From 11 to 22 October 1994, Tyndall AFB, Fla., hosted the USAF Air-to Air Weapons Meet, better known as "WILLIAM TELL". Eight teams representing ACC, ANG, USAFE, PACAF and Canada participated in four flying profiles and three maintenance competitions. 1994 marked forty years of William Tell competition. It all started in June 1954 when the first meet took place at Yuma, Az. and was called the Air-to-Air Rocketry Phase of the Third Annual USAF Fighter Gunnery and Weapons Meet with the Air Defense Command and Air Training Command as sole competitors. In 1956, the meet was code named "William Tell" and had expanded to include nine teams representing seven major air commands. This third meet was the last held in Arizona. Two years later, Tyndall AFB, Fla., became the home for the USAF Worldwide Air-to-Air Weapons Meet. The radio controlled Q-2A drone target and the PARAMI, an electronic scoring system, made their first appearances during this meet and for the first time, competitors were divided into three categories, one for each aircraft participating. Twelve teams competed in the 1958 meet and among them was an Air National Guard unit competing for the first time. For the 1961 William Tell, three jets specifically designed for protecting North America appeared on the flight line; the F-102, the F-106 and the F-101. William Tell 1965 was the largest in history with 16 teams and four categories. Canada became the first foreign country to participate in William Tell and entered with the CF-101.

After a five-year period, imposed by the Vietnam War, William Tell resumed at Tyndall AFB with nine teams competing. The 1972 meet was the year of the first "Top Gun" award, and the introduction of the subsonic BQM-34A target drone into the competition. The 134th FIS, VT ANG placed third with its F-102As. 1974 saw the Air National Guard teams take first place in three major categories and in 1976, the ANG continued its winning streak in two of the three.
The F-4 made its first appearance in the meet with the 4th T.F.W, Tactical Air Command's first William Tell competitor. With the reorganization of air defense forces in 1979, TAC assumed sponsorship for William Tell. The first TAC-sponsored meet in 1980 included 10 teams from active duty F-4 and F-106 units, ANG F-4, F-106 and F-101 units, and a Canadian Forces CF-101 unit.
In 1982, the name for the meet was officially changed to the USAF Air-to-Air Weapons Meet. That meet also marked the return of the Pacific Air Forces and the U.S.A.F. in Europe to the competition, and the first appearance of the F-15 "Eagle". William Tell 1984 saw the introduction of the supersonic QF-100 full-scale drone as a William Tell target and was the first meet in which only full-scale drones were used as missile targets. In 1986, the CF-18 entered in the competition for the first time with the Canadian team, finishing second overall behind the 33rd TFW with 38,295 points. A total of twelve teams from TAC, ANG, PACAF, USAFE, Alaskan Air Command and Canada participated in the 1988 meet.
The 1990 competition was canceled due to Operation Desert Shield/Storm and resumed in 1992, held by the newly formed Air Combat Command. Eight teams competed and the 18th Wing from Kadena AB, Japan, walked away with the top team award for the second time.
Hosted by Air combat Command and the U.S.Air force Air Warfare Center, William Tell 94 gave the USAF's best fighter units the opportunity to compete in all aspects of air-to-air operations. Competing that year were eight teams representing the 1st Fighter Wing from Langley AFB, Va., the 18th Wing from Kadena AB, Japan, the 33rd Fighter Wing from Eglin AFB, Fla., the 52nd Fighter Wing from Spangdahlem AB, Germany, and the 159th Fighter Group from NAS New Orleans, La., all flying the F-15. The 119th Fighter group from Fargo, N.D., and the 158th Fighter Group from Burlington, Vt., both flew the F-16 and Team Canada from 3rd Wing/Bagotville, Que., the CF-18.
Most of the maintenance teams arrived on October 11 and this was a particular long day for members of Team Vermont, arriving at 6:30 A.M. at their home base for the C-5 flight to Tyndall AFB. Due to mechanical problems with the C-5, the Team could not leave the ground before 3:00 P.M. Forty minutes into the flight, the aircraft suffered windshield damage and had to be flown slower and at lower altitude to prevent from anymore damages. In approach to Tyndall AFB, crosswinds exceeded limits for a safe landing but after a few attempts, Team Vermont finally touched ground and was going to set some new standards. On October 12, the fighters arrived and preparations got underway for all teams to be ready to compete in all Profiles of the meet.
Each team competed in seven different categories for a total possible of 50,000 points per team. Profile 1 was a two-aircraft element firing live missiles in the over water range against MQM-107 drones. Each pair of fighters was dual-loaded with a radar and heated missiles of the same configuration, and AIM-120A (AMRAAM) were fired for the first time in the meet. Each pair was handled by a team of weapon director controlling the fight whom were scored trough completion of the intercept. Flying this profile, Capt.D.Kriner of the 1st FW became the first William Tell pilot ever to kill a drone with one of the Air Force's newest air-to-air missile, the AIM-120A. Profile II was a two-aircraft element performing 20mm aerial gunnery against a towed AGTS-36 target system released and dragged about 5,000 feet behind the F-15 towing aircraft. Fighters were limited to 500 rounds and two passes at the target with telemetry from the pod determining the scoring.
Profile III was a four-ship area defense against a mass raid of sixteen adversaries using evasion tactics and electronic countermeasures. To confuse weapons controllers, friendly forces were mixed with the bandits. During this profile, each fighter carried ACMI pods.
Profile IV was a timed element lane-defense against four adversaries flying a different scripted maneuver for each element. Each element and its associated weapons director had five minutes in which to detect, sort and engage four ingressing fighter adversaries.

