Displayed for many years at the Virginia Visitor Center in Richmond, in incorrect marks as 144276, before being moved to Patuxent River for preservation. It has retained the incorrect ID.

This airplane was built at Grumman's factory located in Bethpage, Long Island and delivered to the Navy in 1955. It served with fighter squadrons VF-111 and VF-94 at Moffett Field in California. In 1957 it was transferred to Naval Air Training Center in Kingsville, Texas and used as a chase plane. This Cougar was withdrawn from active service in 1965. The plane is displayed in the colors of the VF-61 fighter squadron, which flew from Intrepid aircraft carrier in 1956.

Although this F-9J was stricken from active service on 22 July 1970, it was still in use. It and several other retired a/c were used regularly for aircraft carrier flight deck towing and parking practice, crane hoist practice (hoisting from pier to flight deck), and other training for new flight deck personnel. In 1977 there were several active carriers homeported at NAS Alameda.

144275 painted as 4276

Really 144365 painted as 131205/1 at the westbound service area on the I-10

[Nikon D300 + Tokina 12-24mm/4]