F-86 relocation delayed again
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on October 4, 2015 1:50 AM
Due to concerns about Hurricane Joaquin, continuing heavy rains and predictions of inclement weather, the relocation of Goldsboro's F-86 Sabre fighter jet has been delayed for a third time.
A new date will be announced in the coming days as more information is made available, said Tech Sgt. Phillip Butterfield with 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
The jet, which is currently on the grounds of SJAFB, was scheduled to be lifted out of the base gates and onto a flatbed truck on Piedmont Airline Road between 6 and 7 a.m. Friday. It would then have traveled down East Ash Street early Saturday morning to wait for its placement atop a pole behind the brick "Goldsboro" sign adorned with wings on the front at the East Ash Street traffic circle downtown.
It was originally scheduled to be brought downtown on Sept. 26, and placed behind the traffic circle on Oct. 2. Due to scheduling conflicts between the city, the base and the contractor doing the work -- Worldwide Aircraft Recovery -- this was delayed until the schedules of the three groups better aligned.
It was then rescheduled to be lifted out of the base on Oct. 2, brought downtown on Oct. 3 and then mounted behind the traffic circle on Oct. 9.
Once the jet is placed on the pole, it will be mounted so the nose of the plane is facing upward, with a body tilt of 15 to 20 degrees, to make it appear as though the jet was flying down Center Street.
The F-86 was originally moved onto SJAFB from the Goldsboro Fire and Police Department Complex for refurbishing work in February 2014.
The work on the plane was completed in July 2015, and the jet has been awaiting its eventual relocation ever since.