MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. -- After years of neglect while displayed in downtown New Bern, N.C., a decommissioned F-11 fighter aircraft came to Cherry Point in July to undergo an approximate five-month facelift.
The aircraft has been on loan from the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Fla. since the 1970s. In prime condition, it perched on Martin Luther King Boulevard as a symbol of the city’s close relationship with the military.
Restoring the F-11 back to its flashy Blue Angel form took a combined effort of members from Fleet Readiness Center-East and Marine Aircraft Group 14, explained Lt. Col. Michael J. Perez, MAG-14 operations officer.
The aircraft is slated to be placed back in New Bern in the near future on a new pedestal at Lawson Creek Park.