Photo: USAF/William R. Lewis
By road, it takes someone close to 30 hours to cover the distance between the Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada and the Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. Obviously, airplanes can cover the about 1,900 miles (3,000 km) distance that separates the two in far less time, but they still need help in doing that.
We discussed a bit the distance between the two bases because it is from one that F-15C Eagles belonging to the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron have been heading to the other throughout March, as the planes were in the process of being reassigned to the 53rd Wing at Eglin.
We see one of these F-15s in the main photo of this piece, released last week by the USAF. The plane is seen shortly after take-off, the two Pratt & Whitney engines burning hot as it is climbing to the sky, tanks with extra fuel hanging underneath.
With its conformal fuel tanks and three external ones fitted, an F-15 can fly for as much as 3,450 miles (5,550 miles), meaning two of them, as seen here, are more than enough for the task the plane recently had to perform.
“As we refocus Eagle’s personnel on the Air Force’s premier multi-role fighter, the F-15E, I want the men and women of Eagle to know how extremely proud I am of their dedication, expertise and work,” said Col. Barton Kenerson, 57th Maintenance Group commander back in March, when the planes were flying out.
“I look forward to seeing how our team will continue to build F-15E Weapons School Pilots and field critical-combat capabilities to the battlefield.”
With a number of new planes already in the sky, and some on the drawing board, the F-15 is likely not going to be around for very much longer. In fact, it is not even included on the list of aircraft that would soon form the streamlined fleet of the U.S. Air Force.
We see one of these F-15s in the main photo of this piece, released last week by the USAF. The plane is seen shortly after take-off, the two Pratt & Whitney engines burning hot as it is climbing to the sky, tanks with extra fuel hanging underneath.
With its conformal fuel tanks and three external ones fitted, an F-15 can fly for as much as 3,450 miles (5,550 miles), meaning two of them, as seen here, are more than enough for the task the plane recently had to perform.
“As we refocus Eagle’s personnel on the Air Force’s premier multi-role fighter, the F-15E, I want the men and women of Eagle to know how extremely proud I am of their dedication, expertise and work,” said Col. Barton Kenerson, 57th Maintenance Group commander back in March, when the planes were flying out.
“I look forward to seeing how our team will continue to build F-15E Weapons School Pilots and field critical-combat capabilities to the battlefield.”
With a number of new planes already in the sky, and some on the drawing board, the F-15 is likely not going to be around for very much longer. In fact, it is not even included on the list of aircraft that would soon form the streamlined fleet of the U.S. Air Force.
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