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F-117 Nighthawk (aka Stealth Fighter)
by Chris Sorrenti
The F for Fighter designation was in fact a misnomer, as it was a ground attack aircraft, its claim to fame...delivering the opening salvos on Baghdad in Gulf War I, January, 1991.
Invisible to radar, and armed with smart bombs, the Nighthawks’ mission was to knock out key command and control centers, and military targets, to blind the Iraqis' air defenses.
Retired from service in 2008.
© 2019
Below photo: One of mine...only shot of an F-117, taken at one of several airshows here in Ottawa during the 1990s. It was a popular aircraft at that time, due to its unique design and exploits in the Gulf War
630 hits as of November 2023
12/04/2019 Author's Note: Not poetry, at least the traditional kind, but a good mental and writing exercise. Inspired by a photo (at top of page) at Aircraft of the Cold War FB group. Although some research went into the dates, this piece was essentially assembled from memory.
Posted on 12/04/2019
Copyright © 2024 Chris Sorrenti
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by Kristina Woodhill on 12/06/19 at 05:58 AM A kind of ekphrasis poem. The top photo profiles actually remind me of some recent photos of Elon Musk's all electric pickup truck he now has in production. An odd looking beast but I guess a lot of people have ordered it. Yes, this was a unique airplane. Thanks, Chris. |
| Posted by Glenn Currier on 12/07/19 at 05:16 PM My brother was in the Air Force and worked on the Delta Dart (F 106). I was a a teenager fascinated with this aspect of his world-away-from-home. Ever since then I have had an interest in fighter jets and had been intrigued with the stealth aircraft especially the fighters. I've been to a few air shows and always found them exciting and even mysterious. Thanks for the memories, Chris. |
| Posted by Richard Vince on 12/10/19 at 06:14 PM presumably the F was given to all aircraft that looked like someone's idea of a fighter, regardless of actual function (F-105 and F-111 are other examples that spring readily to mind). :) incidentally, do you mean Gulf War II, or does the war between Iran and Iraq (1980-88) not count? |
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