The 100th fighter squadron of the 187th Fighter Wing bid farewell to its last F-16 Block 30 fighter jets on Apr. 21 with farewell flyaway ceremony held at Dannelly Field in Montgomery.
The ceremony paid tribute to the service and dedication of the airmen and technical crew who flew the F-16s, which logged a total of 80,000 flight hours on missions across the globe, from Iraq to Afghanistan, Korea to Kuwait, Qatar to Romania, and Ukraine. As the 187th Fighter Wing prepares to transition to the F-35A Lightning II, the departure of the F-16s marks the end of a remarkable 35-year legacy, during which the Alabama National Guard unit flew the F-16s out of Dannelly Field longer than any other jet in its history combined. The F-16s will now be moved to other bases across the country for continued use, while the 187th Fighter Wing looks forward to welcoming the new era with the arrival of the F-35s later this year.
For pilots like Maj. Bart Smith, who had flown the F-16 for about seven years, it was a bittersweet moment. However, as the 187th mission evolves, they need to move forward. “That’s what we have to have to go into the future,” said Smith, pointing at the F-35 jet on display at the ceremony. “It’s cutting-edge technology. It’s the best fighter that the world has yet produced, and it’s just a joy to get up there and fly.”
In 2007, the 100th Fighter Squadron was renumbered from the 160th Fighter Squadron to pay tribute to the historic legacy of the World War II Tuskegee Airmen.
The Tuskegee Airmen, also known as the Red Tail Flyers, have left an indelible mark on the history of American aviation. As a tribute to their legacy, some of the F-16s in the 100th Fighter Squadron had their tails painted red, honoring the brave men who paved the way for generations of pilots to come.
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I would have kept the last Red Tail F-16C for museum piece for the squadron to have.