RF-4C from Bergstrom AFB is seen on final at Nellis AFB during Green Flag 88-03.2

Bergstrom based RF-4C on short final to Nellis AFB during Green Flag 88-03.2

Cannon based Spark Vark landing late afternoon on runway 21 L

The Pacific Missile Test Center was in 1991 the owner of this very early F/A-18. The 25th built Horne, and the eight B-version, made a very welcome touch-and-go at Nellis (CA) during a Green Flag exercise. Strikingly, this 1980 Hornet is still (July 2019) operational. It flies with Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 Salty Dogs from NAS Patuxent River (MD). One of the reasons this very old Hornet is still flying is that it was extremely well maintained at a Flight Test aircraft but also because it was less stressed by carrier landings, deployments, air-to-air dogfights and so on.

Det.5 Phantoms were rarely seen, so I was happy to photograph a few during a Green Flag exercise at Nellis. Unfortunately, the light was on the wrong during photography (or the Phantom took the wrong runway at Nellis?). Anyway, as the bird was rare, I still enjoy to have seen it (although the picture quality is not the best).