by Hotrico

33 comments
  1. Lindsey Graham may be a racist MAGA puppet but at least he is not the pro russian kind of idiot

  2. Only a matter of time until we see international f16 pilots flying in the Ukrainian skies!

  3. Push for US PMC and contractors to operate for all jobs, not just pilots…? Basically the exact same thing Russia started doing a decade ago.

  4. I’m surprised that we didn’t already hear of the creation of an “International Squadron for the Defence of Ukraine”, or “Ukraine Foreign Squadron”. I’m convinced volunteers who want to fly again and who are eager to fight with russian pilots do exist…

  5. Imagine, you retired a few years ago. Maybe you don’t have a family yet. You want the thrill of flight and fight again. There have to be at least a few dozen pilots feeling this. And they will jump at this chance.

  6. The remaining Russian pilots are probably not very excited to start going up against guys with 2000-2500 hrs in the cockpit of an F-16

  7. If that really happens, it will probably be a repetitian of Churchills “Never was so much owed by so many to so few” 

  8. This is brilliant. There are literally thousands of former F-16 pilots. I’m sure more than a few would be jonesing to get back in the cockpit of the Falcon once again.

  9. This is exactly why the russians are so scared of the F-16. The pilots! They know that these planes are gonna come with western pilots in them and that the air war is lost. And lets not forget that AWACS planes are in the air around Ukraine thanks to NATO.

    And the funny thing is that the russians did the same thing in the Vietnam war.

  10. Imagine flying a Falcon for many years without a single active combat mission. Then you retire. Then you see this ad and join AFU. When you step into the cockpit, you realize it’s the same Falcon you were flying in your active years. But this time you go for a hunt together with your old friend.

  11. Thumbs up for Lindsey’s thinking (on this particular matter only).

    Wonder how Graham’s comments are being taken by his Republican colleagues in the US Senate, such as Mike Lee and JD Vance, to name just two…

  12. that’s a good development! also the US could gift half their F 16, so those numbers are not a problem anymore, since you don’t use em anyway with your fancy F 22s

  13. Graham’s are known as king killers in English history
    Sir Robert Graham of Kinpont
    James I of Scotland, unlike Wagner, finished the job.

  14. You are not going to get any retired US pilots until the US lifts the ban on military personnel participating in the war. No one is going to put their retirement benefits at risk.

  15. As a never Trumper, I stay confused about people like Lindsey Graham. Trump, along with Vance, want to cut USA support of Ukraine immediately if elected. We’ve seen Graham flip flop on so many issues, you wonder if the Republican ticket knows this is a failed part of their agenda in getting votes? Donald Trump Jr. should volunteer to fly a F-16 so he can quit his isolationist podcasts. I’m hoping to get my tee shirt today, Republicans for Kamala. Blue has to win elections this year to continue support against the diseased Russian ideas!

  16. Pilots are desperately needed, yes, but does this offer extend to maintainers? The plane must be in good, working order for the pilot’s to utilize their skills. Are there logistical personnel needed as well? I see many instances of Ukraine requesting pilots, but I’m curious to know the quality and volume of ground crews

  17. I hope a few retired pilots embed themselves in the small Ukrainian F-16 community to handle post-mission debriefings and discuss tactics. But I suspect only a very few would agree to fly combat missions. F-16 pilots make it to retirement because they follow well-established protocols and master how to be risk adverse while completing missions.

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