Supercruise Aviation - Article
NAS Lemoore 2009
VFA-2 Bounty Hunters VFA-94 Mighty Shrikes VFA-122 Flying Eagles VFA-125 Rough Raiders VFA-137 Kestrels VFA-147 Argonauts VFA-151 Vigilantes VFA-154 Black Knights

NAS Lemoore is the Navy’s largest Naval Air Station and is located in California and host the Navy’s entire west coast fighter/attack capability.

Commissioned in 1961, NAS Lemoore is the newest air station in the Navy. Two offset parallel runways were laid out 1,400 m. apart. Aircraft parking and maintenance hangars are aligned between the two 4,115 m. runways.

The Pacific Strike Fighter Wing with its supporting facilities are home ported here. The primary aircraft based at NAS Lemoore is the F/A-18 Hornet Strike Fighter.
In November, 1999, NAS Lemoore received its first F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets, which replaced the F-14 Tomcat in fleet service as an air superiority fighter and has assumed, in a different configuration, the role of older F/A-18 Strike Fighters.

Currently, there are a total of 175 Hornets and Super Hornets home-based at NAS Lemoore operating from two Fleet Replacement [training] Squadrons and fourteen Fleet [operational] Squadrons.

Carrier Wings, Pacific Strike Fighter Wing
* Carrier Air Wing 2 (CVW-2), assigned to: USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72)
* Carrier Air Wing 9 (CVW-9), assigned to: USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74)
* Carrier Air Wing 11 (CVW-11), assigned to: USS Nimitz (CVN-68)
* Carrier Air Wing 14 (CVW-14), assigned to: USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76)

Squadrons F/A-18A+/B/C/D Hornets F/A-18E/F Super Hornets
* VFA-2 Bounty Hunters (F)
* VFA-14 Tophatters (E)
* VFA-22 Fighting Redcocks (F)
* VFA-25 Fist of the Fleet (C)
* VFA-41 Black Aces (F)
* VFA-94 Mighty Shrikes (C)
* VFA-97 Warhawks (C)
* VFA-113 Stingers (C)
* VFA-122 Flying Eagles (E/F)
* VFA-125 Rough Raiders (A+/B/C/D)
* VFA-137 Kestrels (E)
* VFA-146 Blue Diamonds (C)
* VFA-147 Argonauts (E)
* VFA-151 Vigilantes (C)
* VFA-154 Black Knights (F)
* VFA-192 Golden Dragons (C)

During are visit where these hornets from these squadrons present;
VFA-2, VFA-94, VFA-122, VFA-125, VFA-137, VFA-147, VFA-151, VFA-154

The VFA-125 squadron also has a couple of T-34C Mentor. One has a dark blue color scheme and the other one has a light blue and white scheme.

There were also some visitors during the morning we were at the base.
A F/A/18F from VX-31, which is stationed at the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in California.
A C-9B from VR-46, operating from Naval Air Station Atlanta, which at Dobbins AFB in Georgia.

We would like to thank Melinda Larson and the NAS Lemoore Public Affairs, for making it all possible.

Text en photo's by François van Riel

The two visitors