The northern corner of the busy Tucson International Airport is home to the Arizona ANG, a major USAF training unit for F-16 crews.
The major unit is the 162nd Fighter Wing, which hosts a number of F-16 squadrons, as well as the AATC (Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Command Test Center).
The aircraft are marked with the distinctive Arizona State Flag on the fintip.
Our visit to Tucson in February 2004 allowed us to photograph the aircraft up close. This is not as easy as you may think due to the structures of the shelters which are in use to protect the aircraft and crews from the blazing Arizona sunshine. Of course, it is this abundant sunshine which makes Arizona such a great choice for pilot training.
Our tour of the flightlines allowed us to see and photograph numerous different marks of F-16s being readied for flight, from the initial F-16A single seat “lightweight fighter” up to the latest F-16D dual seaters.
A nearby shelter also housed an F-16B which was in use as a Weapons Loading Trainer. As well as US pilots, the unit is responsible for training students from various overseas nations.
The “Shark Tank” area behind the flightlines is where aircraft about to be retired are sent, with engines and other equipment removed. These aircraft will eventually find their way to the nearby “Boneyard” at Davis-Monthan, where they will be kept in storage and eventually stripped of useable valuable parts.
Near the Air National Guard entrance is a Heritage Park, which displays a number of older aircraft in Arizona ANG markings.
Thanks go to our hosts for allowing us access to the flightlines.
Aircraft noted during our visit were:-
70-15530 OH-58A 1-167th CAV
71-20350 OH-58A 1-167th CAV
71-20496 OH-58A 1-167th CAV
70-15178 OH-58C 1-167th CAV
70-15300 OH-58C 1-167th CAV
70-15474 OH-58C 1-167th CAV
94-0263 C-26B 162nd FW/Arizona ANG
80-0578 F-16A 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
81-0777 F-16A 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
81-0795 F-16A 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
81-0806 F-16A 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
81-0807 F-16A 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
81-0810 F-16A 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
82-0924 F-16A 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
82-0946 F-16A 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
82-0957 F-16A 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
82-1013 F-16A 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
83-1095 F-16A 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
80-0636 F-16B 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
80-0637 F-16B 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
81-0812 F-16B 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
81-0815 F-16B 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
81-0818 F-16B 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
81-0821 F-16B 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
82-1026 F-16B 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
82-1031 F-16B 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
82-1033 F-16B 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
82-1034 F-16B 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
82-1039 F-16B 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
83-1170 F-16B 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
84-1265 F-16C 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
84-1278 F-16C 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
85-1405 F-16C 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
85-1409 F-16C 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
85-1419 F-16C 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
88-0417 F-16C 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
88-0427 F-16C 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
89-2002 F-16C 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
89-2100 F-16C 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
89-2117 F-16C 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
89-2123 F-16C 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
89-2135 F-16C 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
90-0705 F-16C 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
90-0708 F-16C 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
90-0715 F-16C 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
90-0716 F-16C 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
90-0720 F-16C 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
90-0741 F-16C 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
88-0156 F-16D 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
88-0173 F-16D 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
89-2156 F-16D 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
90-0785 F-16D 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
90-0790 F-16D 162nd FW/Arizona ANG AZ r/y/bl
81-0782 F-16A 178th FS/North Dakota ANG ND r/wt
82-0907 F-16A 178th FS/North Dakota ANG ND r/wt
75-0394 A-7D Preserved AZ r/y/bl
56-3055 F-100D Preserved
56-1134 F-102A Preserved
78-0005 F-16A Preserved AZ r/y/bl
52-8973 F-84F Preserved
51-13278 QF-86F Preserved
82-0961 F-16A Stored MN