- F117sfa.org

Volume 12 Issue 2
Nighthawks
Summer / Fall 2015
Stealth Fighter Association
Newsletter
I apologize for not getting the Summer edition of the newsletter published in a timely fashion. Life seems to get in the way. I started to publish in early August, but I
realized there were a couple of significant anniversaries for the F-117 this summer
and thought that I would combine the Summer and Fall issues into one newsletter to
cover these important events. Twenty-five years ago in June, the last F-117 was delivered to the Air Force. Take a look at Ben Rich’s comments from July 12,
1990. Also, just two months later in August 1990, the F-117 was deployed to Saudi
Arabia and Operation Desert shield began. This was arguably the biggest event to
happen for many of us during our careers. It involved every single member of the
Nighthawk Team. I’ve included excerpts from the “History of the 37th Fighter Wing
5 Oct 1989 – 31 Dec 1991 volume I” written by SMSgt Vince Breslin and ‘Special
Study 37FW/HO-90-1’ compiled by SMSgt (Ret) Harold Myers, and Revised by
SMSgt Vince Breslin. In this issue, I’ll only cover events from the Summer and early Fall of 1990. In the next newsletter, I’ll revisit additional history of Operation Desert Shield. I hope you enjoy reminiscing as much as I do. If any of you out there
have stories from Desert Shield or Desert Storm, send them to me in an email and
I’ll get them in one of the upcoming issues of the newsletter.
Editor—Greg Meland
Inside This Issue
Article
President’s Corner
Page
Article
Page
2
In Memoriam
12-14
The Last F-117 Delivery
3-5
F-117 Archive
15
Operation Desert Shield
6-11 Join The SFA
16
Vice President’s Corner
We Need Your Help to Grow!
SFA's goal is simple: ensure that our history is preserved, our stories are told, and what we (the Stealth
Team) did for national defense. We need to honor the men and women that play a vital role in making the
F-117 a successful important national program. Our history basically started with a concept in the 1970's,
Have Blue, first flight of a F-117A in 1981, IOC 1983, Panama 1989, Gulf war 1991, and many other operations the 117 performed over its life time, to its retirement in 2008. It's important that the many civilians,
contractors, airmen and officers, that formed the Stealth team/workforce are recognized for what we did for
national security. SFA has a small membership base, but we're looking to build the members by our next
reunion in the June 2017. This doesn't happen without each of your support, help the SFA strengthen its
membership, so we can ensure that our history is preserved, our stories are told, and recognition is given to
a remarkable team! Please encourage your friends, and co-workers (civilian, military, or contractor) to join
the association that made history in the United States Air Force. New members can join online by visiting
the SFA website. (www.f117sfa.org)
Lou Gum
Vice President
Stealth Fighter Association
SFA Board of Directors
2012-2017
Andy Papp, President
Lou Gum, Vice President
Mary Burris, Secretary/Treasurer
Kent Burns, Board Member
Greg Meland, Board Member
VOLUME 12 ISSUE 2
Nighthawk Newsletter Team
Editor: Greg Meland
Web Site: Dave Walker
Graphics: Dave Walker
Newsletter: [email protected]
Contact us
F-117 Stealth Fighter Association
PO Box 151196
Ft Worth, TX 76108-1196
Web: www.f117sfa.org
Info: [email protected]
Page 2
25 Years Ago...
The Last F-117 Delivery
Twenty-Five years ago the last F-117A (88-0843) was delivered to the US Air Force. A ceremony was held
at Lockheed’s facility in Palmdale, CA on July 12, 1990.
Remarks of Ben R. Rich
F-117A final Delivery Ceremony
12 July 1990
General Dugan, General Cranston, Colonel Tolin, Colonel McGuire, ladies and gentlemen. Today is a very
special day, for as we turn this last F-117A over to the Air Force, we celebrate the completion of the production phase of a unique aircraft program.
It’s not often that one has the opportunity to develop and field an aircraft that represents a true technological
breakthrough. And the F-117 is just that…the world’s first very low observable fighter aircraft. It certainly
is an odd looking flying machine…all black, flat surfaces, highly swept wing and V-tail, and grids over the
inlets. Yet it is a sterling example of what American ingenuity and hard work can create in response to a
critical need.
