This Fiscal Year 1979 F/A-18B (Block 4) was delivered to the US Navy on 9 March 1981. It first served VFA-125 (NJ-521 and later NJ-501) and was then transferred as XF-27 with VX-4 in mid-1983. It was temporary assigned to NAWC-AD at Warminster before the jet was moved to NASA Dryden. It arrived there in mid-1995 and received 852 as a code on 7 September 1996. It assigned theoretical registration N852NA was not seen on the aircraft when it participated in the Edwards airshow.

First flight 1966, this Learjet was a true oldy! It is former an ASSESS airborne telescope aircraft. and served this laboratory from 1973 onwards. The 24A was then delivered NASA Ames (N702NA) where it was registered on 10 Jun'74. It was moved to Dryden on 9 Feb'98 as N805NA. The jet was sadly lost in an accident on 7 Jun'01 during a hard landing at Victorville (CA). The 24A was under control of the co-pilot who disengaged the yaw damper and entered a pilot induced lateral oscillation. The airplane rapidly decelerated and developed a high sink rate. It bounced several times and came to rest.

During the summer of 2010 NASA 806 was a frequent flyer at March Field. Seen here on short final for runway 32 during the early evening hours.

NASA 926 WB-57F rolling out on runway 21L during a 'media' day event at Red Flag

This 1976 YF-18A is the 6th McDonnell Douglas built single seat prototype and was delivered to the US Navy on 31 Jan'80 with code 6 to the Naval Air Test Center, NAS Patuxent River (MD). It served the NATC up to 22 Oct'84 when it was transferred to NASA. Initially it carried its BuNo and "NASA 840", in 1985 it received registration N840NA. The Hornet was used from 1987-1996 as a High Alpha Research Vehicle with thrust-vectoring vanes, research flight control system and forward fuselage strakes. Since 2003 it is preserved at the Virginia Air & Space, Hampton (VA). Here pictured at Dryden FRC.

Delivered to the US Navy as 152881. To NASA as 718 in 1968 and registered as N718NA in 1969. Cancelled from the register in 1976 - to the Detroit Institute of Aeronautics as a ground trainer. To the Yankee Air Museum at Willow Run in 1987. Destroyed in a fire at the museum in 2004.

Tilt-wing test aircraft. To the museum in 1970. Later moved inside the Research and Development Gallery.

Pictured from the characteristic looking tower of Edwards AFB (CA), this NT-34C of the Armstrong Flight Research Center. This Mentor is former BuNo 160266. It was transferred to NASA on 26 June 2005.

Passing over the parking lot at the Kennedy Space Center visitor's complex as we arrived. Ex-US Army 65-9992, originally built as a UH-1D-BF.

Photographer: Bob Shane. K25 slide scan. Built 1970 as VH-TJP for TAA, merged into Australian 1986. Not operated but sold to Sunworld as N741L, Midway N929ML 1988, Ross Aviation N192SA 1992, NASA N650UG 1993, TASEA XA-TKN 1998. Lost control shortly after take off Uruapan 9 November 1999 and crashed. Had a cargo door installed most probably while being modified for NASA but still listed as a standard DC-9-31 in FAA records.

This fiscal year 1979 Hornet was delivered to the US Navy on 11 June 1980. The aircraft was transferred to NASA in 1987 and received NASA 844 on its tail (as pictured). It did not receive a NASA N-registration. It is not clear if the aircraft ever received or carried the N844NA registration. The twelfth Hornet and the tenth single seater built did not serve NASA for a long time as it crashed three miles north of Boron (CA) on 7 October 1988. It is here pictured at a Edwards AFB ramp, outside the NASA Dryden facility.

Ex 69-18010. Operated in Vietnam from 1970 to 1972. To N818NA in 1977. NASA used the quiet aircraft to record noise emissions by helicopters in flight. Offered for sale in 2014. To Vietnam Helicopters Museum, Concord, California. Note the wooden propeller. Photo by: Tony Landis / NASA

"NASA 817 Heavy" returning to base after another day of flying. Boeing had their T-38 chase plane up with them, presumably getting some photos.

"NASA 817 Heavy" getting ready to depart a few moments after BOE202. This 54 year old DC-8 is still going strong as part of NASA's Airborne Science Program. It will fly right behind the MAX 10 to measure emissions as well as contrail formation from the use of sustainable aviation fuel.