Each squadron aboard USS Midway had an aircraft painted in recognition of the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial. Here is the VF-151 design. This a/c has just been relocated to this spot on the flight deck. The tug is still hooked up, the plane captain is in the cockpit, and a flight deck director (yellow shirt) is signaling the plane captain to hold the brakes. Next the chocks will be put in, the a/c secured with no less than 6 tie down chains, and the tug unhooked. If the sea state is causing a large amount of deck movement up to 18 chains may be required.

F-4N 150452 in 1976 U.S. Bicentennial paint scheme. Two VF-151 F-4N a/c are refueling from a VA-93 A-7A (BuNo. 153228) in tanker configuration. The F-4N tailhooks are extended indicating they are holding over USS Midway (CV-41) awaiting their recovery time. This was the high tanker (10,000') which provided extra fuel to the airborne F-4 a/c prior to their descent and landing aboard the aircraft carrier. I took this slide from another VA-93 A-7A.