In the 1970’s, the Soviet Union had begun developing and deploying new early warning radars, surface-toair missiles, and fighter aircraft. These new systems posed a major threat to our conventional fighter and
VOLUME 12 ISSUE 2
Page 3
25 Years Ago...
Continued from Page 3
bomber forces. At the same time, technology breakthroughs in very low observables were emerging which
offered the potential to counter the menacing threat buildup. And working together, the Defense Department,
Air Force and Lockheed structured the F-117 program to capitalize on these breakthroughs by rapidly developing and fielding an operational stealth fighter. The result is the F-117A stealth fighter…an aircraft with
dramatically reduced signatures which can avoid detection, penetrate heavily defended air space, and attack
critical targets with extreme accuracy.
Prior to the program go-ahead,
five dedicated air staff officers
reporting to General Al Slay,
clearly defined a set of top level
requirements for the F-117 weapon system. Then, a system program office with a minimum
number of people was established
at the Aeronautical Systems Division, under direction of the late
General Dave Englund (then a
Colonel). Similarly, a small
Lockheed team was also established under the leadership of
Norm Nelson.
The F-117 SPO and Lockheed Program Office were supported by other organizations and groups whose efforts were crucial to the program. These include the Air Force Office of Special Investigations which developed and implemented effective security procedures for the program. The Air Force Logistics Command’s
Sacramento Air Logistics Center which provided secure, specialized logistics support including supply support. And the Tactical Air Command which worked closely with Lockheed and the SPO to initially define
operational requirements and later establish a secure, full operational and maintenance capability at the Tonopah Test Range Airfield.
Also, working closely with the SPO and Lockheed as full partners, were contractors such as General Electric,
Honeywell, Airesearch, and many others. And today, we are honored to have representatives from 31 F-117
subcontractors with us.
Working together, this F-117A team established streamlined management methods with clear lines of communication and regularly scheduled meetings, but with a minimum amount of formal reporting. An appropriate amount of oversight was provided, but the team was not overburdened. We created a non-adversarial,
problem solving environment built on trust and commitment. Together, we guided the program through development and production and into operational service while maintaining the highest standards of program
security.
As a result, the F-117A was developed and fielded in record time for modern fighter aircraft. Only 31 months
after go-ahead, on June 18, 1981, Lockheed test pilot, Hal Farley, flew the F-117 for the first time. And with
concurrent development and production, initial operational capability was achieved only 28 months later, in
VOLUME 12 ISSUE 2
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25 Years Ago...
Continued from Page 4
October 1983. In other words, the operating unit, the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing, was ready to go to battle
only 5 years after the program go-ahead. That’s roughly half the time of conventional aircraft procurement
programs. And here we are today, roughly 9 years after program start, delivering the last of 59 production
aircraft.
But not only was the F-117 done quickly, it was done at low cost. At the same time we applied breakthrough
stealth technology, we used proven components from other aircraft to reduce cost and risk – General Electric
F404 engines, F-16 flight control computers, F-18 cockpit displays, and many others. Total Air Force development cost to date is very low compared to other modern day fighters – less than $2 billion. And the average unit flyaway cost for the 59 production aircraft is only $42.6 million including all government furnished
equipment – very favorable compared to other fighters.
We built the F-117 at two a season, 8 airplanes per year, and achieved a 78 percent learning curve. The total
production program, by the way, was fixed price and we did not lose any money. In addition, the Skunk
Works guaranteed range, radar cross section, and bombing accuracy. And thanks to the hard work of many of
you, we met all our guarantees.
But the bottom line has been the outstanding performance of the F-117 in service with the 37th Tactical fighter
Wing. Their highly motivated pilots and crewmen have set new standards for fighter readiness, reliability,
maintainability and safety. The unit has consistently received superior ratings in operational readiness inspections. They won the TAC commander’s award for top performance in aircraft maintenance, and they have the
best safety record of any modern jet fighter.
