The aircraft made its first flight at the Tonopah Test Range, Nevada, in June 1981, just 31 months after full-scale development was authorized. The Nighthawk program remained classified until November 1988, when a photo of the jet was first unveiled to the public.
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, which manages the F-117 program, will host an informal, private retirement ceremony Tuesday with military leaders, base employees and representatives from Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico.
The last F-117s scheduled to fly will leave Holloman on April 21, stop in Palmdale, California, for another retirement ceremony, then arrive on April 22 at their final destination: Tonopah Test Range Airfield in Nevada.
The U.S. Air Force decided to speed up the retirement of the F-117s to free up funding to modernize the rest of the fleet. The F-117 is being replaced by the F-22 Raptor, but the government says it could bring the F-117 out of retirement if needed.
Source: http://www.rttnews.com