Last Surviving F-111 Aardvark Aircraft

The last surviving F-111 is dedicated to the 20th FW. Video by Airman 1st Class Blake Hubbard | 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs | Date: 09.12.2012

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[smeary]

Australia had the last surviving F-111 as we operated them until 2010 and the USAF retired them in 1998.

[flivver]

Just some additional info: 20FW is stationed at Shaw AFB where this F-111E was put on static display. The 20FW flys F-16s today. The F-111's tail flash, UH, is for RAF Upper Heyford in the United Kingdom where the F-111Es were flown when the 20FW lived there. It's a redtail indicating it was assigned to the 77FS, the Gamblers, whose patch was red and had a pair of dice. I was a WSO in the 79FS flying F-111s at Upper Heyford in the 80's, good times! Other than the Australian F-111Cs which outlasted them all, the EF-111A flew on for several more years after all the US F-111s were retired.

[JP-AP]

Heyford never got a lot of glory as Lakenheath did. At the NMUSAF, the F-111 on display is from Lakenheath, and the EF-111 is from Cannon. It's role in the Cold War was important, and was as the 20TFW. Great memories there 85-89.

[infectedvector]

523rd AGS (1984-1986)- Man, I miss seeing that plane fly.

[Gromit]

There's dozens of Varks out there on display.

[eifeldude]

I was at Upper Heyford when these F-111’s first came into service as a dependent. My father and Col. Branden set up all the parts procurements for these aircraft as well as contracting the building of the hardened aircraft shelters that they would park in.

[davenone]

I worked all models of these jets at McClellan AFB Depot. I was an avionics tech back in those days and let me tell you they were never painted that shiny!! I will never forget "RAPID RAVEN" during the Gulf War turning and burning the F-111EF's out of there to get them to the war. Those were the days!!

[damiangrouse]

My definition of surviving=airworthy. As far as I know there’s none of those. After all that time (1982) I still miss the work...changing ARS antenna in near 0deg weather outside a hanger was fun!

[al]

I was a crewchief on the FB111A. Working those birds on alert would make the hair on the back of your neck stand up when you had a klaxon. I remember hoping like hell they didn`t taxi onto the runway! There was enough firepower on our 7 alert birds to destroy every major city on the east coast of the US.

[harman]

That aircraft amongst many other F111's regularly flew over my house back in the 70's and 80's, I lived about 22 miles from Upper Heyford and always watched them fly over as a kid, happy days.
Glad she did'nt get scrapped, but there are still other surviving airframes around, pity there are none in working order anymore.

[tray]

UH 82-84 Fire Dept..Man what a great time and awesome jet

[douglasgookin]

It would be nice to see some in air shows

[franklogrande]

Had them at Mountain Home AFB. Loved seeing those birds fly!

[andrewmarlow]

My brother in law worked at UH on the jet avionics he was one of the last staff to leave the base

[mystikwolf]

We've got like 5 in Australia 3 that I know of, even though our guys have got an Australia f-111 at pearl harbour.

[SurfsideBeachPhoto]

was looking through a history book about the DM boneyard and saw my old FB 111 (273 from Pease) stripped to the bone and laying on the ground just before it was scrapped. funny how our airplanes become part of your life. (but to be honest, there were days when I wish I could have been the guy pulling the lever on the smelter...)

[samsignorelli]

"Last Surviving" Those words do not mean what you think they mean.

[miketypeeach]

If memory serves, 039 was assigned to Red 1. Those were the days when Charles married Diana. I was in Red 2. Went to Plattsburgh in January of '83. I suppose quite a bit changed before Heyford was shut down. They've built some beautiful homes where my dorm once stood.

[tidedownoutdoors]

Dear Lord Baby beautiful! My all time favorite.

[Uncle_-]

"Go fast, go low, go far and carry a lot of weapons". Bro just described almost every Russian fighter ever made