Why Falcons?
Good question! Many patrols in Scouting are named after animals. At our Air Scout Troop, we use birds. We do this not only because birds fly, but also because each bird we use for our patrol names has an aircraft associated with it.
Did You Know?
A falcon’s wingspan (the bird variety!) can range from 74 to 120 cm wide. Also, their eggs are around 2 inches in size! Falcons are incredibly fast—they can reach astonishing speeds of up to 292 mph (470 km/h) during their hunting dives.
The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a compact, multi-role fighter aircraft. It is highly maneuverable and can fly more than 500 miles (860 kilometers) in a single journey! While the falcon bird can get up to around 242 mph (390 km/h), the aircraft can reach speeds ranging from Mach 0.6 to 1.6! This is equivalent to around 600 miles per hour at 300 feet above the ground. It’s designed to operate at altitudes of 30,000 to 40,000 feet.
