Barnstorming in Central Massachusetts, Part 1
Story by Daniel O. Myers. Photos by Scott Zeno, Kevin Burke and Bob Finch
The last time the Massachusetts Air National Guard (MA ANG) 104th Fighter Wing (FW) / 131st Fighter Squadron (FS), based at Barnes ANGB in Westfield, MA, held an air show was August 2017. Although there was no major jet team headlining the May 13-14, 2023 show, local and state police fully expected traffic to be extremely heavy. With only one road in and out of the airport, civil authorities working in concert with the Air Guard made it a priority to move the attendees expeditiously in and out of the show. This historic event was the last time the public would be invited to see the MA ANG fly in their F-15s.
Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport (KBAF) is a joint civil-military airport nestled in rural central MA. In 1905, the ground on which the airport sits today was Camp Bartlett- a summer training camp for the 103rd and 104th Infantry Regiments (MA Army National Guard). In 1923, Vincent E. Barnes gave fifty-four acres of his property to the city for a new aerodrome who in turn named it Westfield Aviation Field. In 1936, an additional 297 acres was donated by the Barnes family. Following, the Westfield City Council changed the name to Barnes Airport.
In June 1947, the City Council approved the taking of an additional sixty-two acres of land at the north end of the airfield to be used for the newly formed MA ANG-104th Fighter Wing. Hangars, machine shops and other buildings formed the military facility when the 104th received their first aircraft: the P-47 Thunderbolt. Today, Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport comprises 1,200 acres and the 104th FW flies the F-15C Eagle.
The air show opened with four 104th F-15Cs taxiing out to runway 02. Cleared for take off; in full afterburner, “WICKED Flight” departed in single-file and gained altitude with High-Performance-Climbs before forming up for an echelon pass in front of the crowd.
Since 1976; the F-15C Eagle, an all-weather, extremely maneuverable tactical fighter, has served the U.S.A.F. well. In 2007, the 104th FW received their first F-15s when another MA ANG unit, the 102nd FW based at Otis ANGB Cape Cod, MA, changed to a non-flying mission. At the same time, the MA ANG 104th FW / 131st FS and their F-15s were assigned a new mission- sitting 24-hour alert in protection of the northeast United States.
From their echelon configuration, “WICKED Flight” shifted to single-file formation where they performed numerous high-speed low-altitude passes. In full military power; executing low-approach passes, each jet pulled straight up at the end of the runway and made hard right turns to downwind. Each successive pass filled the air with the smell of hot jet exhaust. The spectators could easily imagine hearing the pilots grunting as they executed these multiple High-G maneuvers in full afterburner. The flying continued until each jet declared “Bingo Fuel”- empty gas tanks.
On a beautiful weekend in May, Massachusetts residents had come out to say good-bye to their F-15s. But this would not be the first time the area would say farewell to an old air-frame and welcome a new. In fact, the F-15 was just the latest in a long line of aircraft to be stationed at Barnes.
As the show proceeded, jet engines were supplanted with quieter props when WWII era aircraft took to the air, starting with a C-47 (DC-3) and their Normandy Invasion “Liberty Jumpers.” Next was the B-25 Mitchell “HAP” and P-51D Mustang “Jacqueline” from the American Airpower Museum located at Republic Field, NY. As “HAP” landed, “Jacqueline” commenced an exciting demo. In 1951, the P-51 replaced the P-47 at Barnes before the 104th FW moved into the jet age. Next to fly in the show was a vintage CT-133 Silver Star “Ace Maker III,” circa 1959- representing the type of jets the 104th flew from that era. They were the; F-94 in 1954, F-86 in 1958 and F-84 in 1964. In 1971 the 104th FW / 131st FS received the F-100 before acquiring nineteen factory-new A-10 Thunderbolt-IIs in 1979.
The show continued with two 74th FS A-10s based at Moody AFB, GA. The A-10C’s demonstrated to the audience the capabilities of these 1976 era jets. The A-10 was the first U.S. Air Force aircraft specially designed for Close Air Support of ground forces. The Fairchild Republic built A-10C offers excellent maneuverability at low airspeed and altitude as a highly accurate weapons-delivery platform for attacking ground targets, such as tanks and armored vehicles. Hearing the distinct whine from their General Electric TF34-GE-100 turbofan engines, the two jets working in tandem pulled up hard then turned over as they dived to the ground, performing simulated ground attacks. The A-10s were a familiar sight around Westfield until 2007 when the Base Realignment Commission (BRAC) brought Otis’s ANGB 102nd FW F-15s to Barnes.
Later in the day, show-goers were offered one more opportunity to see the F-15C fly with a unique two-ship simulated “Close Range Dog Fight” performed by two of the most experienced 104th FW / 131st FS instructor pilots. After take-off, the two jets roared skyward before commencing their entanglement which challenged each other to an aerial duel. First flown in a flight simulator, the routine was developed over six months by the demo pilots showcasing tactics and maneuvers taught to every F-15 pilot. After receiving approval for the air show routine from the ACC and FAA, the pilots flew eight practice flights before finally performing at the air show. Following the “Dogfight,’” the two F-15s joined on a KC-46A Pegasus tanker to take on some needed fuel. Once completed, the F-15s performed one final low approach and a local heroes “wing-wave” farewell to their appreciative supporters.
Before departing, with gear down, the KC-46A performed a low approach and touch-and-go. The tanker, from the 157th Air Refueling Wing at nearby Pease ANGB, NH, is based on a Boeing 767 platform and is the newest in the U.S.A.F inventory.
Show-goers witnessed more New England military air-power with a demo by a RI ANG C-130J Hercules. The Quonset State Airport, RI based 143rd Airlift Wing has been flying the C-130J since 2005. The C-130J performed at low altitude demonstrating the aircraft’s capability of operating from rough dirt strips and, air dropping troops and equipment into hostile areas. On the ground, among the numerous static aircraft displays, the crowd was able to climb aboard a Connecticut C-130J along with a Maine KC-135.
