Military Aerospace News Thread

**A THREAD TO POST MISCELLANEOUS NEWS ABOUT MILITARY AIRCRAFT AND ORDINANCE**

Spanish Air Force F/A-18 Program Ends at NAVAIR North Island

(Source: US Navy; issued July 9, 2003)

CORONADO, Calif. — The last two of 22 Spanish air force F/A-18s have left Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Depot North Island. Depot pilots landed safely in the Spanish-owned Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa following a rest stop at Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.

Cmdr. Daniel Turner and Lt. Cmdr. Jack Waters flew the aircraft nonstop from North Island to Virginia, where they had a rest. They then flew nine-hours nonstop to the Canary Islands, a one-stop odyssey boldly demonstrating the two aviators’ belief in the quality of the product, and their trust in the skill and expertise of NAVAIR Depot North Island artisans.

The aircraft were the last two of 22 Spanish aircraft to go through a modification, corrosion and paint program, plus additional upgrades, that depot artisans started in April 1998, according to Carolyn Sibley of the depot’s F/A-18 program management team office.

For this return flight, Sibley’s office made special arrangements with the U.S. Air Force to have one of its KC-135 tankers accompany the aircraft from California to the Canaries to refuel the jets along the way. She said that normally, the pilots would have landed and remained overnight in Dallas before flying to Virginia for another rest stop, and then on to the Canary Islands.

“Our pilots left North Island and arrived in Virginia that same day, then left the East Coast on Monday and landed in the islands later that day,” Sibley said.

A special team of engineers and artisans worked on the Spanish planes.

“The Spanish air force was pleased with their aircraft,” Sibley said. “They looked like new when they landed at Gando Air Base in the Grand Canaries. NAVAIR North Island may be proud of a job well done.”

NAVAIR provides advanced warfare technologies through the efforts of a seamless, integrated, worldwide network of aviation technology experts.