N550TA

N550TA is a Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II, a twin-engine jet operated by TACTICAL AIR SUPPORT INC. SkyMeter has tracked 252 flights totalling 267 hours of airtime via ADS-B across 42 callsigns. The most frequent segment is KVPS to KVPS. Service window in our records spans 319 days. Of those flights, 40 (15.9%) carry at least one detected incident — go-around, unstable approach, stall warning, or runway excursion. The Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II has a maximum takeoff weight of 24,722 lb, light wake category.

About the Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II

The Northrop F-5 Tiger II is a lightweight supersonic fighter that became one of the most widely exported combat aircraft of the Cold War era, serving over 30 air forces from the 1970s onward. Designed as an affordable, easy-to-maintain alternative to heavier American fighters like the F-4 Phantom, the F-5E featured twin General Electric J85 turbojets, leading-edge root extensions for improved maneuverability, and a top speed exceeding Mach 1.6. Its small radar cross-section, tight turning radius, and modest operating costs made it ideal for air defense and dissimilar air combat training—roles it continues to fill decades after production ended in 1987.

While most F-5s have been retired from frontline military service, a significant number remain active in the United States under civilian contract operators providing adversary support to the Department of Defense. Companies like Tactical Air Support and ATAC operate ex-military F-5E/F airframes to simulate threat aircraft during training exercises, flying against Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps squadrons. These aggressor missions exploit the F-5's nimble performance and small size to replicate the flight characteristics of Russian-designed fighters like the MiG-21. The aircraft's Mach 1.6+ capability and sustained turn performance at 15,000-25,000 feet make it a credible surrogate for fourth-generation adversaries, and its relatively low fuel burn keeps operating costs manageable for high-tempo training sorties.

The F-5's enduring presence in the adversary role reflects both its inherent design strengths and the scarcity of supersonic platforms available to civilian contractors. With a service ceiling above 50,000 feet and a combat radius of roughly 500 nautical miles, the Tiger II remains capable of realistic threat replication across a wide range of training scenarios. Its twin-engine layout provides redundancy for over-water operations, and the type's long service history means maintenance expertise and spare parts remain accessible despite the airframe's age.

SkyMeter has tracked flights across airframes and operators, with the largest observed operator.