LANGEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
The 1st Fighter Wing welcomed the F-15C Eagle back to Langley Air Force Base, Va., during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Feb. 6.
After several months of planning with the assistance of the 1st Fighter Association, a private alumni consisting of past and present members whose objective is to preserve the wing's heritage, a static display of the F-15C Eagle, tail number 0055, was revealed to honored guests and U.S. Air Force Airmen in attendance.
The 1st Fighter Association began pursuit of the display several months ago, and secured nearly $50,000 in donations to the project which commemorates 34 years of Eagle history at Langley.
"I have had the good fortune to be a part of this Eagle history as a young Lieutenant in the 1st Fighter Wing," said Col. Kevin Huyck, 1st FW commander. "Men and women proudly flew, maintained and supported the mighty Eagle and those years were filled with remarkable accomplishment, lightning response to aggression in the Middle East and milestones that reflect our great Air Force heritage."
The 1st FW and 633rd Civil Engineer Squadron assisted in the placement of the Eagle display, adjacent to the West Gate entrance. Airmen from the 633rd CES poured concrete, wired display lighting and fabricated the steel aircraft anchors, while members of the 1st Maintenance Group crash recovery team placed the F-15 onto the new display pad. In addition, 1st FW members worked closely with engineers to plan the final details of the display layout.
"I'm proud to be able to highlight the significance of dedicating this [display,] the excellence it represents and the humbling legacy it memorializes," said Huyck. "Thanks [to] the expertise of the 1st MXG and the 633rd CES dirt boys, welders and electricians for their professional work."
The first F-15C Eagle models arrived at Langley in January 1976. Through three decades the F-15A and F-15C cycled through Langley to meet the needs of the mission. The 1st Tactical Fighter Wing used the F-15 during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The Eagle from Langley were also among the first launched in response to attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and continued to defend air space during Operations Noble Eagle and Iraqi Freedom.
With over 450,000 sorties and nearly 700,000 flying hours, the F-15 continued its mission through the arrival of the F-22 Raptor in 2005. Over the next five years, the Raptor took over and continued the 1st FW mission. The last operational F-15 departed Langley in September 2010.
"We've come a long way since the aviation pioneers and legends of our past," said Huyck. ""We honor those from this F-15 era as we cut the ribbon to dedicate this site, reminding us all what the high bar of air superiority excellence looks like."