The Viper Story, Part 1: F-16s of the Air National Guard - Softcover

Jake Melampy

9780979506406: The Viper Story, Part 1: F-16s of the Air National Guard

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0979506409 ISBN 13: 9780979506406

Publisher: Reid Air Publications, 2007

Book details the operational history of the F-16 in service with the ANG. From the first jet that entered service in 1983, to the latest round of BRAC, this book details every ANG squadron that has ever flown the F-16. Over 600 full-color photos, including combat ops, air-air, nose art, mission markings, and more. With complete unit histories.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:

"Over the years many books have been written about the Air National Guard. Most are so general that they can be of little value for both the aviation enthusiast and the Guard community themselves. Jake Melampy's book on the F-16 in the Air National Guard (ANG) has to be, in my opinion, the most comprehensive book on the subject to date, even more so than any magazine or journal that I have seen. This book will have appeal for an enthusiast, military historian or to any one who is around the F-16. A preconception that I had before I saw the final copy of the book was it would be a modern collection of Jake s photos. Don t get me wrong, Jake is an excellent photographer and seeing his photos is proof enough. My concern was a simple truth that no matter how good a photographer, one person cannot cover every aspect of the Air National Guards history. This preconception was quickly dispelled and I was pleasantly surprised to find his book was a collection of photos from all eras of the F-16 from numerous photographers whose photos are rarely seen in other books. Specific examples of how superior some of the coverage is of squadrons would be how many rare photos of the 107th TFS/FS when they had their F-16A/Bs. Or how often do you see photos of the 112th FS when they had their block 25s. The book is full of these types of examples. Part of what makes this publication appealing is its ability to cover each ANG F-16 Squadron fairly and equally. There are several squadrons that over the years have had little exposure when books are generated on this topic. Generally each Wing has eight pages and the edges of the pages are color coded to help separate each unit. All Wings begin with a concise written history which includes the associate squadrons inception dates, type of aircraft operated over the years, bases and when possible deployments occurred. After this, there is a stunning series of photos for each squadron each one specifically chosen to tell a story. This includes photos that cover all of the various tail flashes the squadrons wore, and when room permitted, any special markings that were applied to ANG F-16s over the years. When viewing this book, it is easy to judge the effort that Jake has put into his work. He has researched the history of each serial number and made sure it is up to date at the time of publication in spite of all the current changes in the ANG. Extra details of close ups of mission markings and nose art was a very nice touch that I feel gets ignored all too often in such books. I have been studying the F-16 history for over fifteen years and saw nose art that I ve never seen before. For the hard core research guys, this book contains many serials, dates and other important information for each photo. Every time I revisit the book I find details in photos I missed before. This is the kind of book you will want to keep in good condition and make sure your hands are clean before it is handled. I can t wait to see the remaining parts that will cover the remaining American units and hopefully foreign operators. Bottom line is this is a must have book for who worked the F-16 or aficionado." Jonathan Somerville F-16.net editor --Jon Somerville, editor, www.f-16.net

"Here is a review of the first publication by Reid Air Publications - a firm founded by Jake Melampy - a prominent and well-traveled photographer. The book is titled The Viper Story Part 1: F-16s of the Air National Guard, and features photographs by Jake and other photographers covering every ANG unit that has operated the F-16 variant. The softcover book consists of 247 pages printed on heavy gloss paper with each US state listed alphabetically. Instead of listing the states and units, I have supplied a photograph of the table of contents page - as you can see, the list of operators is extensive. There is a 2-page history of the F-16 included. At the beginning of each state's section, the state flag and its ANG history is detailed including very recent and near future changes. Detailed captions are under each photograph, and a very handy serial number index is at the back of the book listing what page each jet appears on. The photographs are top-notch and cover a variety of markings each unit's jets wore, and the different variants operated. Many are from units and airframes that have not existed for quite some time. And, as many F-16 units will be losing their jets in the near future, this publication captures an important part of history. Collectively, Air National Guard F-16s have worn the most colorful and varied markings, and this publication showcases these aircraft beautifully." --Ken Middleton, www.aircraftresourcecenter.com

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.