During the Cold War, civilian plane spotters and aviation enthusiasts went to great lengths, and only occasionally succeeded, in spotting a Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk, the first United States Air Force “stealth aircraft.” Dedicated aviation spotters even camped out on public lands and mountain peaks surrounding Area 51 and the Tonopah Test Range, using high-powered binoculars, telephoto lenses, and radio scanners to watch the skies in hopes of seeing the mysterious black jet.

Today, seeing the F-117A is a lot easier, as several are in museums, with one joining the famed National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., this month. The museum is set to welcome tail number 85-0818, “The Overachiever,” into its collection.

Delivered Via A Two-Day Cross-Country Mission

The Overachiever is the only F-117 known to have flown combat missions in all four major conflicts involving the Nighthawk, including Operation Just Cause (Panama, 1989), Operation Desert Storm (Iraq, 1991), Operation Allied Force (Yugoslavia, 1999) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq, 2003). However, the U.S. Force took no chances in ensuring it arrived safely at the Smithsonian. Instead of flying to the museum under its own power, the retired stealth fighter was prepared for its public display by the team at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works and the U.S. Air Force Reserve’s 512th Airlift Wing, which transported the F-117 in the cargo hold of a C-5M Super Galaxy.

“The two-day, cross-country mission required precise weight distribution and millimeter-level clearances to fit the 29,500-pound load into the C-5M’s cargo compartment. For the 512th Airlift reservists, executing high-consequence, strategic airlift operations is business as usual—even when the payload is a piece of aviation history,” the Air Force explained. It was treated more than checked baggage for the cross-country flight from Palmdale, California, to Dulles International Airport.

The mission called upon U.S. Air Force airmen from various career fields spanning from flying crew chief to pilot to ensure the F-117 was treated like a VIAP (very important airplane). The detached wings had to be carefully maneuvered and secured while maintaining room for the fuselage.

Due to some minor miscommunication regarding the number of “tie-down points” on the fighter, teams from the Skunk Works spent the night resolving the issue, ensuring it was successfully delivered on Tuesday.

“It was a little difficult to load in, but we got the job done,” explained Senior Airman Lucas Richard, 709th Airlift Squadron loadmaster in a media statement , adding, “This is probably one of the coolest pieces of cargo that I’ve ever seen.”

It was a team effort that paid off, added Maj: Billy Hafker, 709th Airlift Squadron instructor pilot and aircraft commander for the mission.

“Being able to move it to the Smithsonian to preserve it for future generations is an incredible opportunity, and we’re all honored to do it,” said Hafker.

The F-117 Overachiever will be reassembled and go on display at the museum later this month.

About the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk

The world’s first stealth aircraft – at least that we know of – was developed by Lockheed’s secretive Skunk Works division, officially the Advanced Development Projects, the same facility that produced such noteworthy aircraft as the U-2, SR-71 Blackbird, F-22 Raptor, and F-35 Lightning II. It was designed with the utmost secrecy in the 1970’s, and made its first flight in 1981, entering service in 1983. Yet, it wasn’t until 1988 that the Air Force officially acknowledged its existence.

It was during the early 1980s that the airplane spotters attempted to get even a glimpse of the Nighthawk, which wasn’t exactly easy as it primarily flew at night.

A total of 64 — including five YR-117A prototypes and 59 F-117As — were produced. Even after the aircraft were retired from service, Congress ordered that all F-117s mothballed after September 2006 be maintained so that they could be returned to service if necessary, and even today, the Nighthawk makes the rare appearance in the skies over southern California.

Despite have a fighter “F” designation, the F-117 was really an “attack aircraft” that wasn’t meant to engage with other fighters. The exact reason why it has been designated a fighter is unclear, given that its primary mission is to conduct precision strikes and tactical attacks against heavily defended, high-value enemy targets without being detected by radar.

One reason may have been to confuse the Soviet Union about what the Nighthawk’s capabilities were, but there have long been rumors that U.S. Air Force pilots didn’t want to fly a bomber.

The Nighthawk was deployed in combat in those four aforementioned operations. Still, it played its most critical role in 1991’s Gulf War, flying some 1,300 sorties and scoring direct hits on a reported 1,600 high-value targets.

Regardless of the designation, the F-117 Nighthawk proved to be the right aircraft for those four operations.

“The revolutionary F-117 gave military commanders options they never had before,” said Chris Browne, the John and Adrienne Mars Director of the National Air and Space Museum. “The Nighthawk could be the tip of the spear, taking out enemy defenses before they knew what hit them, or it could destroy selective strategic targets, helping achieve objectives with unmatched precision. Adding this breakthrough aircraft to the national collection will ensure generations to come know its amazing story.”

The One F-117 Not In The United States

Every retired F-117 that is in a museum is now in the United States, except for the Nighthawk serial number 82-0806, named “Something Wicked.” That aircraft was shot down during the NATO bombing of Serbia by a unit of the former Yugoslav Army, the 3rd Battalion of the 250th Air Defense Brigade.

The loss of Something Wicked in Serbia had caused the Air Force to improve the tactics employed with the F-117, while its pilots took part in additional training with other units.

Something Wicked’s pilot, Lt. Colonel Darrell Patrick “Dale” Zelko, survived the crash and was rescued. Years later, he had the chance to meet with Zoltan Dani, commander of the anti-aircraft battery that shot down his plane. Today, the aircraft is on display at the Museum of Aviation in Belgrade, Serbia, located near the Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport.