Arizona Watcher
Two Bulgarian Air Force pilots are undergoing F-16 conversion training at the Arizona Air National Guard base in Tucson; they cite extreme desert heat and a heavy volume of technical material as their main challenges.
Captain Svetoslav Angelov graduated from the Bulgarian Air Force Academy in 2017, completed a U.S. T-6 program, then began F-16 instruction in 2024, training on the T-38 before transitioning at Randolph AFB.
First Lieutenant Dimitar Tashev graduated in 2021, completed a three-month English course, flew T-6 and about 90 hours on the T-38, then advanced to Randolph; trainees face written, oral and flight exams plus centrifuge testing, including a 9G, 15-second requirement.
The main Tucson phase lasts eight months, beginning with two months of classroom and simulator work and moving to hands-on flying that progresses from basic takeoffs and landings to dogfighting, intercepts, night missions and ground strikes.
Pilots say the F-16’s radar and advanced avionics significantly increase in-flight data and cognitive load, requiring more complex systems management and longer, more detailed mission planning and execution.
Angelov highlighted the U.S. emphasis on structured pre-flight briefings and post-flight debriefs that dissect each sortie, a practice he contrasts with Bulgaria’s approach and sees as an area for improvement.
Both pilots noted personal adjustments: training in English, adapting to defined roles on the U.S. base, coping with the desert climate, and gaining professional benefits from living abroad and training alongside many peers.
The Tucson program is run by the Arizona ANG’s 162nd Wing, which trains allied crews on more than 70 F-16s; Bulgaria has purchased 16 F-16 Block 70s, with eight delivered in 2025 and the second batch potentially delayed.
Two Bulgarian pilots training on the F-16 at the Arizona Air National Guard base in Tucson say the desert heat and the sheer volume of material to absorb are among their biggest challenges. The eight-month U.S.-run course includes classroom work, simulator time, centrifuge…