We raise a toast to the Fighting Falcon. Also known as the Viper, it’s one of the most lethal and maneuverable aircraft ever made. Below, watch as the first pilot recalls the first flight of the F-16.
The multi-role iconic jet first took to the skies on 20 January 1974. Developed by General Dynamics, the prototype YF-16 was piloted by Phil Oestricher.
ABOVE: Watch pilot Phil Oestricher recall flying the first YF-16
The jet wasn’t supposed to fly that day
On the day of the test at Edwards AFB, Oestricher didn’t expect to fly at all. It wasn’t even in the plans. It was supposed to be a high speed taxi test to better evaluate handling in the takeoff regime. The jet itself, however, had other ideas.
The F-16 was the first aircraft to have a fixed stick. The stick used to control the aircraft interpreted forces to move the fly-by-wire control surfaces but did not actually move at all. The test that day was just supposed to be a high speed ground test. Oestricher never got a “feel” for the jet until that day.
As he raced down the runway, Oestricher raised the nose and applied aileron control to check lateral response. The jet, however, went into a dangerous roll oscillation. The left wing and right stabilator scraped against the ground.
Think of it like trying to control an angry Stallion that wants to do what it wants.
Fly or Crash–A Decision To Be Made
As the jet started veering off into the desert, he decided that, instead of crashing and possibly killing himself and the program, he would hit the throttle to get it in the air to try and save it.
Oestricher struggled to control the jet, waiting for his airspeed to reach a point that would provide enough lift to really get flying. It worked. He recovered and flew the jet on an unscheduled first flight for six minutes before returning safely to Edwards.
Another, almost identical, No. 2 prototype YF-16 was also made. It first flew in spring 1974 but skidded across the grass next to the runway while landing at a flight demonstration for General Dynamics employees and friends in Texas in May 1975.
The pilot couldn’t get the landing gear to deploy, but brought the jet down safely with expert execution. The aircraft came out in decent shape, and the pilot was fine, but he was quite unhappy about what happened. Nevertheless, the F-16 had arrived, and it was here to stay. The original YF-16 No. 1 made the first transatlantic flight to Europe soon after, to secure potential NATO sales and perform a flight demonstration in Paris.
F-16 Enters Service
The F-16 was built under an agreement between the United States and NATO countries Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway. Together, they jointly produced an initial 348 F-16s for their air forces.
The first single-seat F-16A first flew in December 1976. Two years later, on 17 August 1978, the first operational USAF F-16A was delivered to the 388th Tactical Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.
The rest, as they say, is history. Half a century after first being unleashed into the air, the jet is still in production. Though the USAF no longer buys new F-16s, the Fighting Falcon’s story is far from over. Modernized variants continue to find eager customers overseas, and in 2025, this iconic jet still wears the crown as the world’s most widely flown combat aircraft, with more than 2,000 in active service around the globe. Over 25 nations continue to operate the F-16 for their various air forces.
The USAF Flight Demonstration Squadron Thunderbirds also fly the F-16 for millions of spectators across America every year, with occasional visits to other countries. A single-ship F-16 Viper Demo team also flies for air shows where the Thunderbirds do not appear.
USAF Vipers have also seen plenty of action, deploying for combat numerous times. In the Persian Gulf in 1991, for Operation Desert Storm, they flew more sorties than any other aircraft.
They also served in Operation Allied Force, and have played a major role in the war on terrorism, flying thousands of sorties in support of operations Noble Eagle (Homeland Defense), Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), and Iraqi Freedom.
You can read more about the F-16s history operating with the USAF here.
