Photographer: Joseph Handelman

VF-43 Skyhawks serving as Aggressors at 'Longshot 93'

One of several VF-43 Skyhawks serving as Aggressors at 'Longshot 93'

Photo by Jim Tunney.

This aircraft crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Virginia 20 June 1988.

Bi-centennial marks 1776-1976.

Photographer unknown - ex USAF 61-0929

Saw active duty in Vietnam. Final years as Blue Angel 2. Nowadays suspended from a ceiling in the Naval Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola, impersonating BA4.

Delivered to the US Navy in 1965, and following operational assignments within the US Navy and US Marine Corps, this hot rod became an adversary aircraft with Fighting 43 "Challengers"in 1978. On 13 March 1992 it was flown over to AMARC and got inventory code 3A646. It departed the storage depot on 17 July 2001. The aircraft was saved for legacy and is now preserved in the National Aviation Museum, Tulsa (OK).

A dual seat VF-43 "Challengers" adversary Skyhawk at the static of Oceana. The hot rod was delivered in 1967 as TA-4F to the US Marine Corps, modiefied to TA-4J in 1972 and transferred to the US Navy in 1991 and assigned with VF-43. The Skyhawk was placed into storage at AMARC on 27 January 1994 and was moved to Lamp-Depollution, Tucson (AZ) on 17 September 2019 and scrapped October 2019.

A nice A-4F being towed away. This Skyhawk was once a Blue Angels star (see picture 155419 at AirHistory from August 1986). It was first delivered to the US Navy in 1967 and was stored at AMARC with inventory code 3A765 on 7 April 1994. It remained their up to 5 January 2005, after which it was scrapped by Fritz Enterprises at Taylor (MI). Adversary squadron Fighting 43 "Challengers" normally carried the "AD" tailcode, but this Skyhawk lacked that code. VF-43 was disestablished on 1 July 1994.

Built as Kfir C1 (IAF serial 709) and later modified to Kfir C1P. 709 was leased to the USN between Apr'85-May'88. The USN/USMC leased 25 Kfirs between '85 and '89, which were officially designated F-21A. They were modified for use as unarmed adversaries. 12 F-21s were painted in this 3-tone blue-gray "ghost" scheme and were operated by Fighter Squadron (VF) 43 "Challengers" ('AD'), operating out of Oceana. In 1988 they were returned and replaced by the F-16N. The other 13 were assigned to VMFAT-401 at MCAS Yuma (AZ), these were replaced by the F-5E in '89. 709 is last seen stored at Tel Aviv.

Those terrible static shots.... but the subject is nice enough. An adversary Buckeye of Fighting Squadron (VF) 43 "Challengers". This Buckeye was transferred to AMARC after its operational career. The aircraft received inventory code 2T0227 on 21 September 1993. It remained in storage until September 1995. It was then sold to Greece for use as spare parts of the Hellenic Air Force 120 PEA T-2 fleet at Kalamata air base. But, it was good enough and the aircraft was overhauled by HAI Tanagra. It was assigned to 120 PEA as 158904/904 and flew operational up to at last late 2019.

Built as Kfir C1 (IAF serial 791) and later modified to Kfir C1P. 791 was leased to the USN between Apr'85-May'88. The USN/USMC leased 25 Kfirs between '85 and '89, which were officially designated F-21A. They were modified for use as unarmed adversaries. 12 F-21s were painted in this 3-tone blue-gray "ghost" scheme and were operated by Fighter Squadron (VF) 43 "Challengers" ('AD'), operating out of Oceana. In 1988 they were returned and replaced by the F-16N. The other 13 were assigned to VMFAT-401 at MCAS Yuma (AZ), these were replaced by the F-5E in '89. 791 is last seen stored at Tel Aviv.

An adversary Buckeye, quite rare! Fighting Squadron (VF) 43 "Challengers" used a few Buckeye's for instrument proficiency training as well as spin training. This aircraft did not carried to usual "AD" tailcode of the adversary squadron. The T-2C was seen with VF-43 from the mid-eighties up to September 1993 when it was moved to AMARC with inventory code 2T0226. It was stored in the desert up to 18 October 2011, when the aircraft was scrapped by HVF West Tucson (AZ).

Built as Kfir C1 (IAF serial 739) and later modified to Kfir C1P. 739 was leased to the USN between Apr'85-Mar'88. The USN/USMC leased 25 Kfirs between '85 and '89, which were officially designated F-21A. They were modified for use as unarmed adversaries. 12 F-21s were painted in this 3-tone blue-gray "ghost" scheme and were operated by Fighter Squadron (VF) 43 "Challengers" ('AD'), operating out of Oceana. In 1988 they were returned and replaced by the F-16N. The other 13 were assigned to VMFAT-401 at MCAS Yuma (AZ), these were replaced by the F-5E in '89. 739 is last seen stored at Tel Aviv.