Grand Forks Air Force Base celebrates 50th anniversary of record-breaking flight – Grand Forks Herald

GRAND FORKS – Fifty years ago, the Streak Eagle fighter aircraft took off from Grand Forks Air Force Base and broke an aeronautical record – not for its own glory but to send a clear message to the Soviet Union.

In February 1975, the U.S. was in the midst of the Cold War with the Soviets, and Americans had something to prove.

Project Streak Eagle called for the F-15A Eagle to be stripped to the bare essentials, which made it 1,800 pounds lighter than normal, Vice Commander Col. Bishane Whitmore told a crowd gathered for the 50th anniversary event Thursday, Feb. 20, at GFAFB, home of the 319th Reconnaissance Wing.

Airmen assigned to the 319th Reconnaissance Wing and civilians observe a static F-15 EX Eagle II aircraft from the 96th Test Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, at Grand Forks Air Force Base on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. The F-15 EX was visiting Grand Forks AFB to commemorate the F-15A Streak Eagle’s record breaking-flight of 30,000 meters within three minutes and 45 seconds.

U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Emma Funderburk

The project was intended to demonstrate America’s air superiority, to counter advanced Soviet MiG fighters, and show the Russians – and the world – “how fast and how lethal our force was,” Whitmore said.

It was a psychological tool in a strategy of integrated deterrence, the base has stated.

In 1975, the F-15A – flown here from Edwards Air Force Base in California – rose to more than 98,000 feet in three minutes and 27.8 seconds, setting a world time-to-climb record for aircraft powered by jet engines, Whitmore said.

“It was an incredible feat to be able to do at that time,” he said.

The 1975 flight was more than a means of providing the Air Force with more data on just what the prototype plane could accomplish when it was pushed to its limits. The record-breaking flight resonated throughout the Air Force, enhancing morale and illustrating that the Air Force was an integral part of America’s military posture, according to information provided by GFAFB. The achievements would show “our allies and our adversaries what the United States Air Force could do with cutting-edge technology. …

“It would draw the attention of American civilians, fostering an interest in an Air Force career.”

On Thursday, a few dozen people, including area homeschool students and representatives of Sen. Kevin Cramer’s office, got a close-up look at the latest version of that plane, the F-15 EX Eagle II – flown here from Eglin Air Force Base in Florida for this event – along with the RQ-4 Global Hawk and the B-1 Lancer bomber, three record-breaking aircraft.

Another flight of the F-15 EX aircraft was planned locally for Friday, Feb. 21, commemorating the 50th anniversary, base officials said.

The Global Hawk aircraft, which “symbolizes a wave to the future,” has demonstrated its capabilities by staying aloft longer than any other, Whitmore said.

In April 2024, with innovative fuel technology, the Global Hawk remained airborne for 34.8 hours, 30 minutes longer than the previous record, he said. There is no pilot on board; the plane is operated by 14 pilots on the ground.

The Global Hawk is capable of high-level and low-level bombing, Whitmore told visitors. “The wings are out now, but (during bombing) when it speeds up, the wings sweep backwards. It rolls in the air; it’s faster and much more maneuverable.”

The B-1 Lancer bomber has set 12 time-to-climb records, also breaking Soviets’ records, he said.

These were not just milestones in aeronautics, “but symbols of Air Force dominance,” Whitmore explained.

Kainen Bailey, 15, a ninth-grade homeschool student from Thompson, North Dakota, has been interested in planes “my whole life,” he said. “Planes personally fascinate me. The capabilities you can put into planes is what really gets my brain going.”

Bailey was among a few dozen students who were brimming with questions for the airmen who stood nearby, pointing out features of each aircraft. “How do you get in it?” a young boy asked. “Is it a spy plane?” another wanted to know.

Wide-eyed and talkative, Josiah Robbins, 13, a seventh-grader from Alvarado, Minnesota, was excited to see the extraordinary aircraft.

Asked why he was so interested, he said, “My dad was in the Air Force. I just like airplanes.”

His father, Brian Robbins, who served four years in the military, said Josiah’s interest is fueled by their attendance at airshows.

At one such show in Fargo, Josiah said “two Blue Angels planes broke the sound barrier above our heads.”

Lt. Col. Matt Russel, director of operations at the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, said the F-15 EX Eagle II is the newest model of the original F-15A Streak Eagle that broke eight world records here.

The aircraft is in the operational testing phase, he said, but is authorized for use in combat.

The plane, which can carry up to 23,000 pounds of fuel, is a “straight fighter,” which can discharge bombs “air-to-air or air-to-ground,” said Russel, who’s been flying the Eagle since 2012.

Arriving at GFAFB on Wednesday, Feb. 19, for the 50th anniversary of the record-breaking flight, Russel said, “It’s cool to be part of it, that (the aircraft) was setting records 50 years ago and we’re still flying that model. It’s cool to be chosen to be part of (the anniversary).”

Another type of aircraft, the B-1 Lancers have been relocated to GFAFB from Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City, South Dakota, and will be here for 10 months while that base undergoes an extensive runway construction project, costing more than $1 billion, Whitmore said.

The “main wave” of Ellsworth airmen, who came with the 10 B-1 bombers, is already here, he said. The next group is expected to arrive in April or May.

Altogether, 800 to 900 airmen will be temporarily stationedat GFAFB, living in hotels and apartments throughout the community, Whitmore said. They will be “coming and going,” as their assignments here vary in length.

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