NOVEMBER 6, 2025 – Three F-15C Eagles soared one final loop around the 104th Fighter Wing, Westfield MA, as base personnel watched from below, October 23, 2025, It was a tearful farewell as the last trio of Eagles from Barnes Air National Guard Base departed for their permanent resting place at the “boneyard” Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona.
U.S. Air Force Pilots 1st Lt. Kyle “Nuke” Eckert, 131st Fighter Squadron, Col. David “Moon” Halasi-Kun, 104th Fighter Wing Commander, and 1st Lt. Eric” Gronk” Flynn, 131st Fighter Squadron, took off early that morning, guiding aircraft 83-0039, 86-0163, and 86-0178 into the brilliant blue-and-orange autumn sky. The weather was perfectly fall, crisp and clear, a fitting backdrop for a historic send-off.
For these three pilots, the F-15C Eagle wasn’t just a jet, it was the only aircraft they had ever flown. Nuke and Gronk had once admired the Eagles from the flight line as maintainers, dreaming of the day they’d pilot one themselves. That dream became reality when they earned their wings and joined the squadron as pilots.
Moon’s journey with the Eagle ends here, but Nuke and Gronk will continue. They’re headed to training and will return as F-35 pilots, ready to embrace the future of air combat.
“It was a bittersweet moment, being able to be the last F-15 to take off out of Barnes and officially close that chapter for us was a very surreal and special feeling for sure, “Nuke said.
The “boneyard” at Davis-Monthan is the largest aircraft storage facility in the world, where thousands of retired military aircraft are preserved, recycled for parts, or maintained for historical significance.
Of the 60 F-15’s that belonged to Barnes, the wing has sent 37 of them to the boneyard. The 104th Fighter Wing is scheduled to receive 20 F-35’s brand new products from the assembly line in Ft Worth Texas starting next summer.
For 18 years, the skies over Westfield echoed with the roar of the F-15 Eagle, a sound that became part of the community’s rhythm. The Eagle was the second longest-serving aircraft at Barnes, surpassed only by the A-10, which held the skies for an impressive 30 years.
Nuke thanked Westfield for their support and looks forward to returning soon. “Thanks to Westfield and all of its people for the unwavering support over the last 18 years, from the Airshows, to the 4AM Afterburner takeoffs. It will be quiet for a while, but we’ll be back in no time,” said Nuke.
Story by Melanie Casineau
104th Fighter Wing