The Flying Eagles VFA-122 will be performing demonstration flights in the F18F Super Hornet during the Carson Valley Aviation Roundup August 22-23 at Minden-Tahoe Airport.
The F/A-18 Super Hornet is a twin-engine, supersonic, all weather multirole fighter jet that is capable of landing and taking off from an aircraft carrier. The Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet and related twin-seat F/A-18F are twin-engine carrier-capable multirole fighter aircraft variants based on the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet.
The F/A-18E single-seat and F/A-18F tandem-seat variants are larger and more advanced derivatives of the F/A-18C and D Hornet. The Super Hornet has an internal 20 mm M61 rotary cannon and can carry air-to-air missiles and air-to-surface weapons. Additional fuel can be carried in up to five external fuel tanks and the aircraft can be configured as an airborne tanker by adding an external air refueling system.
The Super Hornet was first ordered by the U.S. Navy in 1992, in part to replace the F-14 Tomcat; all naval combat jets were on Hornet variants until the introduction of the F-35C Lightning II. Navy retained the F/A-18 designation to help sell the program to Congress as a low-risk "derivative", though the Super Hornet is largely a new aircraft. The Hornet and Super Hornet share many characteristics, including avionics, ejection seats, radar, armament, mission computer software, and maintenance/operating procedures.
The gates will open at 10:00am and close at 5:00pm. The show will feature the US Air Force Thunderbirds, Team Rocket, Bill Stein, Kyle Franklin, Matt Younkin, Manfred Radius, Dan Buchanan, and the Misty Blues will parachute in with the flag for the opening ceremonies. For more information on the show please visit: