In early April 1975 USS Hancock was temporarily being used as a helicopter carrier in preparation for the Saigon evacuation which occurred at the end of April. In order to keep Hancock's Carrier Air Wing 21 qualified for carrier operations, the USS Midway was used by the air wing for refresher training. This F-8J had just trapped aboard Midway and was taxiing over to the starboard forward catapult for launch. This F-8J was retired on 5 November 1975.