Feel the rumble of the world’s most F-15E jets

Visitors to Goldsboro in North Carolina’s Piedmont often experience the juxtaposition of the quiet calm of this rural location contrasted by the mind-blowing speed and power of the world’s largest inventory of F-15E jets zooming overhead at speeds of more than Mach 2.5 (approximately 1,650 miles per hour). Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro is home to the 4th Fighter Wing of the Air Combat Command, a distinguished unit that is also responsible for training all of the Air Force’s F-15E crews, and the 916th Air Refueling Wing, which flies the KC-135R Stratotankers. Free public tours of the base are offered the last Thursday of each month and visitors must register at least three weeks in advance. North Carolina has a long association with military training facilities and the tour makes a great stop on a military-themed trip throughout the state. Visitors who are exploring the Cliffs of the Neuse State Park can experience the awe-inspiring nature of the F-15Es every day as they race across the skies over Goldsboro.