Onlookers witness end of an era

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- A crowd gazes at a F-15C Eagle pilot from the West Coast Demonstration Team performing aerial maneuvers to display the F-15C Eagle capabilities as a single-role fighter designed for air-to-air missions to hundreds of base and community spectators during their final demonstration here May 1. The Air Combat Command demo team has performed more than 150 times to spectators around the globe over the last two years. This is the final demonstration for the F-15C Eagle completing a 26-year career, which began in 1983. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman Anthony Jennings)

Puttin' on a final show

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Capt. Sam "Nuke" Joplin, F-15 West Coast Demonstration Team pilot, performs aerial maneuvers to display the F-15C Eagle capabilities as a single-role fighter designed for air-to-air missions to hundreds of base and community spectators during their final demonstration here May 1. The Air Combat Command demo team has performed more than 150 times to spectators around the globe over the last two years. This is the final demonstration for the F-15C Eagle completing a 26-year career, which began in 1983. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Mike Meares)

End of an era

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. ? The F-15 West Coast Demonstration Team and a pair of P-51 Mustangs fly in formation as part of the Heritage Flight for the 33rd Fighter Wing during their final demonstration here May 1. The P-51 Mustang was assigned to the fighter wing from 1948 through 1950. The Air Combat Command F-15 demo team has performed more than 150 times to spectators around the globe over the final two years. This is the final demonstration for the F-15C Eagle completing a 26-year career, which began in 1983. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Mike Meares)

End of an era

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. ? The F-15 West Coast Demonstration Team and a pair of P-51 Mustangs fly in formation as part of the Heritage Flight for the 33rd Fighter Wing during their final demonstration here May 1. The P-51 Mustang was assigned to the fighter wing from 1948 through 1950. The Air Combat Command F-15 demo team has performed more than 150 times to spectators around the globe over the final two years. This is the final demonstration for the F-15C Eagle completing a 26-year career, which began in 1983. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Mike Meares)

Puttin' on a final show

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Capt. Sam "Nuke" Joplin, F-15 West Coast Demonstration Team pilot, performs aerial maneuvers to display the F-15C Eagle capabilities as a single-role fighter designed for air-to-air missions to hundreds of base and community spectators during their final demonstration here May 1. The Air Combat Command demo team has performed more than 150 times to spectators around the globe over the last two years. This is the final demonstration for the F-15C Eagle completing a 26-year career, which began in 1983. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Mike Meares)

Puttin' on a final show

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Capt. Sam "Nuke" Joplin, F-15 West Coast Demonstration Team pilot, performs aerial maneuvers to display the F-15C Eagle capabilities as a single-role fighter designed for air-to-air missions to hundreds of base and community spectators during their final demonstration here May 1. The Air Combat Command demo team has performed more than 150 times to spectators around the globe over the last two years. This is the final demonstration for the F-15C Eagle completing a 26-year career, which began in 1983. (U.S. Air Force illustration by Staff Sgt. Mike Meares)

Puttin' on a final show

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Capt. Sam "Nuke" Joplin, F-15 West Coast Demonstration Team pilot, performs aerial maneuvers to display the F-15C Eagle capabilities as a single-role fighter designed for air-to-air missions to hundreds of base and community spectators during their final demonstration here May 1. The Air Combat Command demo team has performed more than 150 times to spectators around the globe over the last two years. This is the final demonstration for the F-15C Eagle completing a 26-year career, which began in 1983. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Mike Meares)

Puttin' on a show

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- William Diaz, P-51 Demonstration Team, prepares the World War II fighter to fly with the F-15 West Coast Demonstration Team as part of the Heritage Flight for the 33rd Fighter Wing here May 1. The P-51 Mustang was assigned to the fighter wing from 1948 through 1950. The Air Combat Command F-15 demo team has performed more than 150 times to spectators around the globe over the final two years. This is the final demonstration for the F-15C Eagle completing a 26-year career, which began in 1983. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Mike Meares)

JSF

Joint Strike Fighter test pilot David Nelson gives Airman 1st Class Joseph Saucier, 96th Security Forces Squadron, a tour around the F-35, April 23 while it was parked in front of McKinley Climatic Lab on base. The aircraft’s first arrival at the base was to provide a showcase to Team Eglin and the local community. Media and local community leaders saw and heard the aircraft in action during the sortie as well as got an up close view of it. They were also shown a cockpit demo to see what it feels like to sit inside an F-35 and learn the pilot’s point of view. Nine countries and three U.S. services have orders for the new aircraft and they all will pass through Eglin to learn to fly it. The 33rd Fighter Wing will transition from an operational fighter unit into a joint training unit in October to educate and train the pilots. The first of new fighters are scheduled to arrive March 2010. U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.

JSF

The Joint Strike Fighter test aircraft AA-1 performs a touch-and-go over the Eglin Air Force Base runway April 23 during its sortie. The aircraft’s first arrival at the base was to provide a showcase to Team Eglin and the local community. Media and local community leaders saw and heard the aircraft in action during the sortie as well as got an up close view of it. They were also shown a cockpit demo to see what it feels like to sit inside an F-35 and learn the pilot’s point of view. Nine countries and three U.S. services have orders for the new aircraft and they all will pass through Eglin to learn to fly it. The 33rd Fighter Wing will transition from an operational fighter unit into a joint training unit in October to educate and train the pilots. The first of new fighters are scheduled to arrive March 2010. U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.

JSF touchdown

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The Department of Defense's newest fighter, the F-35 Lightning II, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter, touched down at Eglin April 22. This is the first time the aircraft visited the base. The visit was to showcase the aircraft to the local community and Eglin personnel. Eglin is the future home of the JSF training facility. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Airman AnthonyJennings)

JSF touchdown

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The Department of Defense's newest fighter, the F-35 Lightning II, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter, touched down at Eglin April 22. This was the first time the aircraft visited Eglin. The visit was to showcase the aircraft to the local community and Eglin personnel. Eglin will be the future home of the JSF traininf facility. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Airman Anthony Jennings)