Scramble Messageboard

VFA-86 are transitioning to the F-35C, so you saw VFA-102 jets off Reagan before she docked

Mike

Adraf wrote: ↑20 Apr 2024, 20:39 March 13th, up a hill near Lone Pine CA 0800-1230.

F/A-18F 166976/NE-112 VFA-2

BuNo 166976 was lost in October 2018...this should be BuNo 166975

Mike

Need to check a "confirmed" ID there - VAQ-132 NL-542 had changed from BuNo 168931 to 166932 by 2.24. NL-543 was l/n as BuNo 168381 2.24. Also VAQ-131's NL-554 and NL-555 were last noted at the start of the month as BuNos 168903 and 169128 respectively. Cheers Mike www.carrierairwings.com

foc1 wrote: ↑30 Oct 2023, 21:40 Noted last week at WTI

(168381) EA18G VAQ-138 NL-510
(166929) EA18G VAQ-138 NL-511
(166858) EA18G VAQ-138 NL-512
(166932) EA18G VAQ-138 NL-514

Hi Colin - hope you're well. All those Growlers are confirmed as you have them.

Cheers

Mike C

VFA-136 are in transition painting their tailcodes from 'AG' to 'AB', as VFA-143 are currently moving from CVW-7 to CVW-1 (to the AB-2xx slot, from AG-1xx) and VFA-81 are in the AB-3xx slot having moved from AB-4xx. An internet photo of GUNSTAR 400 (VFA-136's CAG bird BuNo 166817) has emerged. Mike ...

Indeed - nothing is easy! 168559 was recorded in both January and April this year during the cruise, so 99.9% your NA-613 as they only returned just over a week ago. On that same basis, NA-610 was 168571 (l/n 6.23) and NA-612 was l/n as 167900 in 2.23.

Cheers

Mike

Hi Woody - NA-613 was 167883 last year but was recorded as 168559 during CVW-17's recent cruise in Nimitz; can you confirm please?

Thanks

Mike

Some comments, Gijs, after quickly running through your report: At Oceana (and all based on other April/May sightings), F/A-18F BuNo 168888 is still with VFA-32, so not VFA-11/AB-104, while AB-105 is BuNo 166669 not 166889. VFA-34/NH-312 is 169744, not 166744, while VFA-83's F/A-18E AC-205 is BuNo 1...

747woody wrote: ↑12 Feb 2023, 13:15 When they arrived EXPERT41,42 and VIKING12 were flown by female pilots (or at least the voices on the radio were female).

Backseaters of F/A-18Fs and EA-18Gs tend to work the radios in frontline squadrons, not sure about FRS procedure but might be the same

Cheers

Mike

Re the VFA-97/147 discussion, promo shots of the crews show one of the pilots with a VFA-97 patch so it's not just a case of VFA-147 borrowing a jet from them. Maybe both will fly to make it fair! Cheers Mike www.carrierairwings.com ...and just looking at the full aircrew line-up, the two VFA-147 p...

Re the VFA-97/147 discussion, promo shots of the crews show one of the pilots with a VFA-97 patch so it's not just a case of VFA-147 borrowing a jet from them. Maybe both will fly to make it fair!

Cheers

Mike
www.carrierairwings.com

Mark et al

There aren't any new F-35C models being delivered VFA-147 are back under CJSFW control pending re-assignment to a LANTFLT air wing, hence the 'NJ' codes; VFA-97 have replaced them as NE-400 series MODEXes with CVW-2.

Cheers

Mike
www.carrierairwings.com

Thanks for the regular updates, SBGrad...one question - can you confirm VRM-30's bird coded as "DC-20". All Pacific Fleet (Navy and USMC) units should wear codes in the NA-ZZ range, plus 'DC' belongs to VMFA-122.

Thanks

Mike