During William Tell 94, the teams were competing to merit some of the twelve awards and worked very hard to get in a winning position. The Top Team award recognized the team that compiled the highest overall score during the meet and the 119th FG from the North Dakota ANG won the competition with a total score of 41,593 points. The Top Operations Team award for the aircrew team that received the highest number of total points during the four profiles was also taken by the 119th FG with 22,638 points. The Top Element was for the pilot element that received the highest number of total points in all profiles.
The Top Gun award was given to the pilot who received the highest number of total points in all four profiles. The Top Shooter award went to the pilot with the most points on profile 2. Winners of each profile were the pilot, maintenance, and GCI teams that received the highest composite score for each profile. The Top Weapons Director award was presented to the control team with the highest number of total points on profile 1, 3, and 4. Top Scope was awarded to the control element with the highest number of points in the same profile.
The "Green Mountain Boys" swept away the maintenance trophy with an excellent performance and brought back to Vermont the award for the Top Maintenance Team and the Top Loadeo Team. During the meet, the most visible part of the competition for anyone attending was the static load and the ICT with a maximum of 2,500 points for each event. Team Vermont impressed everyone and set new standards when they performed a perfect static load and got a perfect score on the ICT. The static load consisted of aircraft preparation, a functional check of the weapons system and the loading of missiles; two AIM-9 and two AIM-120 for the F-16, two AIM-7 and two AIM-9 for the CF-18, while the F-15 received four AIM-9 and four AIM-7. In the Integrated Combat turnaround, six team members had to prepare an aircraft returning from Profile II for another mission. During a short time period, the team had to refuel, conduct battle damage assessment, service all fluids and rearm the fighter with missiles and ammunitions.
Behind all the teams competing for the top awards in the meet were the units supporting William Tell 94. Responsible for launch, recovery and on-equipment maintenance of nine Wing's aircraft supporting Profile 1 and 2 was a group of fifty-two of the 325th Fighter Wing's finest maintenance people. This group, known as the Support Maintenance Unit, was tasked to launch three F-15D modified with a video down-link camera during Profile 1 to allow judges and spectators to observe real-time coverage of missile shots on the medium-altitude drones. SMU F-15s were also tasked to tow the Aerial Gunnery Target Set 36 during Profile 2. Also playing an important part in the competition was the 475th Weapons Evaluation Group, an Air Combat Command unit organizing William Tell. The 475th WEG flies two E-9A for range patrol and the 82nd Aerial Target Squadron is responsible for launching sub-scales drones toward the Gulf of Mexico for fighters pilots to try shooting them down. Playing the agressor's role during the competition in Profile 3 and 4 were QF-106s and QF-4s from the 475th WEG. In other times, these aircraft are used as manned and unmanned drones at Tyndall AFB.
Team work was a key element in the competition for each team and some of them made sure to bring with them a little extra. Team Vermont's captain, Lt.Col. Mark Fredenburgh was a F-16 pilot with the 50th TFW at Hahn , Germany in 1985 when he was selected to be part of the team to compete in Gunsmoke 85 at Nellis AFB, Nev. During that competition, he scored the most points of all pilots and was selected the Overall Top Gun. Lt.Col Fredenburgh brought his Gunsmoke experience with Team Vermont to William Tell. The 158th Fighter Group began transitioning from the F-16 ADF to the newer C-model during March 1994 and it took a lot of work to bring these aircraft to higher standards and get ready for William Tell. Leading the VT ANG maintenance team to excellence during the competition was Major Martha Rainville who did an outstanding job and was to become the first female Adjutant General of a state National Guard in March 1997.
Team spirits were very high in the ranks of Team Vermont and Team Canada! both the 158th FG and the 3rd Wing/Bagotville are part of NORAD and as such, work together in the North Eastern Air Defense sector. The two units are used to work and train together, and very good friendly relations exist between them at work and off work! During William Tell, members of both teams could be seen cheering for each other and the Canadian flag was displayed beside the American flag on top of the VT ANG's maintenance trailer. During the Loadeo competition, both teams were displaying banners and their flag in support of the crew participating in the event..
The award ceremony took place on Saturday, October 22, the last day of the meet. The overall results were very tight in the first three places, with 41,593 points for the Team Fargo taking first place, followed by Team Canada with 40,993 points and Team Vermont with 40,846 points.
All three teams competed very hard and merited to be in the first place. Everybody at all level and in every unit participating and supporting William tell 94 did their best to make this meet a big success.
William Tell 94 was going to be the last full scale competition and its format was altered for William Tell 96. Significant changes took places in different ways. In the past, William Tell players received invitations directly from the organizers, but for 1996, major commands formed a team of selected units able to spare aircraft and personnel, and included for the first time were teams from the Air Force Reserve and Air Education and Training Command. The length of the meet was reduced from two weeks to one, with only three days of flying. Two out of the four flying profiles were eliminated, along with one of two weapons loads.

