F/A-18 just before breaking the sound barrierThe plane to be restored to static display standards is scheduled for installation within the new galleries being constructed for the NMMC which are scheduled to open in July of 2016. The plane is specified to be restored to depict a McDonnell-Douglas F/A-18A as used during Operation Desert Storm according to the contract documents. Landing gear is not to be restored and engines are to be returned to the Marine corps and it would appear the the plane is destined to be mounted to a display stand within the Gallery.
The Blue Angels F/A-18 Hornets fly in their signature tight diamond formation, maintaining a hair-raising 18-inch wing tip to canopy separation.The F/A-18 entered service in 1983 and is still serving the US Navy and Marines, and is the plane flown by the Navy’s Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron who switched to the Hornet in 1986. The supersonic fighter has had a role in nearly every military conflict the United States has been involved in since the eighties, and although it is designed for carrier based operations, the strength of the design and build has found Air Forces of countries without aircraft carriers purchasing the planes for their aerial defense needs including the Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Finnish Air Force, Kuwait Air Force, Royal Malaysian Air Force, Spanish Air Force and the Swiss Air Force. The soundness of the platform has meant that though its successor is in production, the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is an evolution of its predecessor, building on the existing design rather than a clean sheet of paper, incorporating the last 30 years of technological advances and breakthroughs in stealth technology into the new airframe.
Born in Milan, Italy, Moreno moved to the U.S. in 1999 to pursue a career as a commercial pilot. His aviation passion began early, inspired by his uncle, an F-104 Starfighter Crew Chief, and his father, a military traffic controller. Childhood adventures included camping outside military bases and watching planes at Aeroporto Linate. In 1999, he relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, to obtain his commercial pilot license, a move that became permanent. With 24 years in the U.S., he now flies full-time for a Part 91 business aviation company in Atlanta. He is actively involved with the Commemorative Air Force, the D-Day Squadron, and other aviation organizations. He enjoys life with his supportive wife and three wonderful children.
Born in Milan, Italy, Moreno moved to the U.S. in 1999 to pursue a career as a commercial pilot. His aviation passion began early, inspired by his uncle, an F-104 Starfighter Crew Chief, and his father, a military traffic controller. Childhood adventures included camping outside military bases and watching planes at Aeroporto Linate. In 1999, he relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, to obtain his commercial pilot license, a move that became permanent. With 24 years in the U.S., he now flies full-time for a Part 91 business aviation company in Atlanta. He is actively involved with the Commemorative Air Force, the D-Day Squadron, and other aviation organizations. He enjoys life with his supportive wife and three wonderful children.
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