October 25, 200619 yr From Air Force Times [The beginning of the end for the "Wobbly Goblin" ... ] October 25, 2006 F-117 pilot school closes Staff report The F-117 Nighthawk pilot school has closed its canopy. The last class of F-117 pilots graduated from the school on Oct. 13, according to 49th Fighter Wing at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M. The closure of the formal training unit was the latest sign that the F-117 is being phased out at Holloman and will eventually be replaced by the F-22A Raptor. The school was overseen by the 7th Fighter Squadron, which will be deactivated in December. Once the 7th closes, a sister unit, the 8th Fighter Squadron, will handle many of remaining training requirements. Typically, pilots assigned to the F-117 already had flown at least one tour in a different jet fighter. The course to become an F-117 pilot included 11 flights in the stealth fighter, 85 hours in classrooms and 24 simulator sessions.
October 25, 200619 yr We hardly knew ya Nighthawk, and they use to tell us that the last CH-46 pilot had not yet been born. That may also have gone by the wayside with the continued progress of the Osprey, but what about the B-52's?
March 14, 200719 yr Author From Air Force Times Once-secret F-117s retiring Staff report Posted : Tuesday Mar 13, 2007 21:31:20 EDT A fighter once so secret that the Air Force kept the jets hidden from sight is now flying off to the boneyard — albeit a high-security boneyard. On Monday, six stealth F-117 Nighthawks left Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., for storage at the Tonopah Test Range, north of Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Once the jets arrive at Tonopah, the wings will be removed and the jets stored in their original hangars. Most retired Air Force planes go to the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center near Tucson, Ariz. But with some aspects of the F-117 still classified, a more secure retirement home was chosen. By the end of the decade, all 55 of the F-117s will be retired, replaced at Holloman by the F-22A Raptor. Before the flight, Brig. Gen. David Goldfein, commander of Holloman’s 49th Fighter Wing, commented about significance F-117. “The Nighthawk story is truly one of vision, guts, passion, heroism, defiance and incredible risk taking,” he said. “A story both uniquely American and, I believe, uniquely Air Force.” The first F-117 was delivered to the Air Force in 1982 and the last plane arrived in 1990. In combat, the jets were chosen for first strikes in Operations Desert Storm, Allied Force and Iraqi Freedom. The Nighthawks were originally based at Tonopah, an airfield that has been home to many secret Air Force programs such as an aggressor squadron that flew Soviet fighters. The jets moved to Holloman in 1992.
March 15, 200719 yr Probably a good thing though, got to be maintenance intensive. Plus you never can tell what other secret aircraft is out there taking its place besides the F-22.
March 15, 200719 yr Author We're still waiting to see the Aurora , but I am sure there are a few "black" UAV programs ongoing.
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