currently in the fl eet, or what new aviators
experienced in the training pipeline. The F-5
was fi rst pressed into the adversary role in
the early 1970s when, with the fall of Saigon,
the US Navy acquired a handful of aircraft
originally destined for the South Vietnamese
Air Force. These jets originally saw service
with TOPGUN at NAS Miramar, California,
and later fi ltered down to other adversary
squadrons around the country. Several more
were acquired in 1991 as the US Air Force
cut back its aggressor program, yet, with the
constant demands of training, these original
F-5s began to near the end of their service
lives and a replacement fl eet was needed. In
2004 the US purchased 44 former Swiss Air
Force F-5Es at a cost of $500,000 per airframe.
They were delivered to Northrop Grumman
in St Augustine, Florida, stripped down to
their bare components, overhauled and built
back up. These ‘new’ aircraft received the
designation F-5N to differentiate them from
the Tiger IIs then in service, and which were
eventually retired to Davis-Monthan AFB,
Arizona.
Currently, the ‘Sundowners’ operate 16
F-5Ns and a single F-5F two-seater usedfor conversion training, which is all done
in-house. The F-5 is a true ‘stick and rudder’
aircraft without fl y-by-wire fl ight controls,
multi-function displays or even a head-up
display (HUD). For the newly-arrived F/A-18
Hornet pilot it can be quite daunting at fi rst.
The F/A-18 presents all the information
needed to fl y and fi ght with the aircraft
‘up-front and center’ in the HUD. As a
third-generation fi ghter, the F-5’s cockpit is
state-of-the-art for 1959, with what seems
to be an almost overwhelming collection of
‘steam’ gauges.
For all its apparent complexity, the Tiger II’s
beauty lies in its simplicity. Easy to maintain
for the staff of Sikorsky Support Services,
it is very robust and has an extremely high
availability and sortie completion rate. While
it does have an unlimited alpha capability,
with its small wings and lack of signifi cant
thrust it is at a disadvantage against the
aircraft it routinely fi ghts. Its strength comes
from the expertise of the aircrews that fl y it.
Once a pilot has mastered the F-5, they
immediately begin training on their adversary
qualifi cations. These range from Adversary
Level One to Four. Level One is basically awingman, while Level Two is a section lead.
A Level Three adversary is a division lead,
leading four aircraft in an exercise, while the
Level Four adversary is capable of leading
any large-force adversary exercise. Level Four
pilots are identifi ed within the squadron by
wearing the ‘Omar’ patch. This traditional
mascot was brought into the VFC-111
tradition from the historical ‘Sundowners’.
One more very specialized group of pilots
comprises the Level Four Instructors (Level
Four Is). CDR Peasley explains: ‘They are
the Jedi Knights of my command. They are
the instructors in all phases of fl ight for all
adversary missions’. It is this level of expertise
that puts VFC-111’s services in such high
demand.
Primary customers for the ‘Sundowners’
are the US Navy’s three Hornet/Growler
Fleet Replacement Squadrons: Strike Fighter
Squadron 106 (VFA-106) ‘Gladiators’ at NAS
Oceana, Virginia; VFA-122 ‘Flying Eagles’
at NAS Lemoore, California; and Electronic
Attack Squadron 129 (VAQ-129) ‘Vikings’
at NAS Whidbey Island, Washington. For
VFA-106 and -122, the syllabus is almost
identical. While both squadrons have ahttp://www.combataircraft.net May 2015 4542-51 VFC-111 C.indd 45 19/03/2015 10:27