Last Aircraft Set to Depart Fargo Air Force Base

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — The last airplane is set to depart the North Dakota Air National Guard base in Fargo, after more than 65 years of flying missions.

The 119th Wing that was founded in 1947 has made the move to unmanned aircraft systems after flying fighter jets for 50 years and most recently transport planes.

The airmen for the unit have been known as the Happy Hooligans since the 1950s. Three of Hooligans in F-16 fighter planes patrolled the skies over Washington D.C. after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The last F-16 was flown from Fargo to McChord Air Force Base Museum near Tacoma, Wash., in December 2006, when the base switched to the C-21 Learjet.

The lone remaining C-21 is scheduled to leave the Fargo base about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.