'Hat-in-the-Ring Gang' says goodbye to its Eagles

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Elizabeth Kreft
  • 1st Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) --  The 94th Fighter Squadron flew its last F-15 Eagle sortie today, marking the squadron’s official evolution to F-22A Raptor operations.

The “Hat-in-the-Ring Gang” is the second squadron at Langley to convert from the F-15C/D -- a strictly air-to-air fighter -- to the Raptor, which has air-to-ground capabilities. Pilots from Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon units will move into the 94th to ramp up Raptor operations.

“From the operator perspective, we see it as a way to better equip the force,” said Lt Col. Dirk Smith, the squadron commander. “It’s more than just getting a new airplane; it’s about the people who make it happen.”

The pilots, 21 F-15Cs and two F-15Ds with the squadron will transfer to Langley’s 71st Fighter Squadron for the time being. The 1st Fighter Wing is moving two Eagles a month to other Air Force installations.

The squadron’s aircraft maintenance, flight management and aircrew performance Airmen will either temporarily assist the 71st with F-15C operations, attend F-22A support training or begin on-the-job training at the 94th, under 27th FS guidance. The 27th was the first squadron to convert to the Raptor.

“We are in a good situation because they (the 27th) have built a good concept of operations, and we have the ability to take what they have learned to the next level,” Colonel Smith said. “We will be able to enjoy the benefits of the work that the 27th has done.”

If history repeats itself, the 94th “Spads” will take the F-22A Raptor to historical levels of air dominance. Two Spads are credited with the first-ever American victory in air-to-air combat in 1918. The squadron has 215 recorded aerial kills.

This kind of air dominance is synonymous with the Raptor’s repertoire.

“Through cooperation and teamwork with the 27th operations and maintenance personnel we will be a better-prepared force overall,” Colonel Smith said.

The timing and order of the Eagle-to-Raptor transition seems fitting by some aspects. The 94th is the second oldest fighter squadron in the Air Force, preceded only by the 27th.

The 94th would have celebrated its 30-year anniversary of Eagle flying in 2006. The Spads first began flying F-15 in 1976, after relocating to Langley in 1975 with the rest of the wing.

Saying goodbye to a familiar aircraft is never easy. But evolving into a Raptor squadron will be a welcome challenge for some members of the 94th.

“I am going to miss flying the Eagle -- it’s a reliable jet that is proven in combat,” said Capt. Kevin Hornburg, a 94th flight commander. Initially assigned as an Eagle driver, he was chosen to fly the Raptor and returned to Langley from F-22A pilot training at Tyndall AFB, Fla.

“As a squadron we have a lot of work ahead of us, but it will be well worth it the first time the 94th is asked to go to war with the F-22A,” Captain Hornburg said.

Senior Master Sgt. Lloyd Thomas, assistant NCO in charge the 94th Aircraft Maintenance Unit, arrived at Langley in 1978 when the Eagles were still new in the Air Force. Though the Raptor will be the 34th aircraft the 94th will fly, he still feels the F-15 will be sorely missed.

“The 94th was one the first squadrons to actively fly the Eagle, so it is certainly the end of an era,” Sergeant Thomas said. “The 94th has had a long and successful history, but the F-15 was part of that history.”