@ Moffett Field, CA
October 2019
On my last visit to the Moffett Field Historical Society Museum I saw this tired Hornet on static display. The combination of Blue Angels blue color, NASA, USAF and Navy markings was certainly intriguing. It turns out this airframe was one of the original Hornets (#3) to be flown by the Blue Angels (Jan 87 – Oct 89) when they transitioned from the A-4 Skyhawk. The aircraft was then transferred to NASA for F/A-18 High Angle-of-Attack Aerodynamics research using the 80 x 120 ft Wind Tunnel located here at Moffett Field. First flown in 1978, almost 1,500 Hornets were produced by McDonnell Douglas (and later Boeing). Still in service with the US Marine Corps, the last Navy F/A-18C operational flight occurred on 2 October 2019. Nikon D500 w/18-200mm.
