The United States Navy Blue Angels have flown their last flight with their F/A-18A/B/C/D ‘Legacy’ Hornet aircrafts, which are being fazed out for the new F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. To commemorate the farewell flight of the 34-year-old planes, the U.S. Navy has released cockpit video and an array of images.
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The final flight occurred yesterday, November 4, over the Hornet’s hometown of Pensacola, Florida, just as the sun was setting on the Florida coastline. Over the winter, the U.S. Navy flight demonstration team will enter its training period with 18 new F/A-18E/F jets that have been specifically modified for use by the Blue Angels, before showing off the new, larger ‘Super Hornets’ next year at its first show in Pensacola. The Drive has a fantastic deep dive into the modifications the U.S. Navy is making to the new Super Hornets for those of you interested in learning more.
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| An illustration showing the flight path of the Blue Angels’ final flight in the Legacy Hornet jets. |
Below is a gallery of images from the final demonstration with the Legacy Hornet squadron, provided by the U.S. Navy:
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The Blue Angels demonstration team is a popular attraction for photographers at airshows around the world, with their incredible coordination, dizzying moves and near-flawless execution. You can read more about the U.S. Navy’s shift to the Super Hornet on Navy Times.
Image credits: Photos courtesy of the United States Navy.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)