The F-117A program has been a tremendous team accomplishment, and many of you here today are the reason for the program’s success. It’s been your personal commitment and hard work, for years in total secrecy,
that made it happen. And now that the veil of secrecy has been lifted, it is gratifying to see that the outstanding accomplishments of the F-117 team are being recognized publicly.
Just recently, Norm Nelson, Alan Brown and Dick Cantrell were selected to receive the American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics Design Award for their accomplishments on the F-117A. And finally, the Air
Force/Lockheed development team was recently awarded the 1989 Collier Trophy for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics.
And so today, we complete a chapter in the F-117A story with the delivery of the final aircraft. But in many
ways it is still just the beginning. The 37th is now at full strength and just beginning to be fully utilized as a
high leverage, integral unit with the Tactical Air Command. And we are keeping the F-117A at the technology forefront through a weapon system improvement program currently underway. These and future upgrades
will ensure the F-117 remains effective well into the 21st century. The F-117A has set the benchmark for low
observable technology. All future aircraft will incorporate some level of this technology. The nation’s investment in this highly successful program has been a defense dividend that has yielded a peace dividend for
all of us which will continue for many years to come.
I thank you all for a job well done – you have given the Lockheed Skunk Works another kudo in tradition of the U-2 and the SR-71. Let the nation know we are ready to do it again.
VOLUME 12 ISSUE 2
Page 5
25 Years Ago...
Chronology of Events
OPERATION DESERT SHIELD
Special Study 37FW/HO-91-1
Compiled by Harold P. Myers, SMSgt (Ret), Historian
Revised and Edited by Vincent C. Breslin, SMSgt, USAF Historian 9 Jan 1992
August 1990
17 Aug At 1000 hours, Col Alton C. Whitley, Jr., assumed command over the
37th Tactical Fighter Wing (TFW) from Col Anthony J. Tolin. At 1400
hours, the wing received its deployment orders o Saudi Arabia.
18 Aug The 37 TFW began processing people and cargo for deployment to
Saudi Arabia for Operation DESERT SHIELD.
19 Aug Twenty one F-117A Stealth Fighters from the 415th Tactical Fighter
Squadron (TFS) deployed to Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, completing
their first leg to Saudi Arabia.
20 Aug The first C-5 touched down at King Khalid Air Base in Saudi Arabia, with Colonel Whitley and Lt Col Ralph W. Getchell III, 415 TFS Commander, on board. They were officially greeted by Brig Gen Abdulaziz Bin
Khalid Al Sudairi, Base Commander, and Col Faisal Eurwailli, Flying Wing
Commander.
21 Aug Eighteen
37 TFW F-117As
arrived from
Langley Air Force
Base, Virginia,
at King Khalid
Air Base, Saudi
Arabia.
23 Aug The 415
TFS launched
eight orientation
sorties with the
Saudis. The host
wing used four F5s, three F-15s,
and one Tornado
to chase 37 TFW
aircraft.
VOLUME 12 ISSUE 2
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25 Years Ago...
Continued from Page 6
26 Aug The.F-117A assumed alert duty for the first time in its history.
September 1990
4 Sep Maj Guy C. Fowl, the deployed Deputy Commander for Maintenance, initiated Shade Tree Aircraft Repair (STAR) procedures to repair broken
line replaceable units (or vionics boxes). This was another F-117A first.
12 Sep Gen Michael J. Dugan, the Air Force Chief of Staff, visited the
wing at King Khalid.
22 Sep Two C-141s brought the 37 TFW’s avionics maintenance vans from Tonopah Test Range, Nevada, to King Khalid Air Base, Saudi Arabia.
23 Sep Colonel Whitley issued Special Order #1 to assign all previously
attached personnel to the wing for the duration of Operation DESERT
SHIELD.
25 Sep General Norman Schwarzkopf, US Central Command Commander, visited
the 37 TFW (Team Stealth) at King Khalid Air Base, Saudi Arabia.
