F/A-18A/B Classic Hornet - End of an Era
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- Опубліковано 7 гру 2021
- After more than 30 years, and nearly 408,000 total fleet flying hours, the F/A-18A/B Classic Hornet flew over Australia for the last time. Up to 12 aircraft departed RAAF Base Tindal on a final sortie over Darwin and the Northern Territory; before proceeding to Queensland.
The remaining aircraft arrived at RAAF Base Williamtown, their final destination, where Air Force held an end of era event on November 29. Since 1985, Air Force operated 71 F/A-18A/B Hornets at RAAF Base Williamtown and RAAF Base Tindal with the fleet now being retired and replaced with the F-35A Lightning II aircraft.
Having maintained and supported the classic hornet for over 18yrs of her life definately had a tear in the eye for her final flight...there will never be another like her..🇦🇺
It was designed the same yr I was born, growing up as a military brat and living in Stockton Newcastle and going to school at Raymond Terrace high school I watched these jets almost daily flying over myself and friends while surfing it is and always was my favorite jet and I wanted to fly them and serve our airforce.
My Dad was sent to the U.S in 1986 to learn all he could about these bad boys and oversee their construction at Government Aircraft Factories at Avalon. He was very proud of this and so am I. As kids we'd see them fire up for test flights in the afternoons, it was normal for them to fly over our house, they almost made things shake. He got my brother and I a seat in one on a media night at Avalon. We were touching screens and buttons, imagining we were flying the badest plane in the country. It would've been even more special for Dad, given his dedication to them. I doubt anyone has dispatched journalist Peter Harvey in quite the way Dad did that day, when he wanted to get too close and take too many pics of Australia's newest fighter plane. The FA18 hornet was awesome!! RIP Dad.
Those Hornets and F111's gave Australia a formidable deterrent factor over the last 3 decades.
Respect to Australia 🇦🇺 from the USA 🇺🇸!
Will be missed! Sad to see such a beautiful plane leave us!
I remember growing up as a kid just down the road RAAF Base Townsville and I remember sitting on my steps in Garbutt just watching fly over before they land. It was awesome to watch I'm going to miss this aircraft
Oh wow! ‘Easty’ still flying Hornets after all these years! He featured in the RAAF ‘Real Top Guns’ feature done back in 2007. Seems like a character but so utterly professional and passionate about what he does.
"Eastie" was a former NZ Skyhawk pilot when they ended their Skyhawk operations, and had to make the decision as to whether to leave the military & remain in NZ or move his family to Australia. Seems he got his money's worth out of the latter. Well done mate.
Have certainly enjoyed many flypasts of the Classic Hornet and the awesome pilots that flew them..... will be missed!
brings a tear to my eye. But now I can look forward for when I hopefully make it in airforce and hopefully fly the f35.
Dont worry Australia, your hornets will live on in Canada.
wish we could keep a bunch of these flying.. they are such a great iconic plane...just like the "pig" before it
What a jet! But don't worry Australia, Canada's still going to fly the F-18, and some of yours as well for years to come...since our Government still hasn't figured out what to upgrade to, and its been over a decade!!! Cheers!
Me myself being 15 dreaming of flying this aircraft when I’m older now realised that that won’t be possible
Awesome... well done👍🇳🇿
Still got the Super Hornet. I'm still pissed we passed over the Tomcat tbh 😂
Wow, awesome
Well done and thank you long live the Hornet and Pig
Im not crying ur crying