61st Fighter Squadron

61st Fighter Squadron
61st Fighter Squadron Patch
Active	January 15, 1941 – October 18, 1945 May 1, 1946 – July 25, 1960 June 30, 1975 – August 12, 1993 April 1, 1994 – Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Fighter Training
Part of	Air Education and Training Command 19th Air Force 56th Fighter Wing 56th Operations Group
Garrison/HQ	Luke Air Force Base
Nickname(s)	Top Dogs
Decorations	DUC AFOUA
Commanders
Notable commanders	Gabby Gabreski Michael Ryan

General Dynamics F-16A Block 10B Fighting Falcon Serial 79-0397 of the 61st TFS.

McDonnell F-4D-29-MC Phantom Serial 66-0244 of the 61st TFS.

P-47 of the 61st Fighter Squadron

61st FIS (Air Defense Command)

The 61st Fighter Squadron (61 FS) is an inactive United States Air Force unit, last assigned to the 56th Operations Group, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. It operated the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft, conducting advanced fighter training until its deactivation on 27 August 2010.

Mission

Until its inactivation, the 61 FS known as the 'Top Dogs' flew a mix of F-16C/D Block 42 aircraft, to train pilots for Air Combat Command assignments.

History

The 61st Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) was constituted on November 20, 1940 and activated on January 15, 1941, in Savannah, Georgia, training in P-39 Airacobra and P-40 Warhawk aircraft. The 61st later moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, in May 1941 and again to Charleston, South Carolina, in December 1941, to help defend the East Coast. In November 1942, P-47 Thunderbolt dive test pilots achieved 725 mph, faster than the speed of sound. In 1944, it was recognized as the first fighter squadron in the European theater to score over 100 victories. From 1943 to 1945, the 61st produced 19 Aces, the highest of any squadron in Europe, destroying 248 aircraft in the air and 67.5 aircraft on the ground.

The squadron was deactivated October 1945 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey and reactivated at Selfridge Field, Michigan training in P-47's while transitioning to P-51 Mustangs. In April 1950, the 61st transitioned to the F-94 modified with radar, operated by a RO (Radar Observer) to serve as an All Weather fighter Interceptor. In 1953 the Squadron was relocate to Ernest Harmon AFB in Newfoundland where it became part of the DEW (Defense Early Warning) system. The F-94 all weather fighter interceptors were later replaced with the F-89 all weather fighter interceptors. In 1957 the squadron was relocated to Truax Field. The 61st transitioned to the F-80 Shooting Star and later was the first squadron to fly the F-86 Sabre. The 61st was deactivated on July 25, 1960, at Truax Field, Wisconsin flying the F-102 Delta Dagger. In June 1975, the 61st was reactivated at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, flying the F-4 Phantom II. In April 1980, the flying mission changed to the F-16 Fighting Falcon. The 61st transitioned in June 1988 to flying the F-16 C/D and the squadron was deactivated in January 1994. The squadron was reactivated on April 1, 1994 at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, replacing the former 314th Fighter Squadron flying the F-16 C/D Fighting Falcon.

Lineage

• Constituted as 61st Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 20 Nov 1940

Activated on 15 Jan 1941

Re-designated: 61st Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) (Twin Engine) on 31 Jan 1942

Re-designated: 61st Fighter Squadron (Twin Engine) on 15 May 1942

Re-designated: 61st Fighter Squadron on 1 Jun 1942

Re-designated: 61st Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 28 Feb 1944

Inactivated on 18 Oct 1945

• Activated on 1 May 1946

Re-designated: 61st Fighter Squadron, Jet Propelled, on 24 Apr 1947

Re-designated: 61st Fighter Squadron, Jet, on 14 Jun 1948

Re-designated: 61st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 20 Jan 1950

Discontinued, and inactivated, on 25 Jul 1960

• Re-constituted and re-designated as 61st Tactical Fighter Squadron on 12 May 1975

Activated on 30 Jun 1975

Re-designated: 61st Tactical Fighter Training Squadron on 1 Jan 1980

Re-designated: 61st Fighter Squadron on 1 Nov 1991

Inactivated on 12 Aug 1993

• Activated on 1 Apr 1994

Inactivated on 27 August 2010

Assignments=

• 56th Fighter Group (1941–1945)
• 56th Fighter-Interceptor Group (1946–1952)
• 4708th Defense Wing (1952–1953)
• 575th Air Defense Group (1953)
• 64th Air Division (1953–1957)
• 4731st Air Defense Group (1957)
• 327th Fighter Group (1957–1960)
• 56th Fighter Wing (1975–Present)

Stations

• Savannah, Georgia (1941)
• Charlotte Army Air Base, North Carolina (1941)
  • Deployed: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (October–November 1941)
• Charleston, South Carolina (1941–1942)
• Bridgeport, Connecticut (1942–1943)
• RAF Kings Cliffe, England (1943)
• RAF Horsham St Faith, England (1943)
• RAF Halesworth, England (1943–1944)

• RAF Boxted, England (1944–1945)
• RAF Little Walden, England (1945)
• Camp Kilmer, New Jersey (1945)
• Selfridge Field, Michigan (1946–1953)
• Ernest Harmon Air Force Base, Newfoundland and Labrador (1953–1957)
• Truax Field, Wisconsin (1957–1960)
• MacDill Air Force Base, Florida (1975–1993)
• Luke Air Force Base, Arizona (1994–Present)

Aircraft

• P-35 (1941)
• P-36 Hawk (1941)
• P-39 Airacobra (1941–1942)
• P-40 Warhawk (1941–1942)
• P-47 Thunderbolt (1942–1945, 1946–1947)
• P-51 Mustang (1946–1947)
• F-80 Shooting Star (1947–1950)

• F-86 Sabre (1950–1951)
• F-94 Starfire (1951–1954)
• F-89 Scorpion (1954–1957)
• F-102 Delta Dagger (1957–1960)
• F-4 Phantom II (1975–1979)
• F-16 Fighting Falcon (1980–1993, 1994–Present)

Operations

• World War II

References

Bibliography

• USAF 61st Fighter Squadron History
• 56th Operations Group Fact Sheet