Fighter Jet News

F-16 Fighting Falcon News

Wing's iconic F-16 static to be restored, find new home

October 9, 2008 (by Mary Lou Gorny) - An F-16 Fighting Falcon with more than 2,900 flying hours made the first part of its final journey Oct. 2 when three posts attached to its shell were cut, two cranes helped offset its weight, and the F-16 was gently lowered to a position where wheeled jacks and landing gear could be attached.

419th FW personnel help remove F-16A block 5 #78-0065 static display from its pedestals on October 2nd, 2008. The aircraft, which graced the former wing headquarters building, will be restored over the course of several months and moved to its new location closer to the new 419th and 388th FW's headquarters. [USAF photo by Bryan Maga]

The next leg of its journey, less than a mile in length, was to involve a slow move across base on wheels to the 419th Fighter Wing wash rack on Oct. 5, when base traffic would be sparse.

The F-16A block 5 had been used as a static display near the former headquarters of the 419th FW.

Now that the 419th is a Total Force Integration with the 388th Fighter Wing, "we're all located in the 388th compound," said Senior Master Sgt. Michael Iarossi. The sergeant with the 419th Maintenance Squadon was in charge of the laborious and careful procedure.

Approximately 7,000 pounds of "up pressure" were used -- about half the weight of the stripped aircraft -- during the final cuts, to help with the cutting pressure and to balance the aircraft so it wouldn't settle as the wielding torches detached the posts.

Approximately 20 personnel were involved in the months of planning and the eventual removal of the aircraft from its mounts. Security Forces, Team Hill transportation and safety personnel, 419th Maintenance Flight personnel and 75th Logistics Readiness Squadron all combined forces to help in the removal. The 388th Maintenance Squadron used it as a training exercise for a couple of its personnel and the 419th Fabrication Flight personnel did the actual cutting.

The F-16 will get a new paint job in January which will include wing colors to bring the aircraft close to its former condition, Iarossi said.

When the weather clears in the spring, a similar process involving many of the same base personnel and squadrons will then wheel it to the corner of E Avenue and Wardleigh Road to its new permanent site, he said.

The F-16 will not be the only aircraft to make its way to that particular corner. An F-105 Thunderchief still sits on its mounts near the former maintenance headquarters.

Both aircraft will eventually have their wheels attached, filled with solid matter to keep them in place, and left as part of the new display. Iarossi is currently negotiating a deal with private owners for the missing Thunderchief hardware.

"The move represents us moving our heritage down closer to where we're actually located now," he said.

This particular F-16 was one of the first 60 built. Iarossi credits it as the 59th such aircraft assembled.

"The jet was first assigned to the 388th Training Flight Wing in May 1980, and was then assigned to us (419th TFW) in February 1984," Iarossi said.

As a training plane it never saw warfare. Strategic payload and other material were removed and it was mounted as a static display in 1994.

One of its last significant missions was to participate in the 1993 Gunsmoke Worldwide Gunnery Fighter Meet held in Las Vegas, Iarossi said.

An air-to-ground competition -- "to see who is the best of the best in air to ground bombing events," the sergeant said. "Seventeen teams participate."


Courtesy of Hilltop Times via 419th Fighter Wing website

Additional images:

USAF F-16A block 5 #78-0065 (marked as 419 FW) that once welcomed visitors to the former 419th FW headquarters building is crane-lifted to the ground on October 2nd, 2008. The aircrafts landing gear was reassembled before being moved across base, where it will be restored over the course of several months, and relocated closer to the new 419th and 388th FW's headquarters. [USAF photo by Bryan Maga]
Related articles:
Forum discussion:
Tags