M20J vs. F-16 (No, not a TFR story!)

[Jeff_S]

So I'm showing my J to a prospective buyer this week on a clear sunny Atlanta morning. I knew he had just retired from the Air Force, but hadn't thought to ask him what he did in the AF until we got together.  Turns out he has 4000 hours in F-16s.  Real nice guy, low key, exactly what you want in a fighter pilot I'm guessing.

 

We get out to the practice area at 3000' and I say "your controls."  Not 2 seconds after he says "my airplane" we're in a 60 degree bank to left and all of a sudden Lake Lanier is looking mighty close out my window. I do commercial steep turns for practice as well, so this wasn't too alarming, except it takes me a bit longer to get to that degree of bank.  But I was fine, right up until he whips that thing right over to another 60 degree bank on the right side, at which point my head and my stomach started to protest. 

 

"Whoah Nellie, you gotta' take it easy on us civilians" I told him, and he immediately apologized and edged us back toward level flight. I think if I'd have known it was coming I could have prepared for it and taken it better, but the sudden change got right to me. But that feeling quickly passed and we had a good flight. I flew a GPSS-RNAV approach so he could see how that works in our "modern" cockpits. He said all the American F-16s still have round gauges and he'd never flown a GPS approach before. I guess only our exported planes have all the goodies.

 

Finally we were coming back toward PDK and I just mentioned that I plan on 5 miles per 1000' of descent needed. He quickly calculated "okay, 2 degree angle" faster than I could have pulled out a calculator. These guys know their numbers. He told me that they plan on a 10 degree angle for their descents, and reminded me that since the F-16 has actually a shorter wing span than the J, yet weighs 20-times more, "they don't glide all that well."  Talk about a nose-dive!

 

Anyway, he is a great guy and it was fun to get just a hint of a perspective on what it would be to strap into a plane like that. Although if I did it for real, I would want to make sure the plastic bag was ready!

[MB65E]

My old boss taught in the Viper. 2000 hrs in type. Great guy, Had some neat stories flying over Iraq. The F-16 community is pretty small. Amazing little jet. Hopefully it will be around for a few more years!

-Matt

[bonal]

so did he like the plane and did he comment on the role rate and control respose. The F16 has always been my favorite

[1964-M20E]

Well I've always been an F-15 type but I would not turn down a ride in any of them.

 

Yes F-15s, F-16s and F-18s should be kept around and up to date for many years.  New top line fighters are necessary but once we have established air superiority send in the work horses.

[cliffy]

I once flew as 737 FO for a past leader of the Thunderbirds We left KDEN and were given a "cleared direct to xyzab intersection". 

As we only had 2 VORs and nothing else this caused me some concern and as I was contemplating my next ATC call I saw he was counting on his fingers. I said, "what are you doing, some of that Air Force radian sxxt?" He said yes and turned about 15 degrees right. I said, "well, just don't get me busted". We hit it right on the head about 30 miles later.  I'm still at a loss as to how he did it. 

[Bob - S50]

Part of pilot training is to learn to do a fix to fix. You have to be receiving the vor that the fix is based on and you have to have dme. It is usually done with an rmi using a visual representation. Legal for military but not sure about civilians. But if you hit the fix I doubt ATC would say anything. I always just preferred "unable" in the DC9.