Source link : https://big-apple.news/2026/06/24/new-york-news/a-marine-who-flew-the-f-a-18-f-16-f-22-and-f-35-says-one-jet-stood-aside/
Dave Berke’s profession in aviation started after watching ‘Prime Gun’ at age 13, inspiring his path.
Berke, a Marine Corps fighter pilot, flew prime jets, together with the F-22 Raptor and F-35B Lightning II.
The F-22 Raptor’s maneuverability and stealth impressed Berke greater than every other plane.
At 13, Dave Berke watched “Prime Gun” and determined he needed to develop into a fighter pilot. Many years later, he was instructing at the actual TOPGUN college and had flown within the cockpits of 4 of probably the most succesful fighters ever fielded by the US army.
He flew fight missions from plane carriers, served as a ahead air controller in Iraq, taught strike-fighter techniques at TOPGUN, and finally turned the primary operational commander to fly the Marine Corps’ F-35B.
Over the course of his profession, Berke piloted the F/A-18 Hornet, F-16 Preventing Falcon, F-22 Raptor, and F-35B Lightning II, and estimates he amassed about 3,000 flight hours.
Dave throughout Formation flight coaching within the T-45A Goshawk Superior Jet Coach at Naval Air Station Kingsville, TX, in 1996.Courtesy of Dave Berke
“I am fairly positive nobody else has flown these 4 jets,” Berke mentioned of his time in uniform. “Throughout my time in my profession, I used to be undoubtedly the luckiest man.”
After spending 23 years as a Marine Corps fighter pilot earlier than retiring in 2017, Berke says every plane excelled in several methods, however one nonetheless stands…
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Author : big-apple
Publish date : 2026-06-24 17:05:00
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