Final flight for Eglin F-15C

摘要

US AIR Force F-15C Eagle 82-0025 'ET operated by the 96th Test Wing's 40th Flight Test Squadron (FLTS) made its final flight prior to retirement on July 30, from Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The pilot, Major Ryan Stec, used the callsign 'Quell 2' for the mission, which was also flown as a memorial to Major James Duricy, who died on April 30, 2002, after ejecting from a similar 40th FLTS aircraft, 80-0022, while testing a then-new AIM-9X missile. For '025's final sortie, the aircraft flew in the same configuration with an AIM-9X and used the same callsign as that used on Duricy's fatal mission. After landing back at Eglin, aircraft '025 was welcomed by a traditional water cannon salute from the base fire department. Due to the aircraft's age and the number of hours it has flown, the F-15C is one of the first to be taken out of the line-up and retired. It is scheduled to be replaced by an F-15EX, to continue the test mission with the 40th FLTS. The retired aircraft will eventually be stored with the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, which is located at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona.