Old Viper Tester

One color. The spec for Grey 1 was FS 36492. Sven

DC-130As parked on the ramp at Mojave airport. No indication of who was using them (possibly AVTEK Fight Test?) or why they were there... 56-0514, September 1988 57-0496, March 1990 57-0497, October 1988 and October 1990 Thanks for looking, Old Viper Tester

Tiger IIs of the 425 TFTS at Williams AFB during our USAF TPS stop in April 1982. 73-0891 72-1395 72-1400 72-1402 72-1404 72-1405 72-1421 73-0855 73-0879 73-0899 73-1640 Thanks for looking, Old Viper Tester

T-38As operated by the USAF Test Pilot School, 6519th Test Wing, Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB. The Talons were used as curriculum aircraft for aircraft performance and flying qualities. The four TPS T-38s were readily identified by the long pitot nose boom with yaw and pitch vanes. 68-8135, May 1985 ... and September 1992 68-8153, May 1985 ... and September 1992 68-8154, September 1982 May 1985 ... October 1991 with temporary strakes on the engine intakes ... and September 1992 68-8205, May 1985 ... and September 1992 Thanks for looking, Old Viper Tester

During a simulator trip to Luke AFB with my Test Pilot School class, we stopped at Williams AFB (I don't remember why). We were only supposed to be at Willy for less than an hour... "So don't go anywhere". (Un)fortunately, we landed with hot brakes and one of the left brakes took the opportunity to seize up once the NKC-135A stopped in front of Base Operations. A discussion ensued to determine if a TPS faculty member had made the landing or if it was one of my classmates (again, don't remember who was the guilty party). Rather than wait for a brake change, which would have required getting replacement parts from the Phoenix air guard and getting the bird on jacks. it was decided to brute force the brake free. This required having base safety and the fire department observing the proceedings - just in case. While this little circus was being assembled, I decided to visit the closest unit ramp which was the 425th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron of the 405th Tactical Training Wing with their F-4Bs and F-5E/Fs. Though the 425TFTS was based at Willy, the 405TTW was headquartered at Luke with several squadrons of F-15s, hence the LA tail code on the camouflaged 425th jets. 70-1408 72-0439 72-0440 72-0449 73-1602 73-1603 73-1607 The brute force effort did free the brake and they coulddn't get everyone on board and depart Willy fast enough. The NKC-135A spent a couple of weeks with maintenance while the brakes were change and a few other items seen to while they were at it. Thanks for looking, Sven, AKA Old Viper Tester

Some UH-1s of the 6512th Test Squadron, 6510th Test Wing, Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB in the 1980s. The helicopters were used primarily as jump platforms for parachutists testing new parachutes or parachute modification. They were also used as hacks, for range control, and as local search and rescue. After a couple of fatal mishaps attributed to maintenance issues, the helicopters were withdrawn from the Test Center in the early 1990s. HH-1H 70-2464, July 1984. At Base Ops waiting to take a 4-star (placard in the window)on an aerial tour of the base? She came back from depot maintenance in an over-all grey scheme in 1986, UH-1N 69-6634, supporting water survival training at Lake Isabella California, July 1989. UH-1N 69-6653, on the Edwards Base Operations ramp, October 1989. 69-663 waiting to be put on static display for the Edwards Open House, October 1991. UH-1N 68-10776, October 1991. Thanks for looking, Sven Old Viper Tester

T-38A operated by the 6512th Test Squadron, 6510th Test Wing, Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB. In the 1980s, T-38s were used mostly as safety/photo chase for F-15 and F-16 test missions. Sometimes used as radar targets for airborne radar test missions. September 1982, formation proficiency mission. Canopies fogged during climb out! December 1984, safety chase proficiency mission against our F-4E. Maintaining photo position while we simulate a dive bomb attack on a Superior Valley Range target. Close aboard over the Sierra Nevada foothills west of Owens Valley and China Lake Naval Weapons Center. May 1985 on the Edwards ramp Thanks for looking, Sven Old Viper Tester

It is a test flight. The linked image is F-16B 75-0751 and it was the test bed for the six missile configuration departure-from-controlled flight (high-AOA, AKA "spin") testing. The OP image is not a test bird - we (6516th Test Squadron at Edwards) tested the 6 x AIM-120 configuration on 83-1120. We submitted our recommendations to the USAF Seek Eagle office at Eglin for inclusion in the F-16 flight manual. It was adopted, but it is a limited use configuration in that giving up two external wing tanks severely limits range. If memory serves, this configuration was requested for air defense. The OP shows a combat load-out, as they are live warhead AMRAAM rounds - indicated by the yellow stripe. By this time the AMRAAM effectiveness was well documented and the only testing would be with inert warheads or telemetry packages in place of the warhead to confirm weapon integration and launch separation.

