Jump to content

Petition to Save F-15A 77-0102 for a Museum


Recommended Posts

This was just posted on the USMILAV Yahoo Group:

One of the fighter jets dispatched on Sept. 11, 2001, to be saved

October 4, 2006

FALMOUTH, Mass. --One of the fighter jets based at Otis Air National Guard

Base that first responded to the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks in New York

City has been saved from the scrap heap.

The aging fleet of F-15As of the 102nd Fighter Wing was destined to be

retired and possibly dismantled for parts or scrap metal until Keith

Middleton, a former member of the unit, began an effort to preserve at least

one of the aircraft.

Middleton reached out to another airplane junkie, Wallace Van Winkle, and

the two started a petition drive, which they said has been signed by nearly

300 people.

"I started somewhat of a movement. When Wally saw what I was trying to do,

he kind of ran with it," Middleton, who runs a Web site focused on Otis

called http://www.102ndfig hterwing. com., told The Cape Cod Times.

This week, they got word that a jet would be preserved. But officials of the

National Museum of the United States Air Force aren't certain what they will

do with the aircraft. The museum, home to more than 300 planes and missiles,

already has an F-15 display.

Museum officials said the plane will be available to whatever group can come

up with the money to decommission it and ship it to a new site. Preference

will be given to military organizations.

Possible homes for the jet are the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New

York or the New England Air Museum in Connecticut.

The F-15s that were based at Otis currently are at the Aerospace Maintenance

and Regeneration Center in Tucson, Ariz., where they were flown last July.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Larry,

I found that "bogus" article on Boston.com (Boston Globe). They got my name wrong (I can deal with that) and said I was a former member of the unit, and left out Brian Carberry's name as well. I requested they fix it.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachus...e_saved?mode=PF

Ken,

Thanks for the update, I wasn't aware that the article was bogus, except for misspelling your name.

Larry

Link to post
Share on other sites

Larry, maybe bogus is too strong of a word, and Boston.com told me the AP is responsible, but they took a portion of the original article from the Cape Cod Times, and got some key facts wrong, and left some out. I knew the media was well known for this, but I personally had not been part of an article involved.

I was looking to see if it appeared in the New York Times :rolleyes:

Link to post
Share on other sites
×
×
  • Create New...