[Photo] Four thirsty F-15E Strike Eagles trail tanker during first female USAF fighter pilot’s fini-flight

4th Fighter Wing’s F-15E Strike Eagle attack planes took part to first U.S. Air Force female fighter pilot’s final flight from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.

The image in this post was taken on May 29 during Col. Jeannie Leavitt, 4th Fighter Wing commander, fini-flight.

A fini-flight (short for final flight) is a military aviation tradition to celebrate the end of a pilot’s or commander’s time at a base or command or the last flight with a specific aircraft.

During her career as the first female fighter pilot, Col. Leavitt recorded more than 2,600 flying hours in the F-15E Strike Eagle.

On her arrival at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base her Strike Eagle was hosed down with water while taxiing back to the parking slot.

Image credit: U.S. Air Force

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About David Cenciotti

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David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.