Photographer unknown

Photographer unknown

Previously with the 498th Fighter Interceptor Squadron when it was headquartered in Washington state, 56-457 moved to the 318th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at McChord AFB, WA in July 1963. Serving until August 1983, the aircraft was next with the 87th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, KI Sawyer AFB, MI until retired to AMARC in 1985. Converted to a QF-106 drone in the last half of 1990, it was destroyed by an AIM-7M November 13, 1991.

Squadron commanders aircraft from the 318 FIS based at McChord, Washington. To Davis Monthan in September 1995 and scrapped by HVF in 2010. Another F-15A, 76-0048 is currently displayed at McChord as '76-0111'

Photo by Patrick Martin

F-15A of the 318FIS arrives as GUNDOG 01

GUNDOG 02 F-15A about to land on 21R

Arriving to March as "DRAGON 12" this beautiful 318FIS F-15A has since been scrapped

Arriving as 'DRAGON 01' this 318FIS F-15A sits in the static line for the 1986 Castle show

w/o 02SEP80

The 318th FIS operated the F-15A from 1983 until 1989, when the unit was disbanded. This particular aircraft crashed on 18 May 1989. From eyewitness and newspaper accounts, it seems that the a/c struck a guy-wire attached to a broadcasting antenna (WMBB-TV Panama City/FL) with the left wing, however the pilot managed to recover to Tyndall AFB with the F-15 left side trashed from the wire. On landing it departed the runway and wound up on its nose when the nose gear failed. The pilot made a hasty exit and left the #2 engine running which proceeded to suck up dirt until Flight Safety came and shut it down. Apparently the refueling probe structure was all that was holding the left wing on. Usable parts were removed and the rest was recycled.