During a week when people should know better yet keep forgetting, we found a reason to believe in the power of patriotism, community resolve, and the beauty of dreams shattering bureaucracy with a sonic boom.
An Ohio high school "hit the lottery of the airplane world" when it was announced that it had been awarded a retired F-16A Fighting Falcon jet, also known as the Thunderbird.
Self-proclaimed airplane nerd Pete Busack joined the Afterburners Committee to bring the jet to the campus of Union Local High School in Belmont County.
Busack said the committee worked hard but is still incredibly lucky to be able to announce the official acquisition of a retired U.S. Air Force F-16 Thunderbird Jet, which will be permanently displayed on campus as a tribute to American military service, aviation history, and community spirit reflecting the official mascot of the school.
In the Appalachian foothills alongside the roaring lanes of Interstate 70, the high school landed something truly remarkable: an actual Thunderbird, not a life-sized model or a prop, but a real red, white, and blue supersonic tribute to American pride.
From Waiting List to Wings
In 2018, Union Local High School submitted a request to the U.S. Air Force to acquire a decommissioned aircraft. At that time, they were a long way from the top of the list, landing at 53
From here, the school did something extraordinary: They didn't quit or lower their sights. Over the next several years, the school's administration, a handful of determined veterans, some hard-charging alumni, and the aforementioned Pete Busack, all continued to play the long game and play it right. They began a campaign of letter-writing, phone calls, and hours of windshield time. The red tape they dealt with was so thick it very well could've been aircraft armour.
Steadily, they rose higher on the list, gaining momentum until they finally achieved the number one spot.
Nobody owed them favors; they didn't make the requisite questions or pull strings; they never stopped asking, "Why Not Us?"
Hitting the Jet-Sized Lottery
They earned a yes to that question. A legitimate F-16A from the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, the most elite demonstration flying team in the world. That team would streak over football games, above airshows, and make small children pause from their ice cream to point skyward.
The F16A will be bolted upright on a pedestal just outside Union Local High, visible to over 55,000 cars cruising I-70 each day.
Melissa Shaw, Static Display Program coordinator, and Mark J. Wertheimer, museum curator, both with the Air Force, were instrumental in guiding the process, the release states. In August 2021, the Air Force approved Union Local’s application, setting the stage for years of preparation and fundraising.
Construction of a pedestal to support the jet began in July 2024 by Richard Pryor of Buckeye Steel. It was completed later that fall with installation by John Tressel of The Tressel Co. Following a successful presentation to Air Force officials in late 2024, Union Local moved from No. 53 on the waiting list to the No. 1 position by December, and communications with Worldwide Aircraft Recovery for transportation to Ohio began soon after.
And now, one of them will be bolted upright on a pedestal right outside Union Local High, visible to 55,000 cars every day cruising I‑70.
As Pete Busack put it after sitting in the cockpit during the transfer: “It was kind of surreal.”
For a self-described “airplane nerd,” it might as well have been Christmas morning on the flight deck of the USS Ronald Reagan.
Symbolism You Can’t Miss
Their efforts weren't about scoring cool points by having a fighter jet; it's about honoring vets in an area where the military means something, sacrifice is remembered and taught, and about giving kids something to look up to, both literally and metaphorically.
Results like this demonstrate that even in a small community, without federal funding, people can come together to build something remarkable.
The group didn't beg for help; they did it the old Smith-Barney way, "They Earned it."
Each step of the project, from jet transportation to the pedestal and display, was made possible by local donations, demonstrated by civil pride from small businesses, and by blue-collar families who worked hard behind the scenes, yet did their part anyway.
What they accomplished is something the national talking heads would never understand.
The Sound of Legacy
An F-16 makes a unique sound as it slices through the sky. If you've heard that noise, then you know what I mean: A thunderclap wrapped in electricity.
Although this plane will no longer fly, generations will feel its presence. Students walking past that monument will begin to dream bigger. Any doubts that visitors won't pause in awe and wonder, "How did this school manage it?"
Life doesn't give us plain and straightforward reminders, and excellence doesn't require a zip code.
These accomplishments aren't achieved just by effort; they require a spine.
Make no mistake, what happened here has never been done before. High schools don't get Thunderbirds. Instead, these monuments to excellence are typically reserved for air bases, aerospace museums, or places with significant influence.
Union Local didn't care for lack of precedent; they cared about the mission.
Handouts weren't requested; instead, they made a case to the Air Force that they would treat this jet with reverence, not as a simple photo-op or sideshow attraction. The school would treat this as a beacon.
And the Air Force agreed.
Why It Matters
Today's high schools are in the news for failing math scores or an ideological tug-of-war. Here's an example of a school choosing to unify around something iconic; a symbol of shared unity, courage, and commitment.
Ever see a school punching above its weight? With character and integrity, this community treats its veterans more than just names in a program; they are heroes and mentors.
Right now, we see what happens when America remembers how to dream.
Final Thoughts
Union Local's Thunderbird will not be breaking the sound barrier again, but it breaks through an even larger challenge, bringing together neighbors to break through the fog of apathy.
In our distracted country, where too many schools are afraid to stand up for anything, a small school district stood up straight and true, saluting the sky and landing their jet.
They didn't do it for flash; they did it because they believe in flight, the future, and fighting for something bigger than themselves.
That’s not just cool. That’s character.
And in 2025, that still matters.
