Robins Air Force Base celebrates 50th anniversary of F-15 Eagle’s first flight

The Robins Air Force Base F-15 Division celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first F-15 flight Friday.

The celebration hosted at the Museum of Aviation featured guest speakers, special displays and food trucks as well as a scavenger hunt and F-15 themed activities for children.

The first flight of the F-15 prototype was on July 27, 1972 at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The historic flight was performed by McDonnell Douglas Chief Experimental Test Pilot Irving L. Burrows.

For the past 50 years, the tactical fighter aircraft has gained a distinguished reputation for its air-to-air combat record of 104 shootdowns to zero losses, according to Deputy Chief of the F-15 Division Jimmy Bailey.

The F-15’s golden anniversary celebration featured a talk from retired Brig. Gen. James Sehorn, a former prisoner of war in North Vietnam. The talk was followed by a ceremony with guest speakers and a cake cutting in the Century of Flight Hangar.

“This has been an outstanding day for us and … the Air Force and the Robins community to be able to come together and celebrate 50 years of flying excellence by one of the Air Force’s premier aircraft,” Bailey said.

This story was originally published August 8, 2022 at 7:00 AM.