I wonder if they have much difficulty holding it below 1.22.
for chopper,
I have great respect for the A-4 as an adversary....In the 80s, I was given a substantial portion of semi-annual humility training in an F-4 by an A-4 Mongoose driver.
In training in the F-16...also in the 80s, against various adversaries (A-4 & F-5 included), I was asked by my RTU instructor, "Why do you always want to use the gun when a Lima will do?"
After years of being beaten up on by these guys in my old junk, my answer was, "Because I can."
I have read (in the RFI thread on this forum) that those MiG-21s aren't turning a wheel and the contractors are looking to upgrade to F-16As. Certainly USAF requirements dictate what adversaries are relevant and balance this against budget constraints. Those folks are smarter than I am and if they're happy, then I certainly am. How many A-4 drivers does it take to change a light bulb?
If the aircraft hit a retaining wall at the base on recovery, then it could have been part of a multi-ship gaggle and I retract my question. It's reminiscent of the contractor Kfir that hit the building on recovery at Fallon, no ejection, but that was winter weather related.....there's always good wx at Nellis in August....clouds have a hard time forming at 120F.
edit: BTW Spaz, have you ever been supersonic with two wing tanks?