United States Air Force
THIS IS A WIDELY KNOWN SUBJECT - ONLY THE MOST IMPORTANT DETAILS ARE REPORTED
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Last update 14-07-2022
Pilots Training
Williams
AFB, belonging to the Air Training Command, was selected in 1963 to
be the key base for support and training on the Northrop F-5 for pilots and ground crew belonging to countries
receiving it under
Military
Assistance Program or having bought the aircraft. The base was chosen because of maintenace commonality with the local based Northrop T-38s.
Only one Squadron (with different designations) has ever been in
charge for F-5 training. It was always based at Williams AFB, has
changed designation several times, the same happened to its parent Wing.
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4510th Combat Crew Training Wing- Luke AFB
4441st Combat Crew Training Squadron - Williams AFB
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The 4441st Combat Crew Training Squadron was established in December 1963 to
be responsible to train Freedom Fighter pilots and maintenance personnel in
a joint effort of both the Air Training and the Tactical
Command.
First delivery of 4 Northrop F-5B to the newly formed 4441st Combat Crew Training Squadron took place on 30-04-64
at Luke AFB. The Squadron was based at Williams AFB due to
commonability of maintenance and
parts with the local Northrop T-38A.
The first course started in September 1964, by mid 1965 the unit operated 7 Northrop F-5A and 5 F-5B. Operational readiness was at time around 70-80 percent.
Photo: archives The Northrop F-5 Enthusiast
Northrop F-5A
38421/FA-421 at Williams AFB in 1965 without the Tactical Air
Command badge on tail.
The first pilots training class started in September 1964; 6 were
Iranian AF, 4 Korean AF and 2 USAF-Military Assistance Advisory
Group (MAAG) pilots. Only 21 students were trained in 1964.
During FY 1965 (01 October 1964/30th September 1965) 18 instructors and
9USAF/MAP countriesfighter pilots had been trained; 34 MAP countries
pilots had attended flying training , of which were under instruction
and 1 was a casualty.
Each country
sent around 6 pilots (varying according to local necessity) to attend classes at Williams AFB. Training
of F-5 personnel was a joint effort by Air Training and Tactical Air
Command. Pilots underwent a
14 days aircraft familiarisation course
given by Air Training Command's Field Training Detachment before
transferring to the 4441st Combat Crew Training Squadron where they received 115 hours of classroom a
40-50 flight hours training (in 13 weeks), divided in some 15 hours on the double-seater and some 25 hours in the single-seater
covering transition, formation flying, instrument flying, air-to-air
and air-to-ground
gunnery, missile operation and air combat manoeuvres.
A lot of dissimilar air-to-air mission were provided in 1965 (see Dissimilar Combat Training page) in 1965 during the "Featherduster exercise 1 Part 2 and 2 part 1" because a lot ofthe customers were interested in air
defence.
Maintenance personnel was given 3 to 11 weeks field training
and 2 to 8 weeks at Williams AFB before returning to their home country
60 to 90 days before the fighters were delivered.
Military Assistance Advisory
Group (MAAG)
personnel (including at least one pilot) was stationed in each country receiving
US Military Assistance and was in charge to organise the introduction of the fighter including
spare provisioning, check
suitability of bases etc.
Photo: Northrop 
In flight underfuselage view of Northrop F-5A 38377 with two bombs.
Nothrop F-5A 38378 at Luke AFB in January 1966 already with the
Tactical Air
Command
Photo: Northrop
Photo: Wolfgang
Jürges
Tactical Air Command badge 
Tail colours: first
version
An important task was the transition of Republic of Vietnam AF, 522nd Fighter Squadron, Douglas A-1 Skyraider pilots to the Freedom Fighter; the first group of
33 pilots commenced training at Williams AFB in
October 1966, they had
completed training and were back in Bien Hoa AFB by June 1967. A
special developed combat course for these pilots consisted in 92
flying hours in 102 days.
Code
"LZ" was painted on tail of some aircrafts starting from 1968 or July 1969.
The unit was transferred to the Tactical Air Command in October 1969, see below for details.
