#f18f

The Typical Dallas Summer of 105 degree F and high humidity made this hot and muggy Saturday. We were brave enough to challenge this heat and venture to NAS JRB Ft worth ( KNFW ) to do some plane spotting. We were very fortunate to have our local squadron 301st FW “Spads” doing their training with 12 F-16C Blk 30. Its been a while since I photograph our local unit.

        301st Fighter Wing flies the very unique Small mouth intake GE motor F-16C Blk 30. “Spads” is part of the 355th Fighter Squadron. To clear up the confusion,on October 5, 2015, Detachment 457 was deactivated and replaced by the 355th Fighter Squadron, It remains under administrative command of the 495th Fighter Group and flies and maintains F-16s assigned to the 301st’s 457th Fighter Squadron at JRB Fort Worth. Therefore the 355th FS is an active-duty associate unit administratively assigned to the 495th Fighter Group and operates aircraft assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command’s 301st Fighter Wing. Most of them have the upgraded JHMCS Helmet mounted sight and all have the Lightening II targeting pod.

We got 2x F-18F from VX-9 ” Vampires” came to train with Spads .VX-9 is tasked to do test and evaluation of different aircraft platform from the NAVY and include the operational evaluation of attack, fighter, and electronic warfare aircraft, weapons systems and equipment, and to develop tactical procedures for their employment. They are base at China Lake and use to fly the F-14 tomcat which is painted black with the white bunny on the tail as seen here.

          They took off in a pair of one VX-9 and one SPads and came back after the mission doing a carrier break and landed.

                                                              Here are more of the actions on that day.

Article by

Dave Chng

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            A typical Spring Sat whereby Ft worth Alliance Airport ( AFW ) gets her typical weekend traffic. We saw quite a bit of Navy transient traffic came by AFW on Friday with at least 8 F-18E/F mixed from VFA-41 Black Aces and VFA143 Pukin Dogs. VFA-143 is based at NAS Oceana, VA . This morning we were fortunate to have a VFA-143 Pukin Dogs F-18E still on the tarmac. Also we see 3x F-18A++ from VMFA112 “Cowboys” including the colorbird.

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VFA-143 PUkin Dogs

VMFA-112 Cowboys

Right at about 1000hrs, we start to see some actions on the tarmac. Canopy was up on the “Dogs” Superhornet F-18E…We got the entire engine up sequence followed by a take off from runway 34R. This Aircraft was piloted by LCDR Kyle Jones radio callsign “Taproom.”

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We also get to see 8x T38C Talon trainers from Vance AFB and Sheppard AFB. 2x T6 Texan II and 2x T1 Jayhawks.

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Article by Dave Chng