Hundreds of physical and mental training hours go into being a part of one of the most advanced careers in the world -- an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot. The F-16’s multiple missions, such as air-to-air and air-to-ground combat, make it one of the most versatile aircraft in the Air Force, said Capt. Charlie Wolfsandle, 55th Fighter Squadron assistant training officer.

To be selected to fly the F-16, an individual has to pass a battery of physical and mental tests. Pilots are selected for training when they receive a commission and are then sent to initial pilot training. Those selected to fly the F-16 during initial training are then sent to Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., for F-16 training, said Maj. Mike Sadlowski, 55th FS B-Flight commander.

Pilots must be in good physical condition to handle the stresses the F-16 puts on a body when flying, Major Sadlowski said.

"The F-16 can pull (nine times the force of gravity) which is more than any other aircraft in the Air Force," Major Sadlowski said.

When a pilot pulls positive Gs, blood is pulled to the feet. When pulling negative Gs, blood is sent to the head, Major Sadlowski (shown below) said.

Because of the gravity changes, any movement a pilot makes is magnified and causes the pilot to put more effort into any activity he or she performs, Captain Wolfsandle said. Besides the physical challenges, there is a lot of mental work required of a pilot before taking off, he added.

Flight preparation begins a day before the flight. A pilot has to consider the number of jets flying, the route the pilot will be taking, the configuration of the jet for the mission and what the potential weather will be. When the pilots report for their flight they have more pre-flight briefings and inspect the aircraft.

"There is really around six to seven hours of prep time for a one-to-two hour flight," Major Sadlowski said. The most difficult mental challenge is paying close attention to the details.

"With such an advanced weapons system, a pilot always has to be looking in the books to keep up to date with the latest systems," Major Sadlowski said.

A pilot must be ready to learn new things and adapt to new surroundings, Captain Wolfsandle said.

Paying attention to the small details and keeping up to date with new knowledge allows pilots to survive when something goes wrong. Since the F-16 is a single-engine jet, pilots have to know what do when a malfunction occurs because of how fast things will happen in the air, the captain said.

"Since the start of training, you begin to memorize the emergency checklists, and if you forget they won't let you fly," Captain Wolfsandle said.

Both pilots agree that even with all their training and prep work, they cannot accomplish their mission without everyone's support on the base.

"Every Airman on this base is doing something to support us. Without them we wouldn't even be able to get the jet up in the air," Captain Wolfsandle said. [ANN Salutes Senior Airman Joel Mease, 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs]

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