UPS newhire question
03-02-2007 | 01:40 PM
#13
Line Holder
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Drinking minis in a Hilton
Viper
Here is my understanding based upon fighter lore...
The original Red air F-16's were referred to as "Vipers" to differentiate them from Blue air F-16's, technically the F-16 is the "Fighting Falcon". Over the years the name then took for the entire group, probably for comm brevity reasons; "Kill the Fighting Falcon arcing in a right hand turn at 16K" was too much, whereas "Kill the Viper arcing in a right hand turn at 16K" met the intent of comm brevity!
The original Red air F-16's were referred to as "Vipers" to differentiate them from Blue air F-16's, technically the F-16 is the "Fighting Falcon". Over the years the name then took for the entire group, probably for comm brevity reasons; "Kill the Fighting Falcon arcing in a right hand turn at 16K" was too much, whereas "Kill the Viper arcing in a right hand turn at 16K" met the intent of comm brevity!
Last edited by Hornetguy; 03-02-2007 at 08:31 PM.
03-02-2007 | 09:29 PM
#18
China Visa Applicant
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,964
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From: Midfield downwind
Here is my understanding based upon fighter lore...
The original Red air F-16's were referred to as "Vipers" to differentiate them from Blue air F-16's, technically the F-16 is the "Fighting Falcon". Over the years the name then took for the entire group, probably for comm brevity reasons; "Kill the Fighting Falcon arcing in a right hand turn at 16K" was too much, whereas "Kill the Viper arcing in a right hand turn at 16K" met the intent of comm brevity!
The original Red air F-16's were referred to as "Vipers" to differentiate them from Blue air F-16's, technically the F-16 is the "Fighting Falcon". Over the years the name then took for the entire group, probably for comm brevity reasons; "Kill the Fighting Falcon arcing in a right hand turn at 16K" was too much, whereas "Kill the Viper arcing in a right hand turn at 16K" met the intent of comm brevity!
Viper was the original name that the General Dynamics rank-and-file were pushing for the aircraft...after the "Viper" fighter on Battlestar Galactica, reportedly.
The "Fighting Falcon" name is what the USAF came up with in an internal USAF contest to "name the fighter". I believe some TSgt won with that entry.
03-02-2007 | 10:42 PM
#19
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: MD-11 F/O
Don't try to hang that fruity name on an e-6. It was the air force leadership that decided fighters would be named after birds of prey (eagle, falcon). Then they realized that they couldn't call the f-22 the buzzard or the kite, so they went with the overall group name of raptor.
03-02-2007 | 11:15 PM
#20
China Visa Applicant
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Midfield downwind
Don't try to hang that fruity name on an e-6. It was the air force leadership that decided fighters would be named after birds of prey (eagle, falcon). Then they realized that they couldn't call the f-22 the buzzard or the kite, so they went with the overall group name of raptor.
The U.S. Air Force officially named the F-16 "Fighting Falcon" on July 21st, 1980, during a ceremony at Hill AFB in Utah (the home of the first F-16 unit). At the ceremony F-16A #79-0290 sported a special logo painted by Salt Lake City artists Matt and Mark Waki.
Four years earlier, in 1976, the Department of the Air Force had organized a "Name-the-Plane Contest" for the F-16 at MacDill AFB in Florida. The winning entry was submitted by TSgt. Joseph A. Kurdell, the Photo Sensor Shop Supervisor for the 1st TFW A&E sqn.
On May 11th, 1976, TSgt. Kurdell received an official letter from the Department of the Air Force, congratulating him for submitting the prize-winning entry in the "Name-the-Plane Contest", winning him a free dinner at the MacDill NCO Mess.
TSgt. Joseph Kurdell explains where he got the inspiration for the name:
Four years earlier, in 1976, the Department of the Air Force had organized a "Name-the-Plane Contest" for the F-16 at MacDill AFB in Florida. The winning entry was submitted by TSgt. Joseph A. Kurdell, the Photo Sensor Shop Supervisor for the 1st TFW A&E sqn.
On May 11th, 1976, TSgt. Kurdell received an official letter from the Department of the Air Force, congratulating him for submitting the prize-winning entry in the "Name-the-Plane Contest", winning him a free dinner at the MacDill NCO Mess.
TSgt. Joseph Kurdell explains where he got the inspiration for the name:
"Prior to being stationed at MacDill AFB, Tampa, Florida and after a short tour in Korea, I was teaching at the Photographic Engineering School at Lowery Air Force Base in Colorado.
Being in the vicinity of the Air Force Academy, my family and I used to visit there quite often especially during their football seasons. As you probably know the Falcon (the bird species) is the school mascot, so this is where I got the idea from when given the opportunity to name an aircraft. "
The name "Fighting Falcon" also helped distinguish the F-16 from the "Falcon" series of business jets from French manufacturer Dassault.
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