PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Fighter Wing honored the City of Portland Friday morning by dedicating the Wing’s flagship F-15 Eagle to the city.
With Mayor Ted Wheeler in attendance, the 142nd unveiled the Redhawk flagship, tail number 031 and F-15C model, with its new nose art depicting Portland as part of the 142nd Fighter Wing’s Cities of Honor program.
Wheeler said the symbol of Portland on the F-15, the nose in particular, takes him back to his childhood as an aspiring pilot.
“It was an important statement about pride in the aircraft because all these aircrafts require an entire team to make it a success,” Wheeler said. “It was about pride in the unit and it was about pride in the community and the nation.”
The Cities of Honor program started in 2007 as a way to honor the outstanding support the Oregon National Guard receives from local communities. Historically, nose art was used to personalize combat aircraft and boost unit morale.
The 142nd previously dedicated a F-15A to Portland.