VOLUME 12 ISSUE 2
Page 7
25 Years Ago...
OPERATION DESERT SHIELD
History of the 37th FW 5 Oct 1989 – 31 Dec 1991 Volume I
By Vincent C. Breslin, SMSgt, USAF
Historian
22 May 1992
Leadership and Tasking
On 2 August 1990, Iraq
invaded the Emirate of
Kuwait in Southwest
Asia. More than
100,000 Iraqi troops
overran Kuwait City,
quickly took possession
of Kuwait’s oil fields,
and pushed south to the
Saudi Arabian border. Within a week,
the Iraqi invasion
force numbered
170,000. On 8 August,
the United Nations (UN)
Security Council unanimously demanded the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Iraqi troops from Kuwait. Iraq’s
Saddam Hussein ignored that order and began massing additional troops at
the Turkish border on 9 August. Saudi Arabia and Turkey, both fearing a
possible invasion by Iraq, (requested) UN forces to set up defensive positions in their homelands.
On 7 August 1990, President Bush ordered US ground and air forces to Saudi Arabia as part of the UN Coalition Force. Operation DESERT SHIELD had
begun. F-15s deployed from Langley AFB, Virginia, to Saudi Arabia and
the USS Saratoga battle group left Norfolk, Virginia, on the same day for
the Persian Gulf.
Earlier, on 3 August 1990, the 37th TFW Commander, Colonel Tolin, terminated local exercise FAST JOG 90-05 prematurely to prepare for (the) DESERT SHIELD deployment tasking. He directed his Deputy Commander for Resource Management to keep war readiness support kits (WRSK) already packaged for FAST JOG simulated CHECKERED FLAG overseas deployment) ready for
immediate use.
Col Alton C. Whitley, Jr. assumed command over the 37th TFW on 17 Aug 1990
from Colonel Tolin. A former Stealth Fighter pilot with the 4450 TG and
VOLUME 12 ISSUE 2
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25 Years Ago...
Continued from Page 8
a veteran of the Vietnam conflict, Colonel Whitley’s assignment as commander came only hours before the arrival of wing deployment orders to
Saudi Arabia for Operation DESERT SHIELD. Upon deployment notification,
Colonel Whitley convened the 37 TFW
battlestaff to begin processing people,
cargo, and aircraft to an unsurveyed
location in Saudi Arabia.
Mission Support
Upon arrival of the 37 TFW initial cadre support element at King Khalid AB
on 20 August 1990, organization commanders and staff agency chiefs took
quick action to establish support function, services, and provision. Within
a day, members of the deployed aircraft
maintenance unit (AMU) had set up house
on the flightline, broken out the WRSK
and aerospace ground equipment (AGE),
and marshalled the F-117As to their
hangars. Thirty hours after the last
Stealth Fighter landed, 17 of 18 aircraft had been regenerated to full mission capable status.
Meanwhile, a 37th Medical Squadron trauma team had set up a rudimentary clinic
and had treated their first patient.
By 23 August, the 37th Security
Police Squadron (SPS) had established a
security operations center, absorbed a 44-man airbase ground defense
flight from the 554th SPS at nellis AFB, and manned a security perimeter
for the wing’s area of operations. The Deputy Commander for Operations
had established a three-man mini-command post for Stealth operations
within the Saudi war room. And the wing’s resource management team had
initiated contracts for general purpose vehicles, compacts, mini-buses,
bottled water, food, trash collection, and fuel.
Through the end of the year, the support infrastructure of the 37 FW continued to grow. By early December wing strength had grown from 500 to
900 personnel. A significant portion of that strength constituted the
combat support element (later designated 37 Combat Supprt Group Provisional (CSGP)). The combat support element represented a conglomeration
of many units, bases, and commands. The organization was not built from
standard unit type codes (UTCs), nor did its members come wholly from the
VOLUME 12 ISSUE 2
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25 Years Ago...
Continued from Page 9
ranks of the 37 FW. Rather, it evolved in bits and pieces. The SPS
alone had policeman from nine different units, eight bases, and four major commands.
