"They are afraid to approach us," the pilot said. "After all, there is a living person sitting there, too, who also does not want to die."
Europe has some jets that would suit Ukraine just as well, or even better, than the F-16, but there are major challenges if the US cuts Ukraine off.
At least 15 people were injured after South Korean fighter jets involved in a live-fire drill dropped bombs on Pocheon, Seoul's military said.
Ukraine has received many of its most powerful pieces of weaponry from the US. If US aid stops, Europe may need to look for replacements.
Monessa Balzhiser, whose call sign is "Siren," explained to Business Insider the surprises of moving from one aircraft to the other.
President Trump's desire to buy Greenland, which state secretary Rubio confirmed was "no joke," has raised tensions between the US and Denmark.
Ukrainian pilots are using skills that the West has let atrophy, a former US F-16 pilot said.
Ukraine said one of its F-16 pilots shot down six missiles, which it said would be a record for the American jet.
Ukraine said that an F-16 pilot took out six Russian cruise missiles in a single flight, setting a record for the American-made fighter jet.
Ukraine's air force command said one of its F-16 pilots took out six Russian cruise missiles during one attack in December — a record.
A network of spies working for Russia's military intelligence was trying to find the location of airfields used to keep its F-16s, Ukraine said.
France said it would train Ukrainian pilots on Mirage jets. The F-16 training program has faced numerous delays.
The stunts that US Air Force demo teams perform derive from real combat scenarios. Airshows offer a glimpse at the fighter jets' capabilities.
The Thunderbirds perform high-speed maneuvers in tight formations at airshows worldwide, demonstrating the speed and agility of the F-16 fighter jet.
The Gripen can fight from improvised runways, is easier to maintain, and was designed with the Russian threat in mind.
If Ukraine takes risks and fights hard with its Western weapons, that could mean most of them don't survive the war, and that's OK, war experts said.
The J-15 is a carrier-based fighter. China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, was part of this week's massive drills.
Putting more pilots through training means Ukraine can use the ones who best make the tricky transition to a new kind of fighter jet.
In a short time, Ukraine's F-16 pilots have had to learn to fly very differently from the way they flew their Soviet-era jets.
Video showed the Russian aircraft fly past and cut off a US F-16, prompting its pilot to swear, in an unsafe move that could've caused catastrophe.