Top Aces Receives FAA Certification For F-16 | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-07.07.25

Airborne-NextGen-07.08.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.09.25

Airborne-FlightTraining-07.10.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.11.25

Sat, May 29, 2021

Top Aces Receives FAA Certification For F-16

Adversary Air Training Operator Reportedly First To Operate F-16s Under Commercial License

Top Aces is celebrating a milestone as its newly-acquired F-16 fighter aircraft earned FAA certification and completed its first flight.

In order to support the US Air Force (USAF) Contracted Air Support indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract, Top Aces took delivery of its first four F-16s in January, reportedly becoming the first private company in the world to own and operate a fourth-generation fighter aircraft. Top Aces’ in-house maintenance team then returned the aircraft to full operational and airworthy status at its F-16 Center of Excellence in Mesa, Arizona. This week marks a historic achievement as Top Aces’ first F-16 obtained FAA certification and successfully performed its initial test flight.

A fundamental step in preparing Top Aces’ F-16 fleet to serve the USAF is the integration of Top Aces’ open architecture Advanced Aggressor Mission System (AAMS), which will provide advanced adversary capabilities. This proprietary system features the latest technologies including active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, infrared search-and-track (IRST), advanced data link and helmet-mounted cueing systems. 

“By recruiting the most-experienced former USAF Aggressor pilots and ground crews, deploying this high-caliber aircraft and upgrading the F-16 with tailor-made system modifications, Top Aces will provide the most tactically challenging, realistic and cost-effective adversary training. The entire Top Aces team is very proud to play our part in providing the men and women who operate USAF and USN front line fighters with the most advanced level of training possible,” says Russ Quinn, President, Top Aces Corp.

FMI: www.topaces.us

Advertisement

More News

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (07.11.25)

“Honored to accept this mission. Time to take over space. Let’s launch.” Source: SecTrans Sean Duffy commenting after President Donald Trump appointed U.S. Secret>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (07.11.25): Permanent Echo

Permanent Echo Radar signals reflected from fixed objects on the earth's surface; e.g., buildings, towers, terrain. Permanent echoes are distinguished from “ground clutter&rd>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (07.11.25)

Aero Linx: European Hang Gliding and Paragliding Union (EHPU) The general aim of the EHPU is to promote and protect hang gliding and paragliding in Europe. In order to achieve this>[...]

NTSB Final Report: Schweizer SGS 2-33A

Glider Encountered A Loss Of Lift And There Was Not Sufficient Altitude To Reach The Airport Analysis: The flight instructor reported that while turning final, the glider encounter>[...]

NTSB Prelim: Aeronca 7AC

Airplane Climbed To 100 Ft Above Ground Level, At Which Time The Airplane Experienced A Total Loss Of Engine Power On May 24, 2025, at 1300 eastern daylight time, an Aeronca 7AC, N>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC