Edwards gets F-16s from 'bone yard' Published Jan. 16, 2003 By Leigh Anne Bierstine Air Force Flight Test Center Public Affairs EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFPN) -- Two F-16 Fighting Falcons joined the test operations facility here recently to help support flight test programs. The aircraft are the first of nine F-16s making their way to Edwards this year.The aircraft arrived from the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., where they were originally part of a deal to sell 28 F-16s to Pakistan. The agreement broke down after Pakistan violated the nuclear nonproliferation policy of the U.S. government and its allies, and the United States cancelled the sale. That left the aircraft in storage at Davis-Monthan for more than a decade. After several years of modifications and rebuilding, the aircraft made their way here.The aircraft are late A and B models, versus the C and D models pilots routinely fly today. They were built in the late 1980s and early 1990s and are scheduled to replace some of the older F-16s in the Edwards' inventory, which will provide pilots with better capability and reliability, said Lt. Col. Troy Fontaine, commander of test operations here.With only eight and 11 total flying hours respectively, the two aircraft will be used to support the 412th Maintenance Group shadow fleet. The aircraft will perform photo chase, high-alpha testing and test support missions for Edwards' various test forces. The jets will also be used to train students at the test pilot school.According to Col. George Ka'iliwai, the school's commandant, the new aircraft are welcome additions to the busy flying schedule."These two additional F-16s will help the test pilot school graduate our students fully trained and on time," said Ka'iliwai. "Increasing the number of F-16s helps us ensure that these aircraft are available when we need them to meet our flying program requirements as well as test program requirements around the base."Air Force officials will take 14 aircraft while the Navy will get 14 to be used as aggressor aircraft for training.