Lang
5/10/26
After discussions with the Iowa City Airport Commission last month, a fundraising effort has been established to help save a classic interceptor jet on display in front of the facility.
The F-86 Sabre was installed at the airport’s entrance on South Riverside Drive in 1972 as a memorial to Vietnam prisoners of war. But city officials were considering replacing the jet with a new memorial, citing increasing maintenance costs and an estimated $10,000 in repairs. The Sabre was last refurbished in 2015.
Local residents…including several veterans…took issue with the proposed sale of the jet to the Clinton Airport, and made their voices heard at last month’s airport commission meeting. The commission agreed to let those interested start a fundraising effort, and now those efforts have a name.
The Save the Sabre Project has the goal of raising a minimum of $25,000 to restore the jet. Organizers hope to raise the money in time to have the Sabre restored by this winter. A link to the GoFundMe page can be found here.