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 Jeff Allen has been flying in military aircraft as an Air Force photojournalist for more than ten years. He spent nine of those years as an aerial photographer at the 1st Combat Camera Squadron logging time in more than twenty different aircraft, including combat missions in the F-16. His photos have been featured in The New York Times, Time Magazine, US News and World Report, and Science&Vie. He works in San Antonio, Texas, now as a photojournalist for Torch Magazine where still gets to strap on a jet and take to the air.
“My first flight in the F-16 was during an exercise in Denmark with the 22nd Fighter Squadron from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. I wasn’t disappointed. The flight began with vertical climb on takeoff then pulled back into a couple seconds of inverted flight so we could watch a four-ship takeoff below us. Suddenly, the jet snap rolled, turned, and dove toward the four-ship. We chased two four-ship formations of F-16s and a four-ship formation of F-15s then finished with a nine-g turn over the airfield. A fairly mundane mission – compared to some of my most recent flights—but more than enough to hook me forever. I fly in all types of fighters now, but the F-16 occupies a special place in my heart. I still get that adrenaline rush every time we taxi out.”
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