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Elite 1K Joined: Jul 12, 2005 Posts: 1581 Status: Offline

Thanks again, Mephisto!! Great shots.

Sad to see another great unit loose their Vipers. It seems that some of them along with some MI ANG Vipers will re-appear in Ft. Wayne, IN.

Greetings,

Henrik.

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Elite 1K Joined: Jul 12, 2005 Posts: 1581 Status: Offline

Hello all,

Sep.23rd saw another ANG Viper unit loosing its last plane. 87-0292 was the last "Big Inlet" Block-30 Viper assigned to the 170th FS / 183rd FW in Springfield, IL and on this date the historic Viper left for the 100th FS / 187th FW in Montgomery, AL with IL ANG pilot Lt. Col. John Patterson at the controls.

A short IL ANG "trivia";

SEPT. 30, 1948 — Unit is founded as the 170th Fighter Squadron. The first
plane flown by the unit is the World War II-era P-51 Mustang. (By 1948, this
plane had been re-designated the F-51.)

NOVEMBER 1953 — 183rd gets its first jet, the F-86 Sabre.

FEBRUARY 1955 — F-86 Sabres are replaced with F-84 Thunderstreaks.

OCTOBER 1962 — 170th Fighter Squadron becomes part of the 183rd Tactical
Fighter Group. The 170th is not dissolved, but the overall Air National
Guard installation at Capital Airport usually is referred to as the 183rd
from this point forward.

JANUARY 1972 — 183rd is the first Air National Guard squadron to receive the
F-4 Phantom II.

JUNE 1989 — The first two Block-15 F-16s arrive in Springfield - both are coming from the 347th TFW at Moody AFB, GA. By May 1990, the unit
had accepted all of its F-16s.

OCTOBER 2005 — Congress refuses to block recommendations of the Base
Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission, which called for reassigning the
183rd’s fighters.

JUNE 2008 — The first of the 183rd’s F-16 Falcons begin to leave
Springfield.

The "Big Inlet" Block-30 aircraft used to be operated by the 170th FS have been spread out in the ANG Viper community with several examples delivered to other "Big Inlet" units in Alabama, Iowa, New Mexico, Texas and Vermont.

I do not have the complete transfer list as of yet, but I will post any updates as they come along.

Known so far;

86-0362 transferred to the VT ANG in June.
86-0363 transferred to the VT ANG in June.
86-0365 transferred to the VT ANG in June.

86-0371 transferred to the 416th FLTS at Edwards AFB, CA in July.

87-0265 transferred to the AL ANG recently.
87-0292 transferred to the AL ANG Sep. 23rd.

87-0320 transferred to the NM ANG late August.

87-0322 transferred to the VT ANG in August.

87-0324 seen flying with the IA ANG in Des Moines during Aug./Sep. still in "SI" markings.

Greetings,

Henrik.

Hey Henrik

Great update, thank you.

Are you sure about 87-0292? I thought it was with the 188th FS? Had it moved to the 170th FS recently?

i heard a rumor that Ft wayne is getting a-10s. Any one got any info?

Newbie Joined: Aug 07, 2008 Posts: 8 Status: Offline

Ft. Wayne will still be taking reciept of Blk 30 F-16's sometime this fall. A-10's as of now are just a rumor.

Henrik wrote:

86-0371 transferred to the 416th FLTS at Edwards AFB, CA in July.

I'd be surprised if this jet went to the 416th. I'd think it'd go to the 445th since they are the squadron getting the replacements for the ex-Pakistani jets that left.

Jake

Enthusiast Joined: Jan 13, 2008 Posts: 52

Hi all,

Jon wrote:

Are you sure about 87-0292? I thought it was with the 188th FS? Had it moved to the 170th FS recently?

I also saw a press release stating tail number 292, but after some Googling I found out it was actually 296 which would make it 87-0296. It was completely unmarked. A short movie on YouTube also showed an unmarked '400' undergoing maintenance on the same date, could be either 85-1400 or 88-0400.

HTH,
Joris

Elite 1K Joined: Jul 12, 2005 Posts: 1581 Status: Offline

Jon wrote:

Hey Henrik

Great update, thank you.

Are you sure about 87-0292? I thought it was with the 188th FS? Had it moved to the 170th FS recently?

Oops - fat finger alert!! It should be 87-0296

Gretnigs,

Henrik.

Elite 1K Joined: Jul 12, 2005 Posts: 1581 Status: Offline

JakeMelampy wrote:

Henrik wrote:

86-0371 transferred to the 416th FLTS at Edwards AFB, CA in July.

..................I'd think it'd go to the 445th since they are the squadron getting the replacements for the ex-Pakistani jets that left.................

Jake

Jake is right!! 416th FLTS is the unit in question.

Greetings,

Henrik.

Elite 1K Joined: Jul 12, 2005 Posts: 1581 Status: Offline

Joris wrote:

Hi all,

Jon wrote:

Are you sure about 87-0292? I thought it was with the 188th FS? Had it moved to the 170th FS recently?

I also saw a press release stating tail number 292, but after some Googling I found out it was actually 296 which would make it 87-0296. It was completely unmarked. A short movie on YouTube also showed an unmarked '400' undergoing maintenance on the same date, could be either 85-1400 or 88-0400.

HTH,
Joris

Hi Joris,

Thanks for Your update. The other Viper in question is 88-0400 - 85-1400 is a "Small Inlet" Block-30 that resides in the DC ANG.

Greetings,

Henrik.

gbu24loader wrote:

Ft. Wayne will still be taking reciept of Blk 30 F-16's sometime this fall. A-10's as of now are just a rumor.

Pretty good rumor when it comes from the Indiana NG Bureau Adjutent General. Wink

25s leaving, 30s coming for about a year until we find a new home for them, then possible conversion to A-10s. Should be an interesting couple of years for us. Smile

Yeah i talked to one of your pilots up there and he said more or less the same thing. That isn't more of a question of when it's goin to happen instead of if it's goin to happen. I just wander who will get your 30's when your done with them.

Elite 1K Joined: Jul 12, 2005 Posts: 1581 Status: Offline

Racer497 wrote:

.....................I just wander who will get your 30's when your done with them............................

Hi Racer,

Probably another ANG unit like Duluth, MN or Fresno, CA as the ANG seems to concentrate on the Block-30 with only three "outsiders" - namely the two Block-42 unit in Toledo, OH and Tulsa, OK as well as the Block-52 equipped SC ANG.

Greetings,

Henrik.

Some of our Falcon Star Ft Wayne block 25s are heading to Duluth very soon. Wonder if they're going to do the year thing and change too.

Elite 1K Joined: Jul 12, 2005 Posts: 1581 Status: Offline

Weasel_Keeper wrote:

Some of our Falcon Star Ft Wayne block 25s are heading to Duluth very soon. Wonder if they're going to do the year thing and change too.

Thanks Keeper - very interesting!! Some of the former Ellington-based Block-25s of the 111th FS also went to Duluth, MN enabeling some of the non-FALCON STAR/AIFF Block-25s to retire.

I believe that Your Block-25s will provide the MN ANG the same thing.

The 179th FS / 148th FW in Duluth. MN is supposed to re-equip with Block-40s sometime in the 2012-2014 time frame, but I do not believe that the Block-25s will remain in service there that long, so Block-30s coule very well go there for a service period of 4-5 years.

Greetings,

Henrik.

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