
In a first, an Ohio high school will receive a retired F-16 Thunderbird from the Air Force
The event marks the first time the U.S. Air Force has ever provided an authentic aircraft to be permanently displayed outside a school.
People in Florida stop dinner, grab tools to rescue 4 involved in plane crash
The Union Local Afterburners, the local committee which petitioned to obtain the jet, said they worked to bring the aircraft to Union Local High School in Belmont as a reminder of 'American military service, aviation history, and community spirit,' according to a press release issued by the school district.
It's also a fitting symbol for the school's mascot: Union Local High School is, quite literally, the 'Home of the Jets.'
The committee said it had been trying to get the jet since 2018, when they had initially submitted their request. The Air Force approved the request in 2021, 'setting the stage for years of preparation and fundraising,' according to the release.
'The United States Air Force has never given a Thunderbird out to the public,' Dirk Davis, the president of the Union Local Afterburners, was quoted as saying in the release. 'This has always gone to the military bases and the went to state museums. Union local was lucky enough. We applied and we got it. Like winning the lottery.'
The retired F-16 will now be transported to Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas, where its engine and seats will be removed in preparation for safe, long-term display at the school. Construction of an 18-foot pedestal to support the jet has already been completed.
The aircraft is expected to arrive and be installed on campus in the spring of 2026.
'This is more than just a plane, it's a symbol of perseverance, patriotism, and pride for the students and the entire community,' Union Local Afterburners committee member Pete Busack said.
The entire project was funded solely through donations collected by the Afterburners organization, which included contributions from alumni, community members, and local businesses. No public or school funds were used.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bangladesh mourns as toll from jet crash at school hits 27
Families and teachers gathered Tuesday at a Bangladeshi school where a training fighter jet crashed, killing 25 children and two others in the country's deadliest aviation accident in decades. Most of the victims were pupils who had just been let out of class when the Chinese-made F-7 BJI aircraft slammed into the Milestone School and College on Monday. "So far, 27 people have died. Among them, 25 are children and one is a pilot," said Sayedur Rahman from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, updating an earlier death toll of 20. "Seventy-eight people are being treated in different hospitals," added Rahman, special assistant to the ministry's chief adviser. More than 170 people were injured in the crash, said the military which is investigating the cause. The usually bustling school was eerily quiet on Tuesday morning, with classes cancelled. "Along with the children, the school has lost its life," said teacher Shahadat Hossain, whose son narrowly escaped the crash. "There are two swings in front of the affected building. During lunch breaks and after school, children play there. Even yesterday, around the time the plane crashed, students were on those swings," the 45-year-old told AFP. Around 7,000 pupils are enrolled at the school, including Abul Bashar's sixth-grade son whose best friend was killed. "He came out just two or three minutes before the accident occurred," said Bashar. "He couldn't sleep through the night and forced me to bring him to school this morning," the father added, his son standing in silence. - Children's trauma - School authorities have collected bags, shoes, and identity cards of children from the site. Pahn Chakma, a senior police officer, said that armed forces personnel are still sweeping the area. "They will hand over the place to the police later, and we will then collect evidence, including any human remains or belongings of students and others," Chakma said. Air Force personnel on duty said the remnants of the fighter jet were removed on Monday night, but they are still scouring the site for evidence. "I don't know how long it will take to return to normalcy, to relieve the children from this trauma," teacher Hossain said. On Monday night, school authorities held prayers at the campus. Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus expressed "deep grief and sorrow" over the incident and declared a day of national mourning. "The loss suffered by the Air Force, the students, parents, teachers, and staff of Milestone School and College, as well as others affected by this accident, is irreparable," he said. "This is a moment of profound pain for the nation." The military said the pilot, flight lieutenant Towkir Islam, was on a routine training mission when the jet "reportedly encountered a mechanical failure". He tried to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas but, "despite his best efforts", crashed into the two-storey school building, the military said Monday. sa-mmd/asv/rsc

Hypebeast
7 hours ago
- Hypebeast
Visionary Painter Raymond Saunders Dies at 90
Summary Raymond Saunders, the radical American artist known for his radical approach to abstraction and assemblage, passed away at the page of 90. His death was confirmed in a joint statement co-published by his representing galleries — Casemore, Andrew Kreps and David Zwirner — earlier this week. Saunders' oeuvre is defined by his resistance to categorization. Through texture, symbolism and material he challenged the viewer to reconsider assumptions about Black identity and cultural expression. In his assemblage-style artworks gestural brushwork sits beside vibrant color fields, notational markings and found objects, and served as a means of interrogating the dense fabric of American history. News of his passing follows the recent close ofFlowers from a Black Gardenat the Carnegie Museum of Art, where he took art classes growing up. The exhibition marked the first major museum retrospective for the two-time National Endowment for the Arts Awards recipient. Born in Pittsburgh in 1934, Saunders received a BFA from Carnegie Institute of Technology, and later moved to Oakland to pursue an MFA the California College of Arts and Crafts, where he became a professor. Saunders leaves behind a legacy of fearless experimentation through bodies of work that bolsters the autonomy and expansivity of Black artisthood. In his 1967 essayBlack Is a Colorhe wrote: 'i'm not here to play to the gallery i am not responsible for anyone's entertainment. i am responsible for being as fully myself, as man and artist, as i possibly can be, while allowing myself to hope that in the effort some light, some love, some beauty may be shed upon the world, and perhaps some inequities put right.'


American Military News
10 hours ago
- American Military News
Video/Pics: 31 killed, 171 injured as air force jet crashes into school in Bangladesh
A Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BGI jet crashed into the Milestone School and College in the Uttara neighborhood of the country's capital on Monday. The crash left at least 31 people dead and 171 people injured. According to The Associated Press, at least 31 people were killed after a Bangladesh Air Force F-37 BGI jet crashed into the Milestone School and College in Dhaka. The outlet noted that Monday's jet crash was the deadliest airplane crash to occur in the capital of Bangladesh in decades. The Associated Press reported that the Bangladesh military and a fire official confirmed that 171 people, the majority of whom were students, were injured in Monday's jet crash. According to the outlet, in addition to other victims, the pilot and at least 25 students were killed in the crash. Additionally, at least 78 people remained hospitalized as of Tuesday. According to Fox News, Lieutenant Colonel Sami Ud Dowl Chowdhury confirmed that the F-7 BGI jet departed for a routine training mission from the Bangladesh Air Force Base A.K. Khandaker in Kurmitola, Dhaka, at roughly 1:06 p.m. before experiencing a mechanical failure, crashing into the Milestone School and College, and igniting on fire. READ MORE: Video: Plane engine fire forces emergency landing in Los Angeles The Associated Press reported that Bangladesh officials confirmed that the F-7 BGI jet experienced a 'technical malfunction' on Monday and noted that a Bangladesh Air Force committee is expected to investigate the cause of the crash. 'The pilot … made a valiant attempt to divert the aircraft away from densely populated areas,' Chowdhury said. 'Despite his best efforts, the aircraft … crashed into a two-story building belonging to Milestone School and College.' A video shared on X, formerly Twitter, shows fire and smoke from the site of Monday's jet crash. Pictures shared on social media show the remains of the military aircraft and the damage caused by the crash at the Bangladesh school. Bangladesh Air Force jet crashes into Dhaka school. One dead, rescue op still on. Around 1:30 PM, a BAF F‑7 training jet slammed into Milestone School & College, Uttara. The aircraft burst into flames, classrooms damaged. Firefighters, military and medics still at the scene,… — Deepti Sachdeva (@DeeptiSachdeva_) July 21, 2025