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He Flew the F/a-18, F-16, F-22, and F-35, Says 1 Jet Has No Real Equal
Business Insider • • world
Key Points:
- Dave Berke, a retired Marine Corps fighter pilot, flew four top US military fighters—F/A-18 Hornet, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-22 Raptor, and F-35B Lightning II—accumulating about 3,000 flight hours and teaching at the TOPGUN school.
- Berke considers the F-22 Raptor the most exceptional aircraft he flew, praising its unmatched speed, stealth, thrust-vectoring engines, and super maneuverability that defy conventional fighter capabilities.
- While the F/A-18 was his first operational fighter and valued for its versatility, the F-16 provided greater power and performance, leading to his qualification for flying the F-22.
- The F-35 changed Berke's perspective on air combat by emphasizing information dominance and situational awareness over speed and maneuverability, highlighting the future of warfare.
- Berke vividly recalls his first F-22 flight as a transformative experience, marking it as a fundamentally different and superior aircraft compared to previous fighters he piloted.
