Barnes National Guard Air Base in Massachusetts has officially retired its F-15C Eagle fighter jets, marking the end of an era for the 104th Fighter Wing.
On October 23, 2025, three aircraft made their final flight over Westfield before heading to the “plane graveyard” at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. This farewell is due to the fact that the unit is state-of-the-art.F-35A Lightning IIis expected to arrive next summer and will open a new chapter in the base’s history.
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Pilots Lt. Kyle “Nuke” Eckert, Lt. David “Moon” Harashi-Kun, and Lt. Eric “Gronk” Flynn were responsible for the final flight. For “Nuke” and “Gronk,” this moment had special meaning. Because they both started their careers as mechanics and later became F-15 pilots. While the Moon commander concludes his career with the fighter, the two officers will undergo training in the F-35 before returning to Burns Base.
For 18 years, the 104th Wing’s F-15Cs have served as a symbol of readiness and safety, providing air defense for the northeastern United States under the command of NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command). Currently, the base is preparing to receive 20 new F-35As and retire older Eagle fighters.
However, some F-15C/Ds will remain in service with other units until 2030, and thenF-15EXIt is scheduled to be replaced by
More than 75% of today’s F-15s are already showing structural deterioration, limiting performance and increasing the need to transition to next-generation aircraft.
source:The Aviationist| Photo: Wikimedia | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
