USAF F-16D return to flight after longeron repair

Air Force officials removed 82 two-seat F-16D Fighting Falcons from flight earlier this summer after discovering cracks along the canopy sill longeron between the front and rear pilot seats. The longeron is a major structural component that carries significant loads during dynamic flight operations of the F-16.
Aircraft maintainers have been working on getting those F-16s back into the air since mid-October and are nearing completion of repairs on the F-16D aircraft that belong to Luke.
In November, the first F-16D was returned to operational status.
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