WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. — After a year of planning, the New England Air Museum has a historic showpiece now on its premises.
On Thursday, an F–15C Eagle Fighter Jet was delivered from the Connecticut Air National Guard Base at Bradley Airport just a half mile down Perimeter Road to the Museum – a carefully calculated exercise.
The F-15C was retired by the Air Force just last month and the crews from Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield, Mass. joined the Connecticut Airport Authority to get the plane to its new home at the museum.
Stephanie Abrams, the president and CEO of the New England Air Museum, said, “we are beyond excited, this is a technological marvel.”
The F-15C needed to be “demilitarized” by the Air Force before it could be sent to the museum.
Abrams added, “it had to have the weapons taken out and anything that was classified taken out.”
Rick Cleary, the vice president of development at the New England Air Museum, said that "this is a fantastic aircraft, it’s got a great history it’s been flying since 1985 and it’s going to be here."
He added that "you don’t realize how big it is until you see it in person.”
A team of eight from the Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield, Massachusetts oversaw the move to the Museum. The F-15C was stationed at Barnes for years before it was retired.
Abrams noted that the aircraft "actually flew in Desert Storm, and it had an air-to-air victory against a MiG aircraft."
She added, “everyone needs to see this aircraft!”
The F-15C will live on the outside lot of the museum for about a month and then it will be moved inside to the military hangar which will be its permanent home.
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Jimmy Altman is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at jaltman@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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