in Blog, Military, Videos

A Feast For Hornet Fans: Here’s Your 2017 West Coast Strike Fighter Ball Video

As Entertaining As It Is Visually Striking, Thus Video Might Be The Best SFB Yet.

Official US Navy Photograph

by Bill Walton October 18, 2017, 8:42 pm 3.1k Views 0 Comments

The 2017 version of the West Coast Strike Fighter Ball video is presented in gorgeous hi-def video with a twist or two- exactly what you’d expect from the squadrons assigned to Strike Fighter Wing Pacific and based at Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore south of Fresno in California. From day and night carrier ops to light-speed runs through The Jedi Transition and candid ready-room hijinks, this video carries on the traditions set by the previous version of the always-entertaining series. This year’s SFB was uploaded by YouTuber C-Rock. Enjoy!

Strike Fighter Wing Pacific (STRKFIGHTWINGPAC) consists of 20 squadrons flying the Boeing single-seat F/A-18E or twin-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet. These squadrons are structured within five Carrier Air Wings (CVWs)- CVW-2, CVW-5, CVW-9, CVW-11, and CVW-17. CVW-5 is forward-deployed in Japan and operates from Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi or from the deck of the carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) based at Yokosuka in Japan. CVW-5 includes VFA-27 Royal Maces flying F/A-18Es, VFA-102 Diamondbacks flying F/A-18Fs, VFA-115 Eagles flying F/A-18Es, and VFA-195 Dambusters flying F/A-18Es.

The other Hornet squadrons assigned to STRKFIGHTWINGPAC are VFA-2 Bounty Hunters flying the F/A-18F, VFA-14 Tophatters flying the F/A-18E, VFA-22 Fighting Redcocks flying the F/A-18F, VFA-25 Fist of the Fleet flying the F/A-18E, VFA-41 Black Aces flying the F/A-18F, VFA-86 Sidewinders flying the F/A-18E, VFA-97 Warhawks flying the F/A-18E, VFA-113 Stingers flying the F/A-18E, and VFA-122 Flying Eagles who are the West Coast replacement training squadron (or RAG) flying both F/A-18Es and F/A-18Fs.

The other squadrons calling Lemoore home are VFA-137 Kestrels flying the F/A-18E and a single example of the F/A-18F, VFA-147 Argonauts flying the F/A-18E, VFA-151 Vigilantes flying the F/A-18E, VFA-154 Black Knights flying the F/A-18F, VFA-192 Golden Dragons flying the F/A-18E, VFA-146 Blue Diamonds flying the F/A-18E, and VFA-94 Mighty Shrikes flying the F/A-18F. STRKFIGHTWINGPAC will soon begin transitioning some Hornet squadrons to the new Lockheed-Martin F-35B Lightning II.

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Written by Bill Walton

Bill Walton is a life-long aviation enthusiast and expert in aircraft recognition. As a teenager Bill helped his engineer father build an award-winning T-18 homebuilt airplane in their Wisconsin basement. Bill is a freelance writer, an avid sailor, engineer, announcer, husband, father, uncle, mentor, coach, and Navy veteran. Bill lives north of Houston TX with his wife and son under the approach path to KDWH runway 17R, which means they get to look up at a lot of airplanes. A very good thing.