This Eagle was delivered to the USAF on 5 April 1977. It started its service life from Birburg air base (Germany) with the 36th TFW. It then went to the 33rd TFW at Eglin before it became an Air National Guard jet with the 128th. Before it was retired it also served the 159th FS (FL ANG). It arrived at 309th AMARG at Davis Monthan (AZ) on 17 November 2004. It remained in storage up to 15 November 2011. It was then scrapped by HVF West.

This 128th Tactical Fighter Squadron (Georgia ANG) F-15B was built as a TF-15A and delivered to the USAF in 1975. The seventh dual seat F-15 was assigned to the 58th TFTW at Luke AFB (AZ). On 1 December 1977, it was redesignated into F-15B and it continued as such to serve the 58th and the 405th TTW at Luke, before it was transferred to the 128th TFS. The Eagle was eventually sold to Israel as 142 on 8 July 1992.

This F-4E flew with the 457th Tactical Fighter Squadron from Carswell AFB (TX). This base was later renamed to Naval Air Station , Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth. The 457th, part of the Air Force Reserves (AFRes) flew with the squadron until March 1991 after which is was stored at Davis Monthan (as FP0622). In 2007 it was selected for the QF-4E programme and delivered to the 82d Aerial Targets Squadron (ATRS) at Tyndall in 2008. The Phantom was shot down (unmanned) over the Gulf of Mexico on 11 March 2010. Check the 7th Bomb Wing B-52Hs on the back ground, these were also based at Carswell.

A "Spads" F-4E at the flight line of Carswell AFB (TX) in Aug'89. The 457th started to fly the F-4D in 1981 and converted to the F-4E in 1987. These birds were swapped to F-16A/B Block 25 in 1991. The tailcode of the F-4Es stands for "Texas Humpbacks" (the F-16s now fly with TX tailcode). This 67-0392 is marked with two MiG-kills and a fine Texas flag over the intake. While operating with the 469th TFS from Korat, Thailand, this F-4E shot down a MiG-19 (or J-6) with an AIM-7E-2 "Sparrow" on 2 September 1972 and out manoeuvered a MiG-19 (or J-6) on 6 October 1972 that subsequently crashed.

This was a momentous event in German civil aviation - the first flight of the first scheduled IF service between East and West Germany. The route was via Czech airspace (to avoid flying over the recently defunct Wall) from/to Leipzig. Although I left home in plenty of time everything conspired against me and by the time I arrived on the terrace she had already taxied - still irks me to this day!

FWIW, my absolute favorite airliner!

Taxying in after arring on rw23. Note the two differences between this, the original, scheme and the present one. The 'Spanair' titles are upright in contrast to the modern slanted version and the tail logo has waves in contract to the current filled logo.