Persian Gulf operations entailed the first large scale mobilization of
Stealth resources – assets previously employed only on a small package
9four to ten aircraft), short term (two to five days) exercise and contingency basis. To support the new concept of operations, Col Whitley
instituted around-the-clock work schedules both at Tonopah and in Saudi
Arabia. Production rates sky-rocketed in practically every aspect of
unit operation. Personnel Support for Contingency Operations (PERSCO)
teams (security, medical, and personnel specialists) processed more than
900 people through deployment mobility work centers while achieving 100
percent strength accountability of deployed forces. Wing legal specialists prepared 912 Last Will and Testaments and 823 Powers of Attorney. The communications squadron transmitted more than 99,000 AUTODIN
messages. Base supply built, issued, and inventoried more than 1,300 mobility bags while stocking 47 WRSK pallets. Air freight teams shipped
nearly 900 tons of cargo and ground support equipment aboard 40 cargo
aircraft. The comptroller division managed 1,250 personnel travel vouchers and nearly 23,000 military pay transactions. Aircraft maintenance
units (AMUs) built-up and furnished 2,142 tons of precision guided munitions in support of more than 1,200 combat sorties and 6,900 flying
hours. In a corporate sense, this was TEAM STEALTH at its very best.
Lessons Learned
Over the course of Operation DESERT SHIELD, 37 TFW deputy commanders,
squadron commanders, and staff agency chiefs identified a wide variety of
lessons learned which they later used to modify unit contingency and mobility plans and develop more appropriate deployment packages. They also
furnished their findings to Headquarters CENTAF in the expectation that
the more generic of these could be used, in conjunction with lessons
learned by other wings, to improve overall Air Force operational concepts.
The 37 TFW ADVON arrived only two hours before the rest of the package
airlift. The ADVON was responsible for ensuring the deployment base was
prepared for the remainder of the aviation package. Specific tasks included setting up in-processing lines, coordinating billeting and messing, and determining the location of work centers.
1. Unless the ADVON arrives far enough in advance to accomplish
these tasks, personnel and equipment in the main body will not be
effectively employed immediately after arrival. The decision on
ADVON flow is made by higher headquarters (TAC and theater
VOLUME 12 ISSUE 2
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25 Years Ago...
Continued from Page 10
staffs). The ADVON should arrive at least 24 hours in advance of
the rest of the aviation package. Wing commanders must emphasize
this issue with the TAC Battle Staff as soon as the unit’s deployability posture is increased.
Weather Squadron personnel deployed with the 37 TFW had some, but not
enough, training on the climatology of the deployed area of operations. This illustrated the need to increase training requirements for
areas other than the primary taskings of the wing to support a 37 TFW
world-wide mobility commitment.
Please see the original document for citations and references. Operation DESERT STORM will be covered in the next two newsletters.
VOLUME 12 ISSUE 2
Page 11
In Memoriam
Fallen Nighthawks
In this issue I wanted to again pay tribute to our fellow Nighthawks who have “gone west”. I know that the list is not complete, so if any of you out there have other names of folks who worked in the F-117 program and have passed away, please
forward their names and organization or position with the program.
Last Name
Abrams
Aldridge
Allen
Allen
Arnold
Baker
Barton
Baso
Bohanan
Boland
Bollinger
Borjon
Bouchard
Bowman
Broline
Bruggeman
Bulat
Burgland
Callison
First Name
Richard
Mike
James
Clyde
Gary
William
Charles
Gus
Larry
Bruce
George
Dick
Gene
Medford
Leonard
Henry
Tony
Shirley
Barry
Prefix
Mr.
Campbell
Cantrell
Carter
Castle
Cooley
Corcoran
Cornell
Coyle
Creech
Dean
Fasulkey
Ferguson
Fisher
Frierson
Gerard
Grey
Hall
William
Coy
James
Donna
David
Micky
Donald
William
Wilbur
Greg
Roger
Dave
Tom
Allen
Richard
Charles
Charles
MSgt
Mr.
