These Experienced Rhinos Are Anything But New and They All Have a History
The US Navy Flight Demonstration Team, AKA the Blue Angels, traded in their high-mileage legacy F/A-18A, F/A-18C, and F/A-18D Hornets at the end of 2020. One went to Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island in San Diego; another to NAS Corpus Christi in Texas. The rest went to museums across the country. The jets had worked hard, and their retirement was overdue. The Blue Angels fly the F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornet (Rhinos) these days. But how much do you really know about their current steeds? We crunched the numbers and extrapolated the following information about the Rhinos the Blues are flying now.
Some of the Oldest Rhinos in the Fleet
First, the Blues are flying (with one or two notable exceptions) the oldest currently airworthy Super Hornets in the world. Every one of their jets came from the Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) batches. In order, the E model jets are numbers 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 17, 20, 21, and 26 off the production line. The F models are numbers 8, 10, and 18. So to say the Blues are flying “new” jets is inaccurate. The jets might be “new” to the Blues, but they’ve all been thoroughly flown before. Most of them were actually new back in the 1999-2000 timeframe. It’s also important to note that the jets, like their legacy Hornet predecessors, sometimes wear different tail numbers during service with the Blues. Where possible that information is included below.
F/A-18E-52-MC LRIP 1 Super Hornets
F/A-18E BuNo 165534 (MSN 1454/E006) served with Air Test and Evaluation Squadron NINE (VX-9) Vampires at Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake in California for the majority of its service prior to being assigned to the Blue Angels. The jet wore side number XE 505 with VX-9. With the Blue Angels 534 has been seen wearing tail numbers 1, 4, and 6.
F/A-18E BuNo 165536 (MSN 1460/E007) served with VX-31 Dust Devils at NAWS China Lake as the squadron color bird wearing side number DD 200 for many years. In 2019 this jet was one of two F/A-18Es and an F/A-18F dressed up as Maverick’s mount(s) for the movie Maverick: Top Gun II. After the jet’s duties as a movie star concluded it was assigned to the Blue Angels, where it will continue to star. With the Blue Angels 536 has been seen wearing tail numbers 1 and 5.
F/A-18E BuNo 165538 (MSN 1477/E011) served with Strike Fighter Squadron ONE TWO TWO (VFA-122) Flying Eagles out of NAS Lemoore in California. VFA-122 is the West Coast Hornet Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS). While with VFA-122 the jet has worn side number NJ 100 as the squadron color bird, slightly more subdued colors as side number NJ 204, and a striking blue/gray camouflage scheme as side number NJ 101. Thus far 538 has been observed wearing only tail number 4 with the Blues.
F/A-18E BuNo 165539 (MSN 1486/E012) also served with VFA-122 out of NAS Lemoore. This Super Hornet often wore side number NJ 201. Since being assigned to fly with the Blue Angels this jet has only worn tail number 5.
F/A-18E BuNo 165540 (MSN 1488/E013) served with VFA-106 Gladiators out of NAS Oceana in Virginia. VFA-106 is the East Coast Hornet FRS. While assigned to the Gladiators the jet wore side number AD 201 as recently as 2017. 540 has been observed wearing tail numbers 4 and 6 with the Blue Angels
