Unusual F/A-18 at KPBI

**MarkLawrence** · 2008-05-18, 01:09 PM

My son and I went to PBI for a little time this morning - we thought it was a wasted trip - terribly hot and heat haze like mad - plus - winds blowing out of the west didn't help in the spotting location. We were just about to leave when this F/A-18 does a high speed loop over the end of runway 27R and circles to land. He parked outside Galaxy Aviation and I was able to get a little closer - anyone seen this plane before? From what I can make out - it's Navy from VFC-12 I think...sorry about the heat haze...

**Nick** · 2008-05-18, 02:04 PM

Looks like an Aggressor bird from the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center at NAS Fallon, Nevada.

**MarkLawrence** · 2008-05-18, 02:07 PM

Would the 00 represent a senior officer? like a CAG?

**Lezam** · 2008-05-18, 03:32 PM

Thats really cool. Is it sop to fly around with a bomb hanging under you like that?

**moose135** · 2008-05-18, 04:24 PM

That's not a bomb, it's an external fuel tank (Bugs don't have much range :shock: )

**Derf** · 2008-05-18, 04:39 PM

Nice aggressor paint! :borat:

Or is that a peruski Honetski?
The should nick name it the TU-69 Bl0wjob :shock:

**Steven Holzinger** · 2008-05-18, 09:40 PM

It's actually from NAS Oceana.

**Nick** · 2008-05-19, 08:16 AM

<- doesn't know Navy stuff.

**Steven Holzinger** · 2008-05-19, 10:20 AM

Nick, it was a very good guess! I think VFC-13 is from Fallon, NV. Don't believe they have Hornets but even I could be wrong on that. "Ambush", which is written on the external tank, is actually one of their callsigns.

**Mateo** · 2008-05-20, 08:07 PM

It's Oceana-based, from VFC-12, the "Fighting Omars." As you can see, it's in an aggressor scheme.

**MarkLawrence** · 2008-05-20, 08:20 PM

Thanks for all the input everyone - I wonder what he was doing down here for a Sunday afternoon - could it be someone needing flight hours? I can't think of anything else at PBI that would warrant a landing.