What's with the red national marking on this F-18

Cap'n Jack

Cap'n Jack

Final Approach
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Cap'n Jack
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The insignia is red, but it looks like a USA marking
JAK_2618.jpg

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VMFA-323 “Death Rattlers” probably taken in the pattern at MCAS Miramar.
 
Yeah was gonna guess them, but the 3 digit side number threw me off.....but I forgot they still had boat squadrons until recently.
 
Cap'n Jack said:
You got the location right, and it loked to be in the pattern

Thanks much!
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What’s s scary is, I could tell just by the lighting that’s in the pattern at Miramar.

Velocity173,
Who watched way too many Hornets landing in the pattern at Miramar. ;)
 
Velocity173 said:
What’s s scary is, I could tell just by the lighting that’s in the pattern at Miramar.

Velocity173,
Who watched way too many Hornets landing in the pattern at Miramar. ;)
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Are those also off the carriers, or are they all just "Hornets"?
 
Velocity173 said:
VMFA-323 “Death Rattlers” probably taken in the pattern at MCAS Miramar.
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For those who aren't aware, VMFA-323 is a Marine unit. Red and gold are the Marine colors, which probably explains the different coloration of the national insignia.

Ron Wanttaja
 
Cap'n Jack said:
Are those also off the carriers, or are they all just "Hornets"?
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While 323 is / was the the west coast Marine Hornet carrier squadron, it’s like @35 AoA said, it’s a fancy paint job. Kinda like a CAG bird in a Navy squadron. Whether it be station or shipboard, they almost always have one painted up without the usual all gray scheme.
 
VMFAT-101 had a long string of pretty cool looking show birds. First F/A-18 I ever flew was their brown+green camo F/A-18B. Pretty sure it has been retired from service for quite a few years now, but it was a cool looking jet. If I recall correctly, one of the wings wouldn't fold at the time :)

@Cap'n Jack in the final years of seagoing Marine Hornet squadrons, IIRC it was VMFA-323, VMFA-251 and VMFA-314 who were each integrated into Navy Carrier Air Wings. My understanding is that this will recur with USMC F-35C's in the nearish future. But there will be no more Hornets flying off boats, with the Marines ringing the bell for the last time in this last year. Incidentally, I believe VMFA-314 was the first Hornet safe for flight in 1983, before any Navy squadron.
 
35 AoA said:
VMFAT-101 had a long string of pretty cool looking show birds. First F/A-18 I ever flew was their brown+green camo F/A-18B. Pretty sure it has been retired from service for quite a few years now, but it was a cool looking jet. If I recall correctly, one of the wings wouldn't fold at the time :)

@Cap'n Jack in the final years of seagoing Marine Hornet squadrons, IIRC it was VMFA-323, VMFA-251 and VMFA-314 who were each integrated into Navy Carrier Air Wings. My understanding is that this will recur with USMC F-35C's in the nearish future. But there will be no more Hornets flying off boats, with the Marines ringing the bell for the last time in this last year. Incidentally, I believe VMFA-314 was the first Hornet safe for flight in 1983, before any Navy squadron.
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232 Red Devils and 312 Checkerboards were on some of the later deployments as well.

25A5C58B-E316-420B-A69C-F5970D853283.jpeg
 
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^ Ooops by 314 I meant 312. And yeah, 232 swapped out with 323 a number of years ago for a few years.
 
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