Three brand-new Hornets passed MCAS El Toro (CA) on this day during their delivery flight to MCB Kaneohe Bay (HI). This 163769/DB-00, ordered in FY87, had a USMC career from August 1989 onwards. It flew with VMFA-235, -232, -212 and was transferred to the US Navy because it was less stressed in comparisation with US Navy carrier operated Hornets. It was assigned to VFA-97, -81 before it was retired to AMARG on 16 July 2008. It received inventory code 1A0087. Strangely enough, it left AMARG in January or February 2017 and returned in January 2018.

A Marine Attack Squadron (All Waether) 242 "Bats" Intruder at the platform of its homebase El Toro. The squadron converted to F/A-18D in December 1990. This 161680 was retired to AMARC on 17 June 1996 after serving US Navy squadron VA-165. It received inventory code 5A190. The Intruder remained in storage in the Arizona desert up to 10 May 2016 and was shortly after scrapped by HVF West at Tucson.

Hot pit refueling of a VMFA-323 "Death Rattlers" Hornet at homebase El Toro. This Block 21 (Lot 9), fiscal year 1985 Hornet was delivered to the US Navy on 10 Mar'87 and served VFA-12. It was later transferred to VFA-161 and then to the USMC VMFA-323 (as pictured), VMFA-531, again VMFA-323, then VMFA-314 and returned to the US Navy in 1996 with the NSAWC. It again was moved to the USMC with VMFA-142 and sadly crashed during an 1v1 air combat manoeuvring mission near Comanche (TX) after it entered an uncontrolled low-rate flat spin on 3 December 1999. The pilot ejected safely

The Green Knights of VMA(AW)-121 - normally coded "VK-xx", just returned from a WestPac and Indian Ocean deployment with the USS Ranger (CV-61) and within Carrier Air Wing TWO that lasted from 24 February to 24 August 1989. This BuNo 157009 was delivered to the US Navy in 1970. It later served the USMC but its whereabouts after late 1989 remain unknown.

Three brand-new Hornets passed MCAS El Toro (CA) on this day during their delivery flight to MCB Kaneohe Bay (HI). This 163770/DB-01, ordered in FY87, had a USMC career from August 1989 onwards. It flew with VMFA-235, -232, 212, VMFAT-101, and was then transferred to the US Navy because the airframe was less-stressed in comparison with the US Navy carrier operated Hornets.  It flew with VFA-81, VFA-94 and VFA-106 before it was retired to AMARG on 30 June 2014.

This FY83 Hornet is seen during some line maintenance in one of the hangars at homebase El Toro. Its predecessors within VMFA-323 "Death Rattlers" are painted on the wall. 162434 flew during its career only with VMFA-323 and VMFA-112 as it crashed with the latter on 21 April 2004. The aircraft came into serious troubles when flying a night mission from MCAS Miramar. Some 119 miles from that base and 20 miles from MCAS Yuma (AZ) contact was lost with the aircraft and pilot over the Imperial Valley desert south of Glamis. The pilot got killed in this crash.

The Green Knights of VMA(AW)-121 - normally coded "VK-xx", just returned from a WestPac and Indian Ocean deployment with the USS Ranger (CV-61) and within Carrier Air Wing TWO that lasted from 24 February to 24 August 1989. BuNo 151820 was delivered to the US Navy in 1966. It was transferred to the USMC and later returned to the US Navy. After a storage period at St. Augustine (FL) from 1994 onwards, the aircraft was dumped in the Atlantic Ocean as artificial reef near Ponce de Leon Inlet (FL) in June 1996.

Ready for another flight, this A-6E was delivered to the US Navy as A-6A in 1971. It was transferred to the USMC in 1989 and started to serve Marine Attack Squadron (All Waether) 242 "Bats". Later on it was returned to the US Navy and from that massive force retired to AMARC on 22 July 1996 and received inventory code 5A0203. It left for HVF West Tucson in October 2015 and was scrapped.

The Tomcatters commanders aircraft gets a final check of the crew chief before the pilots get approval for the taxi ride to one of TR's cats. Many Tomcats were scrapped at AMARG to prevent spare parts feeding to Iran. Luckily, this beauty was relieved from that fate. Since September 2006, 164342 has been preserved at the Wings over Miami Museum at Kendall (FL).

