Museum of Aviation rolls in final aircraft to Hangar One exhibit

WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – After about seven years of restoring the plane, crew members and Museum of Aviation officials rolled in a F-100 D Super Sabre to the Hanger One.

“To have her indoors, finally after all these years, I am thrilled to death,” said Aaron Robinson, museum’s restoration crew member.

For the last three and a half years his priority was to restore the jet fighter.

“Now that it’s finally here, and we’re in the homestretch, it’s kind of hard to describe,” said Robinson.

The plane was brought to Warner Robins from Massachusetts about seven years ago and it wasn’t in the best condition.

Robinson says there were no wings, nor canopy, and the cockpit was stripped.

The plane flew high throughout Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. It’s a piece of history and old friend for one veteran.

“Major General Rick Goddard, retired ALC commander here in Warner Robins, actually flew this airplane in combat during the 1960s and flew about 150 missions in this particular airplane,” said Museum of Aviation Director, Ken Emery.

Goddard lives in Athens now, but he was there to see when the jet first arrived in 2010.

“He was very excited about it, he took great pride in putting his grandson in the same ejection seat that he actually flew in,” said Emery.

Goddard would also visit every now and then to help the crew restore it.

“It had two different paint jobs to it,” said Robinson. “We painted it up to match the second paint job.”

The Super Sabre now sits in the middle of Hangar One.

“An aircraft that they worked all these years ago, being brought back again to this kind of condition,” said Robinson. “I can see they’re excited really touched by the work.

Crew members are still adding the final touches  to the plane, but you can see it on display now.