A legendary F-15C Eagle fighter jet made its final flight on Aug. 13 to the Smithsonian’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, where retired U.S. Air Force Col. Cesar “Rico” Rodriguez stood waiting to welcome the aircraft that had carried him to two aerial victories during the Gulf War more than three decades ago.
United States Air Force, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The McDonnell Douglas F-15C, tail number 85-0114, becomes the first aircraft of its kind to join the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum collection, marking the end of an era as the Air Force retired its remaining F-15C Eagles from active duty.
“We are thrilled to accept the F-15C into the museum’s collection,” said Michael Hankins, modern military curator at the museum. “The Eagle is one of the most iconic American fighter aircraft of the last 50 years, and this particular F-15 has powerful stories to tell.”
Rodriguez achieved two aerial victories while piloting this specific aircraft during Operation Desert Storm in January 1991, flying with the 58th Tactical Fighter Squadron. Combined with a third victory in a different F-15 during Operation Allied Force in 1999, Rodriguez became one of only four Americans since 1972 to score three aerial victories—the closest any American pilot has come to achieving the coveted “ace” status since the Vietnam War.
The aircraft’s combat record began on January 19, 1991, just three days after the official start of the Gulf War. While flying a defensive mission southwest of Baghdad, Rodriguez and his wingman encountered Iraqi MiG fighters. During the ensuing dogfight, Rodriguez engaged a MiG-29 in a deadly spiral toward the desert floor. The Iraqi pilot, attempting to escape through a high-speed maneuver, misjudged his altitude and crashed into the ground at full afterburner without Rodriguez firing a shot.
Exactly one week later, Rodriguez found himself flying the same aircraft—a coincidence he didn’t realize until after the mission. This time, he fired an AIM-7 Sparrow missile that scored a direct hit on a MiG-23, disintegrating the enemy fighter in what Rodriguez described as “a big char mark straight down onto the desert floor.”
“It wasn’t until we got home and the crew chiefs put two stars on the airplane that I realized the significant coincidence,” Rodriguez recalled. “It didn’t even cross my mind that it was the same airplane.”
The path to those victories had been unlikely for Rodriguez, whose early flight training was so troubled that one instructor told him bluntly: “you kinda suck.” But that same instructor worked with Rodriguez to develop an improvement plan, and his persistence paid off. After seeing an F-15 at an airshow, Rodriguez knew his goal. “Wow, that looks pretty badass,” he remembered thinking. “So that became my goal.”
Rodriguez’s first experience in an F-15 in 1988 lived up to expectations. “Just starting the airplane was a very exhilarating experience,” he said. “You just started to feel this raw power…. It talked to you. All of the aerodynamics of the F-15 came to play, and you could feel it.”
The F-15 Eagle represents the pinnacle of American Cold War-era fighter design philosophy: advanced, cutting-edge technologies optimized specifically for air-to-air combat superiority. Capable of reaching Mach 2.5 and emphasizing maneuverability above all else, the Eagle compiled an unprecedented combat record. F-15s from all nations have shot down more than 100 enemy aircraft in combat, while not a single F-15 has ever been lost in air-to-air combat due to enemy action.
Aircraft 85-0114 continued serving long after the Gulf War, flying with the 44th Fighter Squadron at Kadena Air Base in Japan before joining the Oregon Air National Guard’s 173rd Fighter Wing as part of the 114th Fighter Squadron. The aircraft’s distinctive “flagship” markings from its final years of service will be preserved in the museum display.
Rodriguez emphasized that his success represented a team effort involving countless support personnel. “So many different individuals and career fields touched 114,” he said, crediting maintenance crews, loaders, refuelers, base security and many others. “It should mean something to all of us, and I know it does.”
The retirement of the F-15C fleet marks the end of more than four decades of service for one of America’s most successful fighter aircraft programs. The Eagle became an iconic symbol of American military aviation dominance during the late 20th and early 21st centuries, embodying the nation’s approach to military aircraft design that prioritized technological sophistication and capability despite high costs.
For Rodriguez, the reunion with his former aircraft stirred familiar emotions. While he rarely paid attention to tail numbers during his flying career, aircraft 114 was different. “Whenever I did get to fly 114, there was just that little extra spark, that little extra jump in my step,” he remembered. “Ok, we’re back together again!”
The F-15C Eagle will go on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in the coming weeks.
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Only F-15 Eagles from the USAF, Israeli Air Force, and the Royal Saudi Air Force have scored kills on enemy aircraft. The Eagles from Japan, South Korea, and Singapore haven’t been in live fire air combat against enemy aircraft. Also, Qatar is a new member of the world wide F-15 community.
Oh, and the markings on this F-15 will be removed,and the jet will be repainted back into the colors, and markings it wore, when Cesar scored his first two kills.