Delivered to the USAr as CH-47A as 63-07919. It was accepted on 29 Oct'64. The Alpha was converted to Delta with serial 87-00082 and redelivered on 26 Feb'88. It was assigned to A/5-159th AVN and later stored at Ramstein (Germany) from Oct'97. It left that base on 4 Feb'98 for possibly Gulfport-Biloxi RAP (MS) and was stored with 1108th AVCRAD MS ARNG. Then moved to CCAD at Corpus Christi (TX) in Apr'98. After several operational assignments, it was converted to CH-47F with serial 11-08096 (c/n M8096) and redelivered on 12 Sep'11. It is seen here supporting a deliver of the first Dutch Apaches

This Dragon Lady made its first flight on 1 May'81 and was delivered as TR-1A to NASA on 11 May'81. The TR-1A was handed over to NASA Ames at Moffet Field (CA) as N706NA on 10 Jun'81 and redesignated ER-2. It flew from Ames up to May'96. After a re-engine and modification period, with specific ("S") research systems, the ER-2 was redesignated into ER-2S. The original serial 80-1063 remained on the aircraft. The ER-2S was delivered to Dryden FRC on 3 Nov'97 and reregistered N806NA. It continued flying from DFRC up to Mar'04 when it went into flyable storage. Currently operating out of Palmdale

Stricken at NAS Oceana (VA) on 1 August 2002 and probably soon after scrapped. Here the Tomcat is seen with Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) Nine (AIRTEVRON NINE) "The Vampires". VX-9 was based at NAWS China Lake (CA) and ran a permanent detachment, named VX-9/Det, at nearby NAS Point Mugu (CA).

The XO aircraft of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 94 'Mighty Shrikes' The squadron is now operating the F/A-18F Super Hornet. Here a legacy Hornet of the squadron is seen deployed aboard the USS Nimitz with CVW-11. The team deployed on 3 March 2003 for an eight-month combat deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

This 416th FLTS F-16B was retired from (test) service on 22 December 2005 and arrived that day on AMARG. It received inventory code FG0508.

The first dual seat F-18 seen here at the flightline of Dryden FRC. The Hornet, originally built by McDonnell Douglas as YF-18B-2 (ordered by the US Navy in FY76) was first seen, fresh from the production line, in late 1979 and del;ivered on 5 Jan'80. The US Navy designated it TF-18A. The Hornet was assigned to the Naval Air Test Center at Pax River as T1 and modex 150. It was recoded 7T-150 and transferred to the NASA on 24 Jul'86. It was used as a system research aircraft (SRA) and became a dedicated SRA with multiple modifications from Oct'91. It is reported stored from Jun'86 at Armstrong.

Delivered to the USAF on 2 Mar'82 and first served the 94th TFS from Langley AFB (VA) before it was transferred to Kef. It was moved to the 40th FLTS ('ET'), 85th TES, and later the 422nd TES (both 'OT', all at Eglin AFB (FL) and the 445th FLTS ('ED') at Edwards AFB (CA). The Eagle was written off on 24 Nov'11 under unknown circumstances. Although the pilot survived the crash, investigators were never able to determine the cause of the crash that happened over the Nevada Test & Training Range. After a recovery from a high G-manoeuvre, it entered a flat spin, recovered, stalled and crashed.

to Pakistan as 706

This Talon (USAF serial 65-10353) served NASA Johnsen from 10 February 1966 up to 28 September 1972. It became N967NA with NASA Johnson Space Center on 12 October 1994. It was later modified to T-38N.

First taking to the air in June of 1955, this B-52 began its illustrious, nearly 50-year USAF and NASA career as a bomb navigation system test airplane for the USAF's B-52 fleet. Ironically, test bomber spent most of its career dropping flight research vehicles rather than bombs. In 1959, it became one of two mothership launch aircraft for the X-15 program, which paved the way for America's early manned spaceflight efforts. Nicknamed "Double-0-Eight" and "Balls Eight" cut its teeth launching 106 of the 199 X-15 flights. At its retirement on 17 December 2004, Balls 8 was the oldest active B-52.