Legendary fighter takes final flight: Air Force Reserve delivers F-117A to Smithsonian

Nearly two decades after the U.S. Air Force retired the airframe from combat, one F-117A Nighthawk had the rare opportunity to take to the skies once more: this time, in the cargo hold of a C-5M Super Galaxy. The historic stealth aircraft, bound for the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, would soon join the institution's permanent collection.

The two-day, cross-country mission required precise weight distribution and millimeter-level clearances to fit the 29,500-pound load into the C-5M's cargo compartment. For the 512th Airlift reservists, executing high-consequence, strategic airlift operations is business as usual - even when the payload is a piece of aviation history.

"Growing up in the '90s and 2000s, I remember thinking of the F-117 as the most unique plane," said Maj. Billy Hafker, 709th Airlift Squadron instructor pilot and aircraft commander for the mission. "Being able to move it to the Smithsonian to preserve it for future generations is an incredible opportunity, and we're all honored to do it."

Cargo-bearing missions in the Super Galaxy require mission-ready Airmen from various career fields spanning from flying crew chief to pilot, according to Hafker. Each Airmen's proficiency in the generation and sustainment of airpower ensures the Air Force Reserve is ready to move fast, think creatively and disrupt the status quo when reacting to crises on the global stage.

Upon landing in Palmdale, California, the Dover-based crew began conducting pre-loading operations to stage the aircraft for cargo. Within two hours of landing, the loadmasters had carefully maneuvered and secured the detached Nighthawk's wings into the cargo hold while maintaining ample room for the fuselage.

However, the F-117's cockpit upload was unexpectedly delayed overnight due to a coordination breakdown regarding the required number of tie-down points on the fourth-generation fighter. With both aircraft grounded on the tarmac, the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works mechanical team worked through the night to resolve the issue. Their efforts to fabricate and install the points ensured the entire plane was successfully delivered to the Smithsonian team on October 6.

"It was a little difficult to load in, but we got the job done," shared Senior Airman Lucas Richard, 709th Airlift Squadron loadmaster. "This is probably one of the coolest pieces of cargo that I've ever seen."

As of January 2021, the Air Force has retained approximately 48 F-117As in its inventory and has disposed of approximately four aircraft each year since grounding the fleet in April 2008. The demilitarization process required to deem an aircraft worthy of museum display requires immense cooperation between the Department of War and its industry partners.

"There's a lot of people that participate in a project like this," said Jeff Corbets, program manager at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, who led the restoration. "Demilitarization was the most difficult piece, but I think it went really smoothly, all things considered."

The stealth fighter that will soon be on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center earned the nickname "The Overachiever" after being the only F-117A to fly in all four major conflicts in which Nighthawks flew combat operations: Just Cause, Desert Storm, Allied Force and Iraqi Freedom. During its 1991 participation in Iraq, it flew 1,271 sorties, achieving an 80% mission success rate while suffering no battle damage. The jet retired in 2007.

As the historic aircraft takes its place on the museum floor to be marveled by more than a million visitors each year, the mission itself serves as a proud victory for the 512th AW and its C-5 squadron. Beyond preserving history, the operation successfully showcased the advantage of the Air Force Reserve in action - delivering unprecedented combat capability and professionalism to the Joint Force.