On Jan. 10, the Royal Norwegian Air Force celebrated the 40th anniversary of the first flight of the YF-16, the first prototype of the Fighting Falcon.
In fact, even if the aircraft conducted its first official maiden flight at the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) at Edwards AFB, California, on Feb. 2, 1974, it took to the air by accident during a high-speed taxi test on Jan. 20, 1974: while accelerating speed, a roll-control oscillation caused a fin of the left hand-side wingtip-mounted dummy missile and the starboard stabilator to hit and scrape the ground. As a consequence, the aircraft lifted off.
General Dynamics test pilot Phil Oestricher, decided to continue the take off, flew the plane for about six minutes and eventually safely landed it back six minutes later.
Anyway, the celebratory video cockpit video was taken from a Norwegian F-16 flying at low altitude over one of Norway’s most beautiful regions, Lofoten (northern Norway.)
Some stunning sights!
More from The Aviationist
The Incredible Armada of Aircraft Behind 1969’s Battle of Britain Film
On Sept. 15, 1969, cinema audiences were treated to a dramatic portrayal…
US Approves Possible Sale of Nine KC-46A Pegasus Tankers for Japan
The latest deal would take the number of KC-46As in Japan’s inventory…
U.S. State Department Approves $7.2B Sale Of F-35 Jets To Romania
The Foreign Military Sale’s approval comes after Romania announced the plan to…
Wooden Avengers, Target Kites, and Draftees: How America’s First New Deal Community Took the Fight to the Axis
Situated in the quiet hills of West Virginia, the small town of…
DARPA Awards BAE Systems $4 Million for Autonomous Beyond Visual Range Air Combat Program
Autonomy solutions for BVR combat will initially be developed and demonstrated on…
H/T to Endre Lundre, Stefan Bøyum Schlömilch and Nils K Haugen for the heads-up
Related articles