VOLUME 12 ISSUE 2
BGen
Bandit No Date of Death Notes
8/11/1994 Lockheed Flight Test Director
158
SMS
MSgt
Dr
Col
SMS
LtCol
173
313
8/23/1998
9/7/2002
9/21/2013
7/20/2012
5/29/2004
7/1/1996
12/1/2010
7/5/1995
7/12/2006
4450th Tac Gp CC 1982-1984
LMCO Engineering
4450th TG 1980 - 1987 CRS, AGE Branch Chief
Lockheed Logistics Director 1979-1986
Lockheed Flight Safety Engineer
5/7/2001
7/15/1985
2/1/1996
2/23/2013
1/1/2010
7/23/2011
8/28/2004
12/25/2003
Item Manager, SM-ALC/QL
Equipment Specialist, SM-ALC/QL
4450th TG 1981 - 1990 CRS, AGE branch Shop
Chief
Aircraft Designer - LMCO
Secretary, SM-ALC/QL
122
Lt Col
Gen
Lt Col
100
459
Lt Col
Lt Col
Col
177
3/25/2009
4/7/2014
8/27/2008
8/26/2003
5/21/2015
6/30/2006
8/10/2011
Blue Room - McClellan AFB mid 90s
Flight Test analysis engineer
TAC/CC 1985-1987
7/24/2006
8/12/1998
Warehouseman, SM-ALC/QL
Avionics flight test manager
Page 12
In Memoriam
Last Name
Harris
Hastings
Helms
Heranimous
Jackson
James
Jaspers
Johnson
Kelly
Levens
Macy
McAvoy
McCaslin
McCloud
Moore
Moschgat
Mulhare
Murray
Nance
Nelson
Odekerken
Okamoto
Park
Parkerson
Pickering
First Name
Mike
Michael
Ruth
Mary Jo
Steve
Charles
Greg
Clarence
Gary
Kenneth
Len
Benton
Ray
David
Daryl
Robert
Ross
Thomas
Charles
Norm
Joseph
Tad
William
Jackie
Herbert
Rich
Riedenaur
Riefler
Rosebrock
Seekings
Ben
Robert
Louis
Douglas
John
Sheridan
John
Short
Showalter
Skinner
Stewart
Tarrant
Alice
Carolyn
William
Michael
Kevin
Mrs.
Tolin
Tweed
Vollmoeller
Wall
Anthony
Jay
Phillip
Robert
BGen
MSgt
CMSgt
VOLUME 12 ISSUE 2
Prefix
Col
Bandit No
167
MSgt
Col
121
Col
Capt
461
Mr.
Lt Gen
201
Maj
CMS
MSgt
198
Date of Death Notes
2/10/2013
Flight & Maintenance manuals manager
11/17/2010 A-7s and Baja Scorpian - 1981 to 1989
Item Manager, SM-ALC/QL
SM-ALC/QL
SM-ALC/QL
10/5/2008
12/21/1990 VP ADP
10/15/2006
5/10/1995
1/24/2014
5/14/2004
2/26/2015
7/26/1998 4450th Tac Cp/ADO 1985-1987
SM-ALC/QL
7/11/1986
11/12/2004
8/4/2012
8/22/2003
3/17/1996
3/17/1996
4/26/1997
10/23/2011
SMS
Col
1/5/1995
Lt Col
Capt
103
166
Mr.
Mr.
Maj
Lt Col
231
335
251
4/23/2007
F-117 program 1979 - 1984
F-117 program 1979 to 1980
Lockheed Skunk Works VP Engineering
LMCO Field Service
Equipment Specialist, SM-ALC/QL
Lockheed Test Pilot (Have Blue)
F-117 program 1984 - 1988
VP-Gen Mgr Lockheed Skunk Works 1975
-1990
Lockheed Test Pilot
11/24/2005 Tech Writer - LMCO
8/3/2013
Lockheed Chief engineer 1982-1985, F4/17/2010
117 Program Mgr 1985-1988
Security Specialist, Directorate of specialized Management, McClellan AFB, CA
Warehouse, SM-ALC/QL
4/29/2003
10/14/1987
6/22/2005
TTR - 1987 - 17 Aug 90 (4450th Vice CC,
CC, 37th FW CC)
8/28/2013
2/1/2007
Flight operations
Page 13
In Memoriam
Last Name
Wardell
Watson
York
Zavala
First Name
Graham
Paul
Tom
Art
Prefix
Grp Capt
Bandit No
282
106
Date of Death Notes
6/6/1999
Equipment Specialist, SM-ALC/QL
Equipment Specialist, SM-ALC/QL
Special Notice
Calling all F-117 program Clemson University graduates! AFROTC Det 770 is creating a plaque for
display at the University that lists Clemson alumni that were affiliated with the F-117. If you were or
know someone who was in the F-117 program and graduated from Clemson University—contact Michael ‘Cookie’ Cook at: [email protected]
VOLUME 12 ISSUE 2
Page 14
F-117 Archives Special Edition
25 Years Ago this Year
Jan 19 - Aircraft 79-780 was delivered to TTR to be used as an Aircraft Battle Damage Repair trainer.
