F-16F First Flight

The newest, most advanced version of the F-16 was flown for the first time on 6 December with Lockheed Martin chief test pilot Steve Barter at the controls. The aircraft is the first of the Block 60 line, which will carry the designation of F-16E/F. A total of eighty single-seat F-16E and dual-seat F-16F Block 60 aircraft are being produced for the United Arab Emirates under an order placed in 2000. The initial fifty-minute test flight included an evaluation of the on-board avionics systems and aircraft handling characteristics.

Photo By Nick Alvarado