Interesting Facts About The F-16 Fighting Falcon

F-16s Were Called Upon To Intercept One Of The Hijacked Planes On 9/11

Geelong, AUSTRALIA – A U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper part of the F-16 Demonstration team from Misawa Air Base, Japan, banks straight up causing vapor contrails during the Australian International Airshow and Aerospace & Defence Exposition (AVALON) March 4. AVALON 2017 is the largest, most comprehensive event of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, attracting aviation and aerospace professions, key defense personnel, aviation enthusiasts and the general public. The U.S. participates in AVALON 2017 and other similar events to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to regional security and stability.

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, F-16 Falcons and their pilots at Andrews AFB were called upon to serve their country in a way no one could have imagined. Because of the nature of the surprise attacks, the planes weren’t prepped with weaponry. In fact, they were still loaded with dummy bullets from a training mission completed days earlier. The pilots, Col. Marc Sasseville and Lt. Heather “Lucky” Penny loaded into their aircraft anyway and the mission was clear; take out airliner United 93 using all they had – their aircraft.

The two had a full attack plan in place despite never having trained to take down an airliner. It was likely if the plan went through, neither would survive. Hours later, the two received word that United 93 had crashed in Pennsylvania. The two were then put in charge of escorting the President of the United States and clearing airspace.