Mar 8 - The new composite rudder was installed on its first production aircraft – 88-0841.
Apr 21 - The F-117 was publically unveiled during a fly-in and display on the Nellis flightline. Aircraft 80
-0790 and 84-0824 were put on public display for the first time.
May 11 - Ben Rich and the Lockheed/Air Force team were awarded the 1989 Collier Trophy for outstanding achievement in aviation.
Jun 1 - The total F-117 fleet flying hours reached 40,000 hours.
Jun 18 - The 415th TFS deployed six aircraft to England AFB, LA in the first publicly acknowledged F117 deployment.
Jun 21 - Configuration Update 5 (CU-5) was started with aircraft 82-0805.
Jun 27 - Aircraft 88-0843, the last production aircraft, was delivered to the Air Force. A formal ceremony
was held two weeks later at Lockheed’s Palmdale facility.
Aug 1 - F-117 total fleet sorties reached 30,000.
Aug 18 - The 415th TFS deployed to Saudi Arabia at the start of Operation DESERT SHIELD.
Aug 28 - The F3 IRADS modification was given the go-ahead.
Sep 1 - Aircraft 81-0798 completed the first 1200 hour maintenance inspection for the F-117.
Sep 21 - The Platy enhancement mod was completed for the fleet (acft 86-0838).
Oct 1 - Lockheed began transferring F-117 tooling from Burbank to their Palmdale facility.
Oct 3 - Gen Colin Powell, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, escorted Gen Mikhail Moiseyev, First
Deputy Minister of Defense and Chief of the General Staff of the Soviet Union on a static tour of several
aircraft that included the F-117 at Ellsworth AFB, SD.
Oct 25 - Configuration Update 4 (CU-4) (acft 81-10796) was completed.
Nov 1 - Total F-117 fleet hours reached 45,000 hours.
Nov 27 - The first Offensive Capability Improvement Program (OCIP) mod was completed (82-0805).
Nov 29 - The 416th TFS/AMU deployed 18 aircraft to Operation DESERT SHIELD joining the 415th at
Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia.
VOLUME 12 ISSUE 2
Page 15
Join The Stealth Fighter Association
Stealth Fighter Association Mission
Statement
The Stealth Fighter Association is an
affiliation of individuals brought together by the common bond of association with the world’s first stealth
fighter, the Lockheed Martin F-117,
produced by the Lockheed Martin
Skunk Works for the United States
Air Force. Our mission is to preserve
the memory of our struggles to attain
a stealth combat capability second to
none, maintain the legacy of the F117 “Nighthawk,” maintain the
bonds of brother and sisterhood between those who contributed to make
the awesome combat capability of
stealth a reality, and act as a governing board to oversee the planning and
execution of periodic reunions at either five or ten year cycles.
For those folks reading this
Newsletter who are not current
members of the SFA, membership is
open to all personnel, civilian or
military, who at some time in their
career were associated with the F-117
Stealth Fighter Aircraft program.
Additional info is available on the
SFA web site, and hard copies of this
newsletter are available for mailing to
interested folks. Please ask a member
or drop a line to:
Stealth Fighter Association
PO Box 151196
Ft Worth, TX 76108-1196
Web Site Info
We’re still in the process of updating our web site.. If anyone of you out there have experience and
would like to volunteer to help out, please let me know via email ([email protected]). By the next
newsletter we hope to have everything up and running. Let us know if you would like see anything
particular on the web site.
You can reach us at: [email protected]
http://www.f117sfa.org
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