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58th Tactical Fighter Training Wing - Luke AFB
58th Tactical Training Wing - Luke
425th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron 425th Fighter Training Squadron
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The
4441st Combat Crew Training Squadron was redesignated 425th
Tactical Training Squadron on 22-08-69, reactivated on 15-10-69 upon
transfer from Air Training Command to Tactical Air Command and
assigned
to the 58th Tactical Fighter Training Wing; task remained
the training of aircrews and support personnel as well as
participation to operational and tactical exercises exclusively from Williams AFB (not Luke AFB) for
personnel of countries involved in Foreign Military Sales programm. The
flying programm included transition, formation flying, air-to-air and
air-to-ground gunnery, missile operation, air combat manoeuvres and
applied
tacties.
By the end of 1971 the unit had 14 Northrop F-5A and 6 Northrop F-5B assigned.
Early production and colours Northrop F-5A, 425 Squadron; serials 38381 38380 38377 38378
Northrop F-5A 10264 of the 425th
Tactical Training Squadron, note blue strip on tail and
badge
Northrop F-5B 01408 at Williams AFB on 29-09-72 with blue stripe, Tactical Air Command
above
the inscription U.S. Air Force.
Photos: archive The Northrop F-5
Enthusiast
badge on tail and toned down 58th Tactical Fighter Training Wing badge on nose.
Photo:
archive The Northrop F-5 Enthusiast
Northrop F-5B 38443 in 1969: the only known aircraft with friend/foe fuselage stripes.
Camouflage variant on Northrop F-5B 66232/LZ seen in May 1970 at
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway
USAF flight operations of active (average strength) aircrafts FY 1969 (10-68 till 09-69):
01-10-68 till 31-12-68: 11 Northrop A , 5 Northrop F-5B,
40 hours were flown by Northrop RF-5A
(aircrafts not on strength)
01-01-69 till 31-03-69: 9 Northrop F-5A, 4 Northrop F-5B, no RF-5A
01-04-69 till 31-06-69: 9 Northrop F-5A, 4 Northrop F-5B, no RF-5A
01-07-69 till 31-09-69: 7 Northrop F-5A, 5 Northrop F-5B, no RF-5A
There were a total of 3 accidents, 2
Northrop F-5s were destroyed
Before FY 1969 34 Northrop F-5 were accepted by the USAF on behalf of
MAP receiving countriea; during the same FY 69 7 additional aircrafts;
total 41.
Northrop F-5B
72439 with SEA camouflage, LZ code, blue stripe on tail in May 1974.
Northrop F-5B 20441 at Williams
AFB on 14-09-77 with yellow/black stripes, Tactical Air
Photo: archives The Northrop F-5 Enthusiast
Command badge on tail and coloured 405th Tactical Training Wing badge on nose.
Photo: archives The Northrop F-5 Enthusiast
Northrop F-5B 01408 at Williams AFB in February 1980 with yellow/black stripes, Tactical Air
Command badge on tail in slightly different position.
Photot: USAF
The first Northrop F-5E (serial 11419) was scheduled to reach Williams AFB in February 1973 but it was actually delivered on 06-04-73 only (see above for arrival);on 30-06-73 there were 7 Northrop F-5E on strength
an
additional 13 were planned to be received to reach full strength of 20
aircrafts.
A trio of fully bombs laden Northrop F-5Es on take-off at Williams AFB
on 10-05-74. Of
note
Under wings and fuselage yellow stripes on this F-5E landing on 17-12-79 at Luke AFB
the yellow and the blue tail bands.
Photo: archive The Northrop F-5 Enthusiast
Code
"LZ", painted on tail of some Freedom Fighters and Tigers,
was kept until changed to "LA" in 1974. This was the code for Luke AFB
where the 58th TFTW was officially based, but where the Freedom
Fighters
have never been based.
Unit strength of 20 Northrop F-5E was reached in 1975.
Later, on 01-04-77, the 58th Tactical Fighter Training Wing was re-designated as 58th Tactical Training Wing, just to be again re-designated two years later 405th Tactical Training Wing, see below.
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405th Tactical Training Wing - Luke AFB
425th Tactical Training Squadron - Williams AFB
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Hectic flight training activity at Luke AFB with McDonnel F-4, Lockheed F-104, McDonnell F-15 imposed the establishment of an additional Wing: the 405th Tactical Training Wing, activated on 29-08-79 was to operate
the Northrop F-5 and McDonnell F-15 only; the 425th Squadron was
integrated into the new Wing, though remaining at Williams AFB till the end of Northrop F-5 operation on 21-06-89.
