Angel Number Seven - F/A-18B Hornet

This McDonnell Douglas F/A-18B Hornet served the United States Navy in various roles. It is currently displayed at the Yanks Air Museum in Chino California in Blue Angel livery. The Blue Angels, the premier flight demonstration team of the US Navy, flew the Hornet for 34 years from 1986 to 2020. As you can imagine, the numerous high-G maneuvers performed during their approximately 60 annual shows took a significant toll on the jets. Despite meticulous maintenance, the jets eventually required replacement. Notably, some retired jets were donated or loaned to museums.

This particular Hornet entered service in January 1984 and was assigned to various Naval bases across the United States. It was eventually assigned to the Blue Angels in March 1991, where it was based in Pensacola, Florida. In February 2000, it was reassigned to El Centro, California, where the Blue Angels conducted their winter training. The Hornet returned to Pensacola from November 2001 to May 2008 and was officially stricken from active service on November 12, 2008. Subsequently, it was loaned to the United States Air Force Museum in 2012.

I Got a Right to Sing the Blues

The first time I saw the US Navy's flight demonstration team, the Blue Angels, I was 5 years old. At the time the team was flying the powerful McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II fighter aircraft which were aptly nicknamed the Rhino. These huge twin-engine jets were unbelievably loud especially when all 6 of them fired up their engines simultaneously. The ground actually started shaking. All of this visual and aural stimulation was way too intense for a 5-year-old so after very little thought, I decided screaming and crying my eyes out would be an appropriate response. On the day this photo was taken at the Yanks air museum in Chino, California I was quite surprised to find this FA-18 aircraft wearing the Blue Angel livery. Unbidden, my mind flashed back to my first encounter with the blues. However, this time I was able to maintain my composure and just framed up my shot. I'm glad my response was a calm one. My wife would never have been able to scoop me up and walk me outside. It had probably been a decade since I had visited this museum and many things have changed including the fact that their aircraft collection has grown significantly.