F-16 Viper | Behind the Wings

F-16 Viper | Behind the Wings

Curator Matthew Burchette gets up close and personal with one of the world's most powerful fighters, the F-16 Viper. Check out the "seeker" tip on the AIM-9 Sidewinder, feel the WHOOSH of 1,600 MPH as you stand on the runway at Buckley AFB and meet a professional F-16 pilot with more than two decades of experience. BAM! This is gonna be good.

Buckley Air Force Base:

Photo Credit: Jason Irons Photography

Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum:

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Host, Curator:
Matthew Burchette

Creator, Producer:
Ben Theune

Camera, Editor:
Scott Hennelly

Music:

[VibeXplorer]

I love how mustaches haven't gone out of fashion in the Air Force!

[stebnalang]

That is so cool, you showed 86-0368! That is one of the jets I worked on when it was new in Spain.

[gagemaki]

My dad and grandfather both flew the F-16 during their 20+ years of service in the Air Force. Its name is the Fighting Falcon, but every fighter pilot who fly it call it the Viper. All variants of the F-16 (A, B, C, D, V) are all referred to as the Viper. Just as the A-10 Warthog is called the Hog, or the B-52 Stratofortress is called the BUFF (Big Ugly Fat Fucker). I am currently a student/cadet at the US Air Force Academy with the hopes and dreams of one day getting to strap into the mighty Viper to complete three generations of Viper drivers.

[jimbeaux]

The F-16 has long been and always will be my favorite bird. I know it’s aging and almost obsolete, but my gosh I love this plane

[lowtech]

The F-16 is one of my favorite American fighters. It looks like its going Mach 2 even when its sitting on the runway.

[marcallen]

The F-16 Viper (Fighting Falcon) is still a awesome fighter jet even though it was introduced 40 years ago.

[ericheaton]

This is my favorite fighter ever. My dad worked on the F-16 program at Lockheed, until they moved everything to South Carolina. I’ve live it since I was little

[theaceofspades]

"Oooh a F-16 documentary I havn't seen"
"Oh...ive seen this"

[woodychadwick]

Back in the 90s they ask Soviet pilots what Western fighter they wanted to fly
Most. They all said f16.

[jumpingjeffflash]

I spent 6 years as a USAF crew chief on these jets, I miss it somedays and have some fantastic memories and friends to cherish from those years.

[timcastle]

I served with that unit from Colorado during the start of OIF, we all were assigned to the 410th AEW. I had a chance to get a ride in the back seat of an F16 from my unit and man what a I LOVE the F16!!!! I’ve since retired from the DCANG.

[MCF]

Fun fact to anyone that doesn't know, the blue stripe you see on the missile means its whats called a CATM-9. CATM stands for Captive Air Training Guided Missile. CATM-9s are basically a training version of the AIM-9 (AIM stands for Air Intercept Guided Missile) that has all the electronics and the seeker head so pilots can practice with the missile, but the warhead and rocket motor are inert so it cant shoot and there's not any danger of the pilot accidentally firing the missile at anyone in a training excersize.

[macktravels]

Matthew---You do an outstanding job. Very informative and funny!! Thank you.

[bananomet]

What a cool dude. Wish you´d show more of the F-16. My all time favorite jet fighter.

[knowpassword]

The classified debriefing room is where they talk about all the UFO encounters..

[bigboy]

Honestly, I am in love with the F-16 and the A-10.

[richardlahan]

Actually the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Some F-16 pilots took to calling their planes "Vipers" after the Colonial Viper in the original (1978) "Battlestar Galactica".

[MesquiteBelt]

Congrats Matthew on the new gig and we visited just because of this series!

[jamiegumm]

16's were designed to be and always will be supporting cast to the Eagle. Similarly the 18's were initially going support the Tomcats in the Navy. Only later did their primary purpose change.

[wannamontana]

All cool and entertaining. Feeling the need for more content.