T-38A 70-1574, operated by the 6512th Test Squadron, 6510th Test Wing, Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB. December 1983. Rather plain, The blue tail band with white Xs represents the 6510th Test Wing. July 1984, Air Force Systems Command badge added to the tail. February 1989. Tail codes added 1987/88, Air Force Flight Test Center badge added on the spine about the same time. Thanks for looking, Sven Old Viper Tester

Those that are still in service ave been converted to T-38C configuration. '135 was transferred to the Navy around 2000. '153 crashed in 2009 at Edwards. I assume that other T-38s have transferred in as replacements. I don't see the T-38s being replaced any time soon as the T-38 is still the baseline aircraft for all TPS students, meaning the students have to be qualified in the T-38 before beginning the curriculum. Sven

A few of the aircraft on display at the Nellis AFB Open House, May 1981... A-10A 78-0700, 66th Fighter Weapons School F-4E 67-0271, 414th Fighter Weapons Squadron F-5E 74-1557, 57th Fighter Weapons Wing A-7D 70-1046, 180th Tac Fighter Squadron, 162nd Tac Fighter Group, New Mexico Air National Guard A-37B 71-0860, 47th Tac Fighter Squadron, 917th Tac Fighter Group, Air Force Reserve out of Barksdale AFB KC-135Q 59-1490, 903rd Air Refueling Squadron, 100th Air Refueling Wing RF-4C 69-0378, 12th Tac Reconnaissance Squadron, 67th Tac Reconnaissance Wing out of Bergstrom AFB F-4G 69-0239, 563rd Tac Fighter Squadron, 37th Tac Fighter Wing out of George AFB EF-11A 66-0041, Tactical Ar Warfare Center out of Eglin AFB SR-71A 64-17971, 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing out of Beale AFB OV-10A 66-13561, 549th Tac Air Support Training Squadron, 549th Tac Air Support Training Group out of Patrick AFB CH-46F 157691, HMM-164 out of MCAS Tustin OV-1C 68-15947, Oregon National Guard Thanks for looking, Sven Old Viper Tester

Recce Rhinos of the 91st Tac Reconnaissance Squadron, 67th Tac Reconnaissance Wing out of Bergstrom AFB. At Nellis AFB for the Red Flag 91-3 large-force exercise, May 1991. 66-0456 68-0548 68-0551 68-0584 69-0356 Thanks for looking, Sven Old Viper Tester

The BUFF in the OP is taking off from Tinker AFB, home of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex. Many a BUFF has flown from this site with little or no paint for a final acceptance test flight after the aircraft has gone through heavy Programed Depot Maintenance (PDM) - essentially a full tear-down and rebuild. They make the flight, usually only one, to ensure everything is copasetic before running her into the paint barn. And yes, FS 12197 has been the standard flight test conspicuity marking in the USAF since the 1970s. Stands to reason that a "mother ship" at Edwards would get the red-orange extremities treatment. Sven

F-4C 63-7654, 6512th Test Squadron, 6510th Test Wing, Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB. '654 was a dedicated pacer aircraft at Edwards in the 1980s. Meaning she had test aircraft fly close formation with her such that the test jet would record airpeed and altitude data for comparison with '654's data. '654 carried 'sensitive' air data instrumentation in her nose, in the radar racks. The calibrated nose probe for pacer flights was integrated into a separate F-4C radome. When not serving as a pacer, the standard radome was installed. For pacer missions, the radome with the calibrated nose probe was installed; connecting the air data lines to the instrumentation and then closing up the pacer radome. October 1984. Being used as a munitions jamming demonstration airframe at the Edwards AFB open house. Standard radome installed. March 1985, on the Edwards flight line with standard radome installed. September 1990, making a tour fly-by run over the Rogers Dry Lake. Pacer probe fitted. October 1991. Pacer probe fitted. November 1991. Pacer probe fitted and a "high-speed" centerline external fuel tank and wing pylons. Either the tank or the radome will have to be removed before her next mission. The pacer probe and data system were calibrated for a clean aircraft (wing pylons alone were okay). Kind of unusual to see the outer wing pylons without external fuel tanks. Thanks for looking, Sven Old Viper Tester

USAF Test Pilot School (TPS) T-38As. The USAF TPS was part of the 6510th Test Wing (now the 412th Test Wing), Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB. When I went through the school, 1981-82, the T-38 was used in the aircraft performance phase of the curriculum along with the A-37B and KC-135. The T-38 was also used as a proficiency aircraft. TPS Talons were distinguished from the general test support T-38s by their flight test nose probes. 63-8135, May 1985 ...and in September 1992 The ED tail codes were added in 1987-88. Air Force Systems Command was merged with Air Force Logistics Command in 1992 to form Air Force Materiel Command, hence the Systems Command shield was replaced with the Materiel Command shield on the tail. 68-8153, May 1985 ...and September 1992 88-8154, September 1982. Photos by one of my fellow engineers, Jan Schofield. I'm in the rear cockpit of '154. ,,,May 1985 ...October 1991 ...September 1992 68-8205, May 1985 ...September 1992 Thanks for looking, Sven Old Viper Tester