Former Air Force A-7 fighter jet found at Virginia Museum of Transportation

The Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, Va., welcomes guests from across the nation and around the world. The museum exists to preserve Virginia’s transportation history and to honor the workers whose talents created the transportation marvels in the collection. Although all modes of transportation are represented, the museum is mostly focused on telling the story of Roanoke’s rich rail heritage. Taking a walk outside the museum provides an outstanding display of old trains, buses and emergency vehicles. A deep walk into the collection will find yourself stumbling upon a vintage Vought A-7 Corsair II attack aircraft from the 1960's.

The A-7 Corsair II is a carrier-capable subsonic light attack aircraft designed and manufactured by American conglomerate Ling-Temco-Vought. The A-7 was developed during the early 1960s as a replacement for the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Development was rapid, first flying on Sept. 26,1965 and entering squadron service with the United States Navy on Feb.1 1967.

The A-7 at the Virginia Museum of Transportation sits outside the museum and is hidden behind a row of retired public transportation buses. The wingless aircraft proudly displays “Virginia AF 70 996” on it's tail. A quick Internet search on the serial number “70-0966” shows this same jet was once assigned to the Virginia Air National Guard. Since its retirement the aircraft has been on display at Richmond International Airport, Virginia Aviation Museum and Shannon Air Museum in Fredericksburg, just to name a few.

What is the future for this retired military jet? Who knows. But it was a neat find on a beautiful summer day at the Virginia Museum of Transportation.