The longest-running fighter jet design still in limited service is arguably the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (introduced 1959), with many older variants existing, though often in storage, while the F-15 Eagle (1976) is a modern, continuously upgraded fighter with a very long operational life, and the B-52 Stratofortress (1955) is a bomber but holds records for sustained service due to constant modernization.
The oldest fighter jet still flying in active service with the U.S. Air Force is the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, which first entered service in the mid-1970s. This air superiority fighter remains a potent force due to continuous upgrades to its radar, engines, avionics, and weapons systems.
In a direct head-to-head matchup, the J-35 would edge out the American F-35C on speed, with a claimed top speed of up Mach 1.8, potentially allowing the J-35 to engage (or disengage) faster in supersonic fights compared to the F-35C's Mach 1.6.
Poor maintenance and quality of replacement parts was considered to be a factor in the crashes. As a result, the IAF announced that it would replace its remaining fleet of MiG-21 Bison aircraft with the indigenous HAL Tejas fighter aircraft in 2023.
F-35 Flight Range Basics
The F-35 fighter jet family can travel significant distances on internal fuel alone. The maximum range varies by variant, but all share the ability to fly over 1,000 nautical miles before needing refuelling. Flight duration depends on speed, payload, and mission type.
How much does an Air Force 1 Pilot make? As of Jan 8, 2026, the average annual pay for an Air Force 1 Pilot in the United States is $130,916 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $62.94 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,517/week or $10,909/month.
The 3:1 rule in aviation is a rule of thumb for descent planning: for every 1,000 feet of altitude to lose, you need 3 nautical miles (NM) of horizontal distance, assuming a standard 3-degree glide path, making it easy to calculate when to start descending. For example, to descend 6,000 feet, a pilot starts descending 18 NM out (6 x 3 = 18). It helps maintain a consistent descent rate, critical for passenger comfort in older planes and for fuel efficiency in modern jets, and aligns with standard approach systems like ILS/VASI.
With the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II slated for retirement, the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is being conceived as the Air Force's long-term replacement for close air support (CAS) missions.
The F-16 is fly by wire, so easy to actually fly, but has a lot of systems and procedures to learn to do anything. The mig-21 doesn't have much in the way of systems (just make sure switches are in the right place), but is a lot harder to fly, and it is also harder to hit targets.
Known as the 'backbone of the IAF,' the MiG-21 has played a pivotal role in shaping India's air power, from historic battles to recent operations like Balakot and Sindoor.
There's no single "most dangerous" fighter jet, but the F-22 Raptor is often cited for air superiority due to its unmatched stealth, speed (Mach 2.25), supercruise, and maneuverability, making it dominant in air-to-air combat. Other contenders include the multirole F-35 Lightning II, known for connectivity and versatility; the agile Sukhoi Su-57, Russia's stealth fighter; and the powerful F-15EX Eagle II, the most heavily armed.
Shenyang J-35. The Shenyang J-35 (Chinese: 歼-35; pinyin: jiān-sānwǔ) is a series of Chinese single-seater, twin-engine, all-weather, stealth multirole combat aircraft manufactured by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation (SAC), designed for air superiority and surface strike missions.
Musk said in part, “The F-35 design was broken at the requirements level… manned fighter jets are obsolete in the age of drones…” In another post, he said, “… some idiots are still building manned fighter jets like the F-35.”
The end result was an aircraft that could fly fast and high—but which had such a concerning safety record that German pilots dubbed her the Witwenmacher, or “Widowmaker.” Let's take a closer look at the gorgeous, but dangerous, F-104 Starfighter.
Engine and Performance
Tejas Mk2 is powered by the GE F414‑INS6 engine, producing about 98 kN of thrust with afterburner and capable of reaching Mach 1.8. The F‑16 Block 50/52 typically uses the GE F110‑GE‑129 or Pratt & Whitney F100‑PW‑229 engines, offering up to 129 kN thrust and achieving speeds over Mach 2.0.
Hwang fired two AIM-120 missiles in rapid succession from a distance of sixteen miles and achieved the F-15's first double MiG-29 Fulcrum kill in the same engagement.
M.M. Alam is the most famous and also the most controversial fighter pilot from the Indian sub-continent. On 07 September 1965, he claimed achieving five aerial victories in a very short time, many believe it to be only 30 seconds.
So the MiG-21's air battle was frequently fought “on the deck.” In the tight maneuvering of the dogfight the delta wing develops tremendous drag, and these dogfights rapidly slowed down to around 200 knots, even if they started at supersonic speeds.
High operating costs: The A-10 is relatively expensive to operate and maintain, especially compared to newer aircraft. This has led some to argue that it is not a cost-effective platform for the Air Force.
First F-47 now being built, will fly in 2028: US Air Force chief. NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – The Air Force's first F-47 fighter is now being built by Boeing, and the advanced jet is expected to have its initial flight in 2028, Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said Monday.
In total, the service is asking to retire 340 aircraft in fiscal 2026, including 162 A-10s, 62 F-16C and Ds, 21 F-15Es, 13 F-15C and Ds, 14 KC-135 tankers, three EC-130H electronic warfare aircraft, 14 C-130H cargo planes, 11 HH-60G helicopters, 35 T-1 trainers, 4 UH-1N helicopters, and one B-1 bomber.
For single-pilot, the maximum duty period is generally 8 hours. For two-pilot, the maximum duty period is up to 14 hours, depending on start time. The FAA acknowledges that initiating a duty period late at night or very early morning raises fatigue risk.
Yes, for airport security purposes, toothpaste is classified as a liquid, aerosol, or gel (LAG) and must follow the 100ml/3.4oz container rule in carry-on bags, even though it's a paste that holds its shape. This rule applies to all similar items like creams, gels, and sprays, requiring them to fit in a single, clear, resealable plastic bag for screening.
The 70-50 rule states: When you have reached 50 percent of your calculated takeoff distance, you should have 70 percent of your takeoff airspeed. In other words, it's a quick way to check whether your airplane is accelerating at a rate that will allow you to take off within the calculated distance.