131st Fighter Wing

(left) 80-0034 posing in front of the maintenance hangar.

(right) 80-0035 taxiing out for a morning training mission.

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	131st Fighter Wing Missouri Air National Guard Lindbergh's Own

Parked directly across the airport from where it was created, F-15C 81-0026 sits on the 131st Fighter Wing ramp. The 131st FW has recently finished the conversion from the F-15A to the newer F-15C.

The 131st Fighter Wing, based at St. Louis International Airport, Missouri, has served the United States and Missouri for over 80 years. Tracing its roots back to the 110th Observation Squadron, organized in 1923, the unit began life flying the Curtis JN-4 "Jenny" biplane. Flying mailruns from St. Louis to Chicago, the first pilot was none other than Charles Lindbergh. Mr. Lindbergh soon became a member in the 110th, and was an officer when he made his historic trans-Atlantic flight in 1927. The title "Lindbergh's Own" was adopted in 1977 after receiving permission from Charles Lindbergh's widow. The 110th Fighter Squadron aircraft have included the T-33, F-80, F-84, F-100, F-4, and, in 1991, the McDonnell-Douglas F-15 Eagle.

Created across the Lambert Field runways at the sprawling McDonnell-Douglas factory, the first F-15 entered service with the 58th Tactical Training Wing, Luke AFB, Arizona, in 1974, and has racked up an extremely impressive combat record. In service with the United States' Air Force, as well as Air Forces of Japan, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, the Eagle has seen service in the Bekaa Valley, Persian Gulf, and, more recently, the skies over the Balkans and Iraq. Currently, its tally is an astonishing 101 aerial victories against 0 losses.

When it came time to retire the 131st Fighter Wing's F-4s in 1991, the logical replacement was the F-15. The aircraft's performance and combat record made it the obvious choice, as did the fact that it was built "in-house" across from the 131st Fighter Wing's ramp. With their new aircraft, the 131st has been busy. Assignments have included deployment to the world's typical "hotspots", such as to Incirlik AB, Turkey, in 1996, 1997, and again in 1998 to patrol the "NO-FLY" zones over northern Iraq. In 2000, they deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, to patrol the southern "NO-FLY" zone over Iraq.

In June, 2005, the 131st Fighter Wing finished conversion from the F-15A to the newer F-15C, which were displaced from Langley AFB, Virginia, as the 27th Fighter Squadron ramped up to receive the Lockheed-Martin F-22 Raptor. The F-15As were in turn dispatched to AMARC, the aircraft storage area in Tucson, Arizona, or to other units, including the 159th FW, New Orleans, Louisiana; and the 125th FW, Jacksonville, Florida. The final F-15A left St. Louis on June 27, 2005 to finish its days with the 159th Fighter Wing in New Orleans. Ironically, the unit was forced to keep its sole two-seat F-15B, as there were no F-15Ds available.

In its 2005 BRAC (Base Realignment And Closures) recommendations, the Department of Defense has chosen to strip the aircraft from the 131st Fighter Wing, claiming that Lambert-St. Louis Airport had lower military value than other F-15 bases across the country. At this time, final details are undecided, but it does appear that the BRAC recommendations will be followed through, leaving a hole in the central United States' defense, and putting an end to an illustrious, successful Fighter Wing's history.

	(left) F-15A 77-0086, prior to departing the 2004 London International Airshow. It was one of two F-15As that attended the show.
		(right) The last F-15A to depart the 131st Fighter Wing was 77-0118, seen here just days before its flight to its new home in New Orleans.

	(left) F-15C 79-0057 getting some attention from 131st FW personnel.
		(right) F-15C 80-0004 on the St. Louis ramp before a very busy flying day.

	(left) 80-0043 sits idling on the ramp, waiting for the rest of its flight.
		(right) 80-0043 again, swarmed by groundcrew at EOR as it prepares to depart with 3 other Eagles.


	Big thanks go to Joe Steimann of the 131st Fighter Wing, and Mark Nankivil for arranging my visit and escorting me on the ramp. Thanks, guys! I appreciate it!!

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		F-15C 78-0525 is a new addition to the 131st Fighter Wing, having flown previously with the 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley AFB, Virginia. It was delivered to St. Louis in the spring of 2005.