The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies is proud to present The Aerospace Advantage, with former Air Force weapons school instructor and Thunderbird Lt Col (ret) John “Slick” Baum as the host. Every week, Slick will take listeners into the world of aerospace power and help the audience understand what it takes to fly and fight in the sky, while also protecting America’s interests in space. Whether talking to top generals, standing on a flight line full of combat aircraft, looking at a rocket being prepared for launch, or hearing from those who have laid it all on the line in defense of the nation—this podcast will afford unprecedented access and insight into where the combat aerospace community is going and why.
Episodes
Saturday Feb 10, 2024
Saturday Feb 10, 2024
Episode Summary:
In Episode 167 of the Aerospace Advantage, F-16 at 50: The Origins of the Viper, Mitchell Institute’s John “Slick” Baum hosts a special set of guests to mark the 50th anniversary of the F-16’s first flight. It’s one of the most impactful, widely used combat aircraft in airpower history. Developed in the early 1970s and first flown in 1974, the F-16 began as a relatively basic fighter. Numerous upgrades saw it evolve into an incredibly capable multi-role combat aircraft with powerful sensors, computing capacity, connectivity, a broad array of munitions, and far more thrust. This episode will discuss the origins of the F-16—how and why the requirements were developed, flight test, and early operational experiences.
We’ve got General Mike Loh, who was a young officer just back from flying combat in Vietnam assigned to work with the “father of the F-16”, Col John Boyd, in the Fighter Requirements Directorate in the Pentagon. He later circled back to the program as the project manager for the YF-16 and F-16 at Aeronautical Systems Division. He’s joined by Major General Charlie Lyon, who began his career in the F-16 in the early 1980s, when the jet was brand new and far more basic than anything flying today. He was a FWS Graduate and 422 TES IP and later a Squadron, Group, and Wing Commander. Finally, we’ve got Maj Gen Larry Stutzriem, who transitioned from the F-4 to the F-16 in the mid-1980s. This history really matters and that’s why we’re so excited to share it with you.
Credits:
Host: John “Slick” Baum, Senior Fellow, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Producer: Shane Thin
Executive Producer: Douglas Birkey
Guest: Maj Gen Larry Stutzriem, Director of Research, The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
Guest: Gen John Michael Loh, USAF (Ret.)
Guest: Maj Gen Charles Lyon, USAF (Ret.)
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