F-16 fires flares to alert GA pilot in TFR in AZ

The article title is a bit misleading. The F-16 didn’t fire flares at the aircraft. He fired flares to get the attention of the pilot in the other aircraft. Not like they were bouncing off his windshield.
 
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977AB579-4F79-4B01-8CC2-CD7771765542.jpeg Yeah! We’re punching flares! USA! :D
 
Playing "Bad Guy" for the Hawaii ANG in W-189 was one of the most fun times I have had while wearing clothes. Those flares are quite noticeable. Watching an F-15 try to stay airborne next to a Partnavia at low cruise was certainly entertaining.

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^ red air can be pretty fun, especially when you have unrealistic SA to everything :) My favorite memory was launching out of Fallon as a DLI in a Viper, was supersonic a couple miles off the end of the runway and within 2 minutes had joined up with the entire strike package who had just turned around to go home post bomb release on the target. The look on the -6 wingman as he looked over and saw me in their formation was awesome. Seconds later one of the more terrifying moments of my career ensued, as 6 F/A-18s all aggressively broke into me in various planes of maneuvering. I think I just did a split S down to 200' AGL and went home after that. Nobody wins fighting a 1v6 :)
 
I did a lot of red air work, especially once the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleet_Electronic_Warfare_Support_Group went away and handed the job to the reserves. Lots of carrying AST-6 pods along with the ALQ-99s and VC and others as shooters. 500 kt 200' AGL ingress to pop up simulating exocets and such. Pretty much all Day VFR out of Miramar, Key west or Roosey Roads which was a pretty nice break in the middle of winter.

The challenge came when on several occasions someone in planning didn't notify NORAD that there was going to be a bunch of TACAIR inbound and we'd get interceptors launched on us "unknown riders" that continued to do what was fragged. Fun times.

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