On 18 November 1978, the aircraft that would become the F/A-18 Hornet took its first flight.
Rolled out in September 1978, the first McDonnell Douglas YF-18A Hornet – before the F/A-18A– was marked “Marines” on the right
And “Navy” on the left
And, while the Rhino and Growler have come to play in a big way, a few legacy C and D model baby Hornets are still in the fleet.
A U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18C Hornet aircraft with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 312 flies loaded with six AIM-120D advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles and two AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles over the Pacific Ocean Oct. 27, 2022. (U.S. Marine Corps courtesy photo by Capt. Ryan Fronczek).
NAVAIRSYSCOM has put together a great, high-octane, 11-minute film as they continue to celebrate the bird’s 45th anniversary, looking back on its life and legacy through the people who have built it, flown it, and commanded the program office that sustains it: The F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office (PMA-265).