Photos of Blue Angels getting fuel on their way home to NAS Pensacola show that the team is still flying one F/A-18 tandem seat Legacy Hornet

Photos of Blue Angels getting fuel on their way home to NAS Pensacola show that the team is still flying one F/A-18 tandem seat Legacy Hornet

By Dario Leone
Mar 18 2021
Share this article

As shown by the main image of this post, the team is still flying one F/A-18 tandem seat Legacy Hornet.

Posted on Mar. 15, 2021 by 151st Air Refueling Wing on its Facebook page, the interesting photos in this post show a unit KC-135 Stratotanker delivering fuel to Blue Angels F/A-18s getting back home to Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola after they spent the last 3-months training at the team’s winter training facility at Naval Air Facility (NAF) El Centro.

Photos of Blue Angels getting fuel on their way home to NAS Pensacola show that the team is still flying one F/A-18 tandem seat Legacy Hornet

Noteworthy, as shown by the main image of this post and as indicated by the arrow in the photo below, the team is still flying one F/A-18 tandem seat Legacy Hornet (the other twin seat F/A-18 trailing the formation appears to be an F/A-18F Super Hornet). If you know why the team is still flying one Legacy Hornet please contact us: we would like to update the post or writing a new one with your info.

Photos of Blue Angels getting fuel on their way home to NAS Pensacola show that the team is still flying one F/A-18 tandem seat Legacy Hornet

As we have previously reported, in 2018 Boeing was awarded $17 million to convert nine F/A-18E and two F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft into Blue Angel demonstration aircraft to replace the squadron’s McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornets. Two seat Blue Angels are often used for backseat ride-along flights for members of the news media and “key influencers” – people the US Navy sees as unofficial recruiters.

Photos of Blue Angels getting fuel on their way home to NAS Pensacola show that the team is still flying one F/A-18 tandem seat Legacy Hornet

While the US Air Force (USAF) aircraft fleet primarily utilizes a receptacle at the end of a telescoping boom to transfer fuel during mid-air refueling, the aircraft of the US Navy, including the F/A-18s assigned to the US Navy Blue Angels, use what’s called a “Probe and Drogue” to deliver fuel. The KC-135 Stratotanker is capable of performing both methods.

U.S. Air National Guard photos by Master Sgt. John Winn

For more interesting news and info about US Navy Blue Angels check out Aerobatic Display Teams website

KC-135R print
This print is available in multiple sizes from AircraftProfilePrints.com – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS. KC-135R Stratotanker 161st Air Refueling Wing, 197th Air Refueling Squadron “Copperheads”, 63-8038 – Arizona Air National Guard – Sky Harbor ANG Base, AZ

Share this article

Dario Leone

Dario Leone

Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviation Geek Club” one of the world’s most read military aviation blogs. His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media. He has reported from Europe and flown Super Puma and Cougar helicopters with the Swiss Air Force.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Share this article


Share this article
Share this article

Always up to date! News and offers delivered directly to you!

Get the best aviation news, stories and features from The Aviation Geek Club in our newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.

Error: Contact form not found.


Share this article
Back to top
My Agile Privacy
This website uses technical and profiling cookies. Clicking on "Accept" authorises all profiling cookies. Clicking on "Refuse" or the X will refuse all profiling cookies. By clicking on "Customise" you can select which profiling cookies to activate. We and our selected ad partners can store and/or access information on your device, such as cookies, unique identifiers, browsing data. You can always choose the specific purposes related to profiling by accessing the advertising preferences panel, and you can always withdraw your consent at any time by clicking on "Manage consent" at the bottom of the page.

List of some possible advertising permissions:

You can consult: our list of advertising partners, the Cookie Policy and the Privacy Policy.
Warning: some page functionalities could not work due to your privacy choices