View a photo of Team Vermont at William Tell 94. (Vermont ANG)

-William Tell 94 Scoreboard -
TOP OVERALL TEAM: 119th FG, North Dakota ANG, 41,953 points.
1st runner up: 3rd Wing/Bagotville, Team Canada, 40.993 points.
2nd runner up: 158th FG, Vermont ANG, 40,846 points.
TOP ELEMENT: Team Canada,12,219 points.
1st runner up: 119th FG, North Dakota ANG, 12,037 points.
2nd runner up: 158th FG, Vermont ANG, 11,440 points.
TOP GUN : Capt.J.Browne, 52nd FW, 6,346 points.
1st runner up: Capt.F.Garceau, team Canada, 6,292 points.
2nd runner up: Maj.R.Edlund, 119th FG, 6,114 points.
TOP SHOOTER: Capt.M.Charpentier, Team Canada, 1,088 points.
1st runner up: Capt.S.Ruffin: 18th Wing, 1,027 points.
2nd runner up: Maj.G.Sinclair, Team Canada, 1,000 points.
PROFILE ONE: 18th Wing, 6,320 points.
1st runner up: Team Canada, 6,102 points.
2nd runner up: 119th FG, 5,877 points.
PROFILE TWO: Team Canada, 5,080 points.
1st runner up: 158th FG, 3,660 points.
2nd runner up: 18th Wing, 3,657 points.
PROFILE THREE: 18th Wing, 16,850 points.
1st runner up: 158th FG, 16,145 points.
2nd runner up: 33rd FW, 15,790 points.
PROFILE FOUR: 119th FG, 13,060 points.
1st runner up: 158th FG, 10,480 points.
2nd runner up: 52nd FW, 10,119 points.
TOP WEAPONS DIRECTOR TEAM: 158th FG, 10,480 points.
1st runner up: 119th FG, 9,100 points.
2nd runner up: Team Canada, 8,875 points.
TOP SCOPE: 1stLt. Scott Summers, 158th FG, 4,925 points.
1st runner up: Capt. Dan Talbot, 119th FG, 4,700 points.
2nd runner up: Capt. Mark Matsushima, 158th FG, 4,650 points.
TOP MAINTENANCE TEAM: 158th FG, Vermont ANG, 4,945 points.
1st runner up: 119th FG, North Dakota ANG, 4,905 points.
2nd runner up: 52nd FW, Spandahlem AB, 4,854 points.
TOP LOADEO TEAM: 158th FG, 5,000 points.
1st runner up: 119th FG, 4,950 points.
2nd runner up: 1st FW, 4,917 points.

(Click on the thumbnails to view a larger photo)

(All photos by Philippe Colin)