No. 77 Squadron put on a flying masterclass for hundreds of onlookers on Friday in what was a fitting send off for the classic F/A-18 Hornet fleet that has called Williamtown RAAF Base home for 33 years.
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Eight Hornets took off from Williamtown about 11am, flew in formation over parts of Port Stephens, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie before returning to the base to perform a series of aerial handling displays that enthralled the many who turned out to watch the Hornets' final hoorah.
No. 77 Squadron's Hornet operations ended on Friday, December 11 as it transitions to the new generation of combat aircraft, the F-35A Lightning II.
"It was a sad day on Friday to farewell the F/A-18 Hornet for the very last time after more than three decades of flying for 77 Squadron at RAAF Base Williamtown," No. 77 Squadron Commanding Officer, Wing Commander Jason Easthope, said.
"It was pleasing to see the outpouring of public support and social media interest during the week following the series of flying displays conducted over Port Stephens.
"To see the crowds of people lining the streets outside the Williamtown base and at places like Birubi Point was most heartwarming."
The CO thanked the Port Stephens community for its collective support and paid tribute to the "highly professional and dedicated" men and women of 77 Squadron.
Cars lined Nelson Bay and Medowie roads and filled the Fighter World and Williamtown hall car parks as hundreds of people armed with cameras, phones and binoculars found a spot near the RAAF base's fence and turned their eyes to the sky to watch Friday's final Hornet flying event.
Among those was flying enthusiast Georgina U'Brien.
"I loved it," the 11-year-old said when asked whether she enjoyed Friday's aerial display, adding that she thought it was a good send off for the fleet.
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Miss U'Brien, from Glen William, was not hard to miss as one of the aero enthusiasts who turned out to watch the Hornets in action.
She was decked out in a green pilot jumpsuit complete with flying patches, earmuffs and binoculars.
"I want to be a F/A-18 Super Hornet pilot when I grow up," she said.
But Miss U'Brien aspirations don't end there.
"I also want to be the first female on Mars. NASA is sending women to the moon in 2022 so I'm going to be the first female on Mars. And I want to be the first female Air Marshal," she said.
A mainstay of Williamtown RAAF Base, the Hornets are being grounded as of Friday to make way for a total of 72 advanced F-35As.
Australia has committed to 72 F-35A aircraft for three operational squadrons at RAAF Base Williamtown and RAAF Base Tindal, and a training squadron at Williamtown.
No. 77 Squadron will transition to the F-35A in January 2021. Williamtown's No. 3 Squadron also operation the F-35As.
Senator Linda Reynolds, the Minister of Defence, said on Wednesday that there are currently 30 F-35As in service at Williamtown.
The classic Hornet is a multi-role fighter aircraft capable of air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. The aircraft has been an integral part of Australia's air combat forces for more than three decades and a regular sight above the skies of Port Stephens and beyond.
As a fitting tribute, the Hornet was farewelled this week with a series of flying displays over Port Stephens, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie.
"The Hornet has been a stalwart with its air combat capability for 33 years and this week marks the end of an era," WGCDR Easthope previously told the Examiner.
"By Friday there will be no more Hornets flying out of Williamtown. The phasing out of such an aircraft is a rare event ... the last time it happened was in 1987 with the retirement of the Mirage.
"While it is a sad day to see the end of the F/A-18 after 33 years, it is exciting to be involved with its replacement, the F-35."