‘This is it’: 104th commander’s final flight is also last training mission for Barnes F-15C fighters
WESTFIELD — Pilots call it an unrestricted climb.
For the F-15C Eagle fighter jets at Barnes Air National Guard Base , an unrestricted climb harnesses 50,000 pounds of thrust to rocket skyward vertically. It's a military maneuver meant to leave trouble, like enemy antiaircraft, behind.
On Tuesday over the Westfield base, the unrestricted climbs left behind a deafening roar and a rumble that shook through the tarmac and rattled the bones of an assembled crowd of well-wishers.
The F-15C is leaving Barnes and Westfield behind. Col. David L. "Moon" Halasi-Kun, the outgoing 104th Fighter Wing commander, led four jets on a two-hour mission that was both his last flight before retirement and the final training mission for F-15Cs out of Barnes.
Col. David L. "Moon" Halasi-Kun is doused with sparkling wine after completing his last flight in the F-15C at the Barnes Air National Guard Base. His wife, Gretchen Halasi-Kun, and son, Luke Halasi-Kun, were given bottles to pour over him. Sept. 30, 2025. (Douglas Hook / The Republican)Douglas Hook
"This is it," he said.
He's been flying F-15s since 1999, amassing 3,200 hours.
The 104th, and its roughly 1,000 members, now have a busy nine months to prepare for the arrival of the new F-35s in June 2026, said Col. Michael "Shot" Glass, the incoming commander.
The transition has already begun with pilots — including Glass — and maintainers going to other air bases to learn their new aircraft.
But Tuesday — the last day of the F-15C mission at Barnes — was Halasi-Kun's day. The mission was titled a "Lunar Flight," in honor of his nickname, and he was greeted by friends and family.
A pilot at the 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes Air National Guard Base displays a shoulder patch identifying him as a the "Last Barnstormin' Eagle Driver." (Douglas Hook / The Republican)Douglas Hook
"I'm not crying. You're crying," he said, standing in the cockpit before climbing down to a champagne shower.
He thanked members of the 104th for their dedication and professionalism.
The flight itself lasted two hours and took the four planes from Westfield to an area of open Atlantic Ocean south of Long Island, New York. There, they practiced dogfight maneuvers, taking breaks for aerial refueling.
"Then get back in the fight," he said.
He said he pulled more than 8g's, meaning the force exceeded eight times the earth's gravitational pull.
Arriving back at Barnes, he performed a close pull-up, a less dramatic aerial maneuver that involved peeling back over Southampton Road. Then repeated it five more times.
Base firefighters showered the plane in congratulations as he taxied.
"That's how we celebrate," Halasi-Kun said. "I couldn't have asked for a better day."
The Air Force announced in 2023 that it will base 18 of its $78 million, latest-generation F-35 fighters at the Air National Guard's 104th Fighter Wing. The announcement followed years of intense lobbying by Gov. Maura T. Healey, a Democrat, and Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, as well as the state's two senators and U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield.
Getting the planes helps cement the Westfield base's role in the nation's air defense and in the city's economy for decades.
Glass, who takes over officially in December, said the air over Barnes might seem quieter for a while. These four planes will fly away one last time over the next few weeks, either to be pressed into service at another base or put into storage.
One of Barnes' former planes is part of the collection at the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.
The base itself won't be quiet. Personnel will pack up and move out all the equipment that is specific to the F-15 and make room for F-35 equipment.
Col. Michael "Shot" Glass, left, and Westfield Mayor Michael McCabe attend the last flight of Col. David L. "Moon" Halasi-Kun in one of the F-15cs out of the Barnes Air National Guard Base. Sept. 30, 2025. (Douglas Hook / The Republican)Douglas Hook
There will be construction as well, because the 104th will need more room and better facilities, Glass said.
In an earlier announcement, the state estimated about $55 million in military-funded construction at Barnes.
Westfield Mayor Michael McCabe said Halasi-Kun has been a "phenomenal" partner to the city. He said it cannot be understated how important the F-35s will be to the base and the city-owned Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport.
McCabe was joined Tuesday by members of the Airport Commission and state Rep. Kelly W. Pease, R-Westfield.
McCabe said there are concerns, though, and they center around noise. The city has accepted a new $8,000 grant from the federal government in September. The money will expand noise-abatement efforts for homeowners near Barnes.
Stories by Jim Kinney
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