Second time F-16s for Blacksnakes

The end of August 2023, a final sendoff of IN coded A-10C, with serial number 78-0692, marked the end of an era at Fort Wayne Air National Guard Base (IN). Earlier, Scramble Magazine wrote about the 163rd Fighter Squadron 'Blacksnakes', part of the 122nd Fighter Wing that had been chosen to convert to the F-16C/D Fighting Falcon.

On 20 October 2023, a new era started at Fort Wayne with the arrival of two F-16Cs from Holloman AFB (NM) with serial numbers 88-0457 and 88-0466. A day later later, a special ceremony celebrating the arrival of the Fighting Falcon was held at Fort Wayne. Upon arrival, '457', which was also used in the aforementioned ceremony, was already adorned with the IN code. '466' wore still its old HO Holloman code.

Strikingly, before operating the A-10C Thunderbolt II, the Blacksnakes already operated the Fighting Falcon from 1991 until 2010.

Credit photo: USAF / Credit patch: www.delcampe.net