Fallen Thunderbirds pilot honored with artistic memorial on Melbourne airport ramp

MELBOURNE — Using stencils, Eau Gallie artist A.e. Søland carefully spray-painted a black memorial ribbon around the red U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds emblem, marking the spot where the nose wheel of Maj. Stephen "Cajun" Del Bagno's F-16 Fighting Falcon parked last month.

Then Søland added a white circle bearing the numeral 4, surrounded by a circle of stars in honor of the late pilot.

Del Bagno was the slot pilot for the Thunderbirds, flying the No. 4 jet during the team's season opener March 24-25 at the Melbourne Air & Space Show at Orlando Melbourne International Airport. Less than two weeks later, on April 4, he was killed when his F-16 crashed during a training flight over the Nevada Test and Training Range.

"We've been talking about how we could pay tribute to Cajun. We were the only show where he got to perform with the team. He was brand new on the team, and we were their season opener. So it's the only chance that he had to perform for a large audience," said Bryan Lilley, air show organizer.

"There's so many pictures of him. He touched so many people here in just one show, and so we really wanted to find a way to honor and remember him," Lilley said.

Søland painted Del Bagno's memorial ribbon Thursday morning on the concrete ramp near the Apex Executive Jet Center maintenance hangar, where the Thunderbirds were based during the air show.

Before most of the Thunderbirds arrive at an airport for a show, Lilley said a crew chief with the No. 8 jet's advance pilot/narrator will make careful measurements, then paint the red stenciled emblems on the apron. Rarely seen by the public, these emblems serve as parking markers for the nose wheels of each F-16.

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Del Bagno was remembered during a public funeral service at 4:44 p.m. Sunday in Santa Clarita, California. He was 34 years old. The Thunderbirds resumed flight training this week in Nevada.

"Godspeed, Major Stephen Del Bagno," reads the Apex Executive Jet Center sign facing Apollo Boulevard.

Each red Thunderbird emblem measures about 7 inches by 7 inches. Lilley said a coat of sealant will be applied to preserve Del Bagno's commemorative emblem.

A.e. Søland is graphic design artist Anthony Soland, who lives in Satellite Beach. He is owner-operator of Standard Collective, an Eau Gallie clothing boutique-art gallery-music venue. 

"What these gentlemen do in the sky with airplanes is remarkable. So to commemorate somebody in this way is truly an honor for me," Soland said, standing on the apron next to his Del Bagno tribute.

"Never thought in a million years I'd be asked to do it. But I'm very honored," Soland said.

Neale is South Brevard watchdog reporter at FLORIDA TODAY.

Contact Neale at 321-242-3638

or rneale@floridatoday.com.

Twitter: @RickNeale1

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