Luke AFB F-16 – 61st FS “Top Dogs”

Luke AFB F-16 – 61st FS “Top Dogs” poster art.

The 61st Fighter Squadron (61 FS) is an active United States Air Force unit, assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operates the F-35 “Lightning II” aircraft, conducting Instructor Pilot training. The 61st FS was inactivated on 27 August 2010 in spite of converting to the block 42, F-16 “Fighting Falcon” . On 27 October 2013 the 61st Fighter Squadron was reactivated and became the first Luke AFB squadron to take up the F-35A training mission. The 61 FS, known as the ‘Top Dogs’, fly F-35A aircraft to train instructor pilots and initial qualification pilots for Air Combat Command assignments.   The wing is one of the most highly decorated aviation units in history, traces its history to the 56th Fighter Group which was a World War II P-47 Thunderbolt fighter group. Assigned to the Eighth Air Force in England, the 56th FG flew its first combat missions of World War II on 13 April 1943. The 56th FG also produced 39 fighter aces.