One of the 80 F-16s that fly out of the Arizona Air National Guard's 162nd Fighter WIng.Each year, 25 United States Air Force pilots are among those learning to fly the F-16 fighter jet over the skies of Tucson.
That is about 10 percent of total fighter pilot trainees for the military branch, which currently has a shortage of more than 500 fighter pilots.
While the shortage has not changed the number of pilots and trainees flying in and out of the 162nd, which operates its fighter-jet training program out of Tucson International Airport, it has caused other problems.
“My day-to-day, flying the F-16 job, it’s exactly the same. I am contributing to the bigger picture, getting fighter pilots out there to protect our country," said Lt. Col. Collin Coatney, operations squadron commander for the 162nd. "From a manning standpoint, much has changed. There’s less of a pool to recruit from.”
Lt. Col. Coatney said he now has to put more effort into recruiting instructors in order to keep a full staff.
He said his biggest competition for pilots are commercial airlines.
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