F/A-18

Pentagon’s Director of Operational Test and Evaluation raises concerns over of the US Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornet IRST Block II

Pentagon’s Director of Operational Test and Evaluation raises concerns over of the US Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornet IRST Block II

The F/A-18 Super Hornet Infrared Search and Track (IRST) Block II operational testing is delayed until 2QFY24 due to hardware… Read More

2 months ago

F-4 Pilot tells the story of when his Phantom II Outran an F/A-18 Hornet and Zoomed at 82,125 Feet per Minute

‘When the Hornet maxed out at Mach 1.6 (didn’t make its max), I was approaching Mach 2 and closing rapidly,’… Read More

3 months ago

From the F-14 retirement to dogfighting against the F/A-18: former Tomcat RIO answers your questions

‘The Hornet and Super Hornet would be challenging opponents in an engagement. As a baseline initial move, the F-14 Tomcat… Read More

4 months ago

From the F-35A Lightning II debut to the F/A-18 Hornet demo team with Schlieren Effect: cool video features the highlights of 2022 Swiss Air Force’s Axalp Air Power Demonstration

The 2022 edition of the Swiss Air Force’s Axalp Air Power demonstration marked the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II’s debut.… Read More

5 months ago

US Navy Super Hornet makes first flight with Litening targeting pod. The Litening will replace the ATFLIR legacy targeting pods on the F/A-18 fleet.

Northrop Grumman’s Litening advanced targeting pod has successfully completed its first test flights on the US Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornet.… Read More

7 months ago

Intruder Vs Legacy Hornet: Naval Aviator who flew both explains why the A-6 was like a ’65 Ford F-100 while the F/A-18 was like an ’84 Pontiac Fiero

‘I'm tremendously thankful to have flown both and while the Hornet got me in and out of combat, I'll always… Read More

8 months ago

F/A-18 Super Hornet on USS Harry S. Truman blown off deck in Mediterranean Sea due to unexpected heavy weather

A US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet assigned to USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) aircraft carrier sailing in the Mediterranean Sea… Read More

9 months ago

After a Blue Angels’ F/A-18 Super Hornet caused $180,000 in building damage while performing the “sneak pass,” the team had to change their show

The sneak pass maneuver has been safely performed for decades at air shows around the country, and the El Centro… Read More

9 months ago

First RAAF Pilot to Clock 4,000 Hours on F/A-18 Strike Fighters

Squadron Leader Daniel Grealy’s milestone includes 1500 hours on F/A-18A/B Hornets and 2500 hours on F/A-18F Super Hornets. In a… Read More

10 months ago

Top Gun: Maverick takes us on its Mighty Wings

The sequel to the 1986 classic delivers the goods and none too soon. 36 years after the release of the… Read More

10 months ago

UFOs: Pentagon releases New Video of an Unidentified Aerial Phenomena observed from a US Navy F/A-18 last year

The video in this post, captured by the pilot in the cockpit of a Navy F/A-18 fighter jet, demonstrates the… Read More

10 months ago

US Navy F/A-18 pilot tells the story of an exhilarating Mach 1.6 test sortie flown in a clean Hornet

‘No tanks, no pylons; nothing hanging on the jet whatsoever. This is just not something we see at an active… Read More

1 year ago

US Navy F/A-18 pilot tells the story of when a Hornet used a 500-pound LGB to kill a lone terrorist scrambling across a gorge in Afghanistan

From October 2001 to August 2021, US Navy F/A-18s Hornet and Super Hornet strike fighters provided around-the-clock battlefield coverage in… Read More

1 year ago

US Navy Hornet pilot explains why F/A-18 drivers cut the fingertips off their gloves

Some F/A-18 Hornet fighter pilots cut the fingertips off their gloves. Why? Military pilots, like motorcyclists, “dress for the slide,… Read More

1 year ago

US Navy F/A-18 pilot explains why Hornet drivers have to keep their right hand up off the controls during cat launch

‘The Hornet doesn’t like foreplay. You can take the stick once it’s off the deck and flying away, but not… Read More

1 year ago

The story of the US Navy F/A-18 pilot that made a night trap on a carrier having the Fresnel Lens Optical Landing System (AKA ball) turned off

‘I never saw the ball. I called Clara [Clara = “can’t see the Fresnel lens”] and the LSOs said ‘continue,’… Read More

1 year ago