Northrop
F-5B 00441 at Williams AFB in March 1982 overall grey colours, LA code
on
tail
Northrop F-5B
01408 in its third colours version (two tone blue) and LA code, Tactical
and underfuselage rocket launcher.
Photo: archives The Northrop F-5
Enthusiast
Air Command
badge on tail but no 405th Wing badge on nose at Williams AFB on
30-03-83. In
the backgroud an grey only painted example.
Photo:
John Kimberley
Northrop F-5B 20440 in the second colours version (desert) and LA code, Tactical
Air Command badge on tail but no 405th Wing badge on nose at Williams
AFB on
30-03-83, the same day as 01408 above.
Photo: archives The Northrop F-5 Enthusiast
Purchase
of the second generation Northrop F-5E, F-5F fighters by many additional countries
necessitated an increase in strength to 24 aircrafts and, later, to even more.
By May 1985 had a fleet of 24 aircrafts. The Squadron
received during the years up to 1986 a total of 17 Northrop F-5A and 15 F-5B, 23
Northrop F-5E and 9 F-5F.
Northrop F-5B 72439 at Williams AFB in an unusual camouflage, with both USAF and Saudi markings.
Northrop F-5E 01393 acting as a target-tug for in-flight shooting training
Photo: archives The Northrop F-5 Enthusiast
In flight view of serial 01396, of note yelllow ailerons/flap. This last is not confirmed
Main activity had been pilots training on the Tiger from mid-73 on; single seaters Northrop F-5A were redistributed to
various countries involved in US Military Assistance Programs, two-seater Freedom Fighters
were kept until
the last two were retired during a ceremony in February 1984. These were
used as ground instruction airframes from July 1984.
Military
Assistance Program (MAP) Northrop F-5A flew during FY 1980 27 hours, F-5B 1'566
hours (97.6 percent availability for the two seater); no USAF Northrop
F-5A were employed, F-5B flew 1'315 hours
(102.4 percent availability)
MAP Northrop F-5E flew during FY 1980 27'771 hours (104.1 percent availability), no MAP Northrop
F-5F was available; USAF F-5E flew 495
hours (77.1 percent availability), USAF F-5F flew 6 hours.
A particular activity was the instruction of
Saudi pilots and technicians, they participated in exercises in 1980 and 1981. These pilots were not allowed to
fly aircrafts under foreign markings during exercises. A
compromise had to be sought and
found: Saudi markings were painted next to US markings after or before
the wings and on top of the tail. Northrop F-5B, Northrop F-5E and
Northrop F-5F were utilised.
By April 9th 1987 at least three Northrop F-5F were active at Williams AFB.
In the summer 1988 a detachment of 3 Northrop
F-5E of the 425th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron went to La Ceiba
AB to train on Dissimilar Air Combat Dassaulr Super Myster pilots
Photo: HJ van Broekhuizen
Northrop F-5E 00881 seen in March 1988 at Williams AFB on 23-02-88
unusually armed with active head AIM-9E
Sidewinder and three tanks.
Rarely seen Northrop F-5F filly laden with 4 250 lbs bombs
425th squadron second prototype serial 00891 with 2 tigers on tail seen
at Nellis AFB on 16-11-80
Photos: archives Northrop F-5 Enthusiast
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End of Northrop F-5 training activities
By
March 1988 it was planned that twenty-one Tiger present at Williams AFB
were to remain there through April 1989, three were grounded due to
longerons crack and one due to inflight flight damage.
There were no funds available for the repair of this last and unknown disposition.
Inactivation of the Squadron was announced in January 1989, training of the last class on Northrop F-5E was completed on 21-06-89 and the Squadron was definitely inactivated
on 01-09-89. Aircraft maintenance
contract with Northrop Worldwide
Services was rescinded by the end of the same month.
Double-seaters Freedom Fighters operated by the 425 TFTS were bought by Thailand (2), Turkey (3) while single-seaters Tigers were sold to Brazil, Honduras and Thailand.
By June 1989 1'499 pilots and technicians had graduated on Northrop F-5 at Williams; additionally, over 200 had received in own country, trained through deployment of Mobile Training Teams: Bahrain, Brazil,
Canada, Chile, Ethiopia, Greece,
Iran, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Honduras, Kenya, Korea,
Libya, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sudan, Switzerland, Taiwan,
Thailand,
Tunisia, Turkey, South Vietnam, Yemen, and, of course, the USAF.
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