This Fighter Jet Is The Most Fun To Fly, According To A Fighter Pilot

Though fighter aircraft are precision-designed instruments of war, there's no denying the rush that pilots get from strapping into these incredible machines. Similarly to cars, their appeal goes beyond performance or technical capabilities. Just as race car drivers have their favorite rides, experienced pilots also have their aircraft of choice. While it's not the fastest or most high-tech and doesn't pack the most firepower, it's viewed as the most rewarding to strap into and fly. So what is the most fun fighter to fly? 

Every pilot is sure to have an answer based on their personal preferences and experiences. Longtime pilot Billie Flynn, while being interviewed on the Hasard Lee YouTube channel, answered that when given a choice, the pilot-focused, spartan cockpit of the F-16 Fighting Falcon is where he has the most fun. Let's take a look at why the F-16 has remained a favorite of Flynn and countless other fighter pilots' more than 50 years after it first flew.

Before getting to the F-16 itself, let's look at Billie Flynn's credentials. The man isn't just any old flyer, but rather a highly seasoned fighter pilot with over 5,000 hours logged in the air across more than 80 different planes over a 40-plus year career. After serving as a combat pilot, Flynn was a senior test pilot and spokesman for the Lockheed-Martin F-35 Lightning II program.

Despite his experience with the latest fifth-generation fighters, Flynn says he'd pick the old school F-16 every time if given the choice for a Sunday afternoon flight. Going further, he dubbed the F-16, "the sexiest, most aggressive fighter ever made". That's strong praise given the many aircraft Flynn has flown, but it's not surprising. Though the F-16 fighter jet has evolved over the course of its 50-year history, the machine's basic structure has proved to be one of the most enduring plane designs of all time, with a heavy focus on maneuverability and pure dogfighting baked into it from day one.

It's not an exaggeration to call the F-16 the lightweight sports car of jet fighters. When General Dynamics developed the plane in the 1970s, the goal was to have a lighter, more maneuverable plane for air combat than larger Vietnam-era machines like the F-4 Phantom. Rather than possessing the size and power of the twin-engined F-15, which was also developed in the '70s, the single-engine F-16 was designed to be small, simple, and incredibly responsive.

The result was a plane that stands the test of time, quickly becoming a favorite of the pilots who flew it. Despite newer, more advanced fighters being introduced in the 21st century, the F-16 has remained a capable and vital piece of military arsenals around the world. The Fighting Falcon has also been the aircraft used by the famed US Air Force Thunderbirds for nearly 35 years now. Though the US Air Force is retiring some of its early model F-16s, later iterations will continue to serve until the 2040s at the earliest. That means pilots can look forward to another couple of decades of fun in the cockpit of this unfading fighter.