In early April 1975 USS Hancock was temporarily being used as a helicopter carrier in preparation for the Saigon evacuation which occurred at the end of April. In order to keep Hancock's Carrier Air Wing 21 qualified for carrier operations, the USS Midway was used by the air wing for refresher training. This F-8J had just trapped aboard Midway and was taxiing over to the starboard forward catapult for launch. This F-8J was retired on 5 November 1975.

In 1973 VFP-63 was the only F-8 training squadron, responsible for both RF-8 reconnaissance pilot and F-8 fighter pilot training. This a/c was retired on 4 November 1975.

In 1973 VFP-63 was the only F-8 training squadron, responsible for training pilots for both the RF-8 reconnaissance mission and the F-8 fighter mission. VFP-63 was using NAS Kingsville as a staging base for pilot carrier qualification on an aircraft carrier in the Gulf of Mexico and using both RF-8G and F-8J Crusaders.

All unit markings removed. Newly arrived, awaiting processing prior to entering long-term storage. Already marked with MASDC park code 2F412.

MASDC. To France as F-8J 22 OCT 1990. Noted 06 MAY 2004 on dump at French naval airfield at Cuers, France

MASDC. To France as F-8J 22 Oct 90, possibly for spares ?

Recent arrival for storage at MASDC. No unit marks, grey star-and-bar.

This VF-162 F-8 from USS Ticonderoga is on display at the San Diego Air and Space Museum Restoration Facility at Gillespie Field.

The F-8J was a re-manufactured variant of the F-8E to F-8H standard, incorporating the boundary layer control system amongst other improvements. Late in her career with VFP-63, this example was retired to MASDC a couple of years later. Cockpit label reads "Cdr Taco Bell". The Crusader was not an easy aircraft to fly with a high attrition rate compared with contemporaries, but had some extraordinary qualities; it is said that several pilots successfully took off with the wings folded - presumably accidentally!