Big Block F/A -18 Hornet Montage

A collection of personal photographs shot whilst flying Hornets and the Tiger II at former NAS Miramar, as well as NAS Fallon, NAS Key West, NAS Oceana, and a sundry of other venues. Naval Aviation's finest aviators flying the F/A-18, F-5E, and more in this cinéma vérité montage of the Navy's adversary squadron: VFC-13.

Featuring sorties from Fightertown USA, the former home of NAS Miramar and famed Navy Fighter Weapons School, AKA "TOPGUN," which has since been moved to NAS FAllon.

The F/A-18 is a twin engine, mid-wing, multi-mission tactical aircraft. It is superbly maneuverable, owing to its good thrust to weight ratio, digital fly-by-wire control system, and leading edge extensions (LEX). The LEX allow the Hornet to remain controllable at high angles of attack.

F-5E/F Tiger II are part of a family of widely used light supersonic fighter aircraft, designed and built by Northrop in the United States, beginning in 1960s.

VFC-13 began its life in 1946 when VF-753 was commissioned and began flying the F6F Hellcat. Today's squadron was formed on September 1, 1973 at NAS New Orleans when the US Navy was reorganising the US Naval Reserve. The squadron first flew the Chance-Vought F-8 Crusader, and had 17 officers and 127 enlisted men within its ranks, most were former members of VSF-76 and VSF-86. In April 1974 they transitioned to the A-4 Skyhawk. The demand for west coast adversary squadrons and other fleet support missions meant the squadron was moved to NAS Miramar in February 1976, that summer they transitioned from the A-4L to the two seat TA-4J. In 1983 they returned to single-seat aircraft when they transitioned to the A-4E, and in 1988 they upgraded to the more powerful A-4F.

In October 1993 VFC-13 transitioned to the F/A-18 Hornet which further enhanced the squadron's ability to perform its adversary mission by providing an even more capable and realistic threat aircraft. When the Navy relocated the Naval Fighter Weapons School, or TOPGUN, the squadron transferred to NAS Fallon in April 1996 and also transitioned to the F-5E Tiger II. The unit's mix of 23 F-5E, F-5F and F-5N aircraft are all painted in a variety of colorful adversary schemes of blue, gray, or brown camouflage. In January of 2006, VFC-13 established a permanent detachment of 12 aircraft at NAS Key West for East Coast training.

VFC-13 provides quality adversary training for regular Navy fleet and replacement squadrons and air wings, reserve fighter and attack squadrons, U.S.A.F. and U.S.M.C. units, and Canadian forces. The Fighting Saints have received two consecutive C.N.O. Safety Awards, the Golden Wrench Maintenance Award, and in 1994, a Battle "E" award.

Bogeys are set. Check tapes on . . . fight's on.

Aircraft/Historical * Pump it * Blériot XI * EKW Häfeli DH5 * EKW C35 * EKW C36 * Morane-Saulnier M.S.405 * Messerschmitt Bf 108 * Messerschmitt Bf 109 * Fieseler Storch * P-51 Mustang * T-6 Texan * De Havilland Vampire * De Havilland Venom * Hawker Hunter * Dassault Mirage III * Northrop F-5E Tiger II * Aérospatiale Alouette III * Super Puma / Cougar * BAe Hawk - Jet trainer * Pilatus PC-6 * Pilatus PC-7 * Pilatus PC-9 * Boeing F/A-18C Hornet * "Pump It" by Black Eyed Peas * Grumman F-14 Tomcat * A-6 Intruder * Lockheed Martin F-16 * McDonnel Douglas F-15 * F-4 * Voight A-7 Corsair * Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier