Midweek Sortie 35: Once a Duck, Always a Duck—The Eight-Decade Flight of the 309th Fighter Squadron
From Spitfires over wartime Europe to F-100s over Vietnam, F-16s over Arizona, and today’s F-35A, the Wild Ducks have survived by mastering every generation of air combat.
“Luke’s mission has not changed. We train the world’s greatest fighter pilots and combat-ready Airmen.”
— Lt. Col. Peter Davey, 309th Fighter Squadron commander, 2007
On the morning of 24 March 2025, Lt. Col. Michael Ress strode across the ramp at Luke Air Force Base, his boots echoing on the concrete …
