Boeing Test Pilot Jason Clements recently announced to his “fellow Viper drivers” that the beginning of an era is at hand — and the F-16 community will soon see their planes take to the air without pilots.

Clements is part of a team that has been converting F-16s to QF-16s, or pilotless drones.  He recently rode in the cockpit as a passenger for the entire sortie, never once touching the controls.

The QF-4 has long filled this role — so long, in fact, they need to be replaced.  This will apparently be the first time the US Air Force has turned an aircraft into drones while it was still fielded operationally.  In other words, it is conceivable that an F-16 pilot will get to shoot down a QF-16 — a feat heretofore unheard of.

The first “no pilot” QF-16 sortie is scheduled for Friday the 13th, next week.

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