Air Force's stealth fighters making final flights

CNN ^ | March 11, 2008 | staff reporter

[Daffynition]

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) -- The world's first attack aircraft to employ stealth technology is slipping quietly into history.

The inky black, angular, radar-evading F-117, which spent 27 years in the Air Force arsenal secretly patrolling hostile skies from Serbia to Iraq, will be put in mothballs next month in Nevada.

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, which manages the F-117 program, will have an informal, private retirement ceremony Tuesday with military leaders, base employees and representatives from Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico.

The last F-117s scheduled to fly will leave Holloman on April 21, stop in Palmdale, California, for another retirement ceremony, then arrive on April 22 at their final destination: Tonopah Test Range Airfield in Nevada, where the jet made its first flight in 1981.

The government has no plans to bring the fighter out of retirement, but could do so if necessary.

"I'm happy to hear they are putting it in a place where they could bring it back if they ever needed it," said Brig. Gen. Gregory Feest, the first person to fly an F-117 in combat, during the 1989 invasion of Panama that led to the capture of dictator Manuel Noriega.

[Daffynition]

[isaiah55version11_0]

bttt

[gondramB]

Damn, I’m old. It just doesn’t seem to be possible they could be retiring the F-117.

But its also hard to imagine kids born when Clinton was President getting the driver’s licenses.

[Liberty Valance]

I can’t believe they are being retired this soon. Must cost a fortune to keep them flying. The first time I ever saw one was driving by Holloman AFB from Alamogordo to White Sands Natl. Park. As we drove by the base one took off right over our heads. Amazing. It made our day.

[cripplecreek]

I suspect they’ll occasionally pull one or two out of retirement for special missions.

[Secret Agent Man]

IF they are in good shape, I don’t see why we retire them. If they have been maintained well they should still work.

[Squantos]

Scared the bejesus out of the Sino Soviets and the rest of the world and proved their ability against Sadassed Insane !

Well done ......

[Philo-Junius]

They work, but they’re appalling expensive to maintain, compared to the stealthy F-22s which are now coming online.

[Secret Agent Man]

I would keep them maintained enough to be ready very quickly though. We lose a few multi-hundred million dollar F-22s out of a smaller total number, you might need them again.

[kingu]

Expensive to maintain, their airframes weren't designed for multi-generational use, and spare parts are starting to dry up. The F-35 has a slightly higher radar profile, should cost a quarter to build, and a tenth as much to maintain, which is why the F-35 will be the mainline fighter, and the F-22 was designed as a replacement for the stealth fighter, and the new munitions that are coming online.

Still, sorry to see it mothballed.

[PeterFinn]

It’s not a fighter, it’s just a small bomber.

[Blood of Tyrants]

They will be replaced by the F-22 and other stealthier planes.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

I wonder if all the old test pilots were there at the retirement.These things had been flyin since about 1977 in the Have Blue program.Really cool stuff.

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

Wonder how far off introduction of the Aurora is?

[Daffynition]

Some great photos for olde times sake. ;)

[Jet Jaguar]

[gondramB]

Thanks for that. I find it somewhat amazing that it could fly in the first place...

[ovrtaxt]

I’m sure ol Moammar Khadafy will be happy to see them go.

[Daffynition]

Bats in the belfry!

[Daffynition]

"If we needed the door kicked in, the stealth was the one to do it." Gen. Lloyd Newton, original F-117A pilot.