Logging hours in F-16

[Ih8AFYesmen]

For you lawndart drivers...........
Is it possible to log 3,000 hours in a viper in 5 years? I think I know the answer to this question already but I ran across a dude who tells me that he has over 3k hours in a lawndart and claims to have flown it for only 5 years.

 

[STBY GAIN]

You'd have to log a 2.4 sortie five days a week for the entire duration. It's possible, but it seems unlikely. Maybe he meant 3,000 hours maintaining it, which would take about one year.

Here's a URL with all the 3,000 hour Viper drivers (may be a little dated though.)

http://www.f-16.net/index.php?module=f16pilots&type=user&func=view_kpilots&milestone=3

An average year is about 250 hours, but it can vary.

 

[JHook]

Absolutely no way!!!! It takes about 12 to 15 years of continuously flying any fighter to get to 3,000.

 

[JimBo480]

No one has gone over 3000 hours in the F-16 in only five years. I went over 3000 hours and it took me three times as long. Perhaps the quickest I know is P.K. who was a Viper baby (first assignment F-16) who went on to be a thunderbird. It probably took him 10-12 years.

 

[Toro]

It takes about 12 to 15 years of continuously flying any fighter to get to 3,000.

One caveat to that - long combat sorties. Guys currently flying in OIF are logging 5-7 hour sorties on AOR missions, same was true of ONW. The Strike Eagle guys who were on station when the whole thing kicked off (and for about five months following that) got a $hitload of hours. There were guys who arrived as brand new MR wingmen and left with 500+ hours.

 

[DrEvil]

And if I do my math right, that's 1.5 ejections per 1,000 hours, 3 months DNIF with each ejection, nope, it's a lie!