fighter, the F-22 was designed to take on advanced enemy aircraft, capable of maneuvering stealthily and cruising at supersonic…