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U.S. NAVY F-18 HORNET AIR

DEMONSTRATION VFA-122 LEGACY FLIGHT

Air shows are the best place to see a VFA-122 Super Hornet, from Naval Air courtesy photo
Station Lemoore, California, in action. The Tactical Demonstration, or “Tac Demo”
team flies the single-seat F/A-18E and two-seat F/A-18F as close to the “edge of the
envelope” as safety and prudence allow. The routine highlights the Rhino’s maneu-
verability and slow-speed handling characteristics and has been very well received
around the country.

In addition to high-performance demonstrations with a single aircraft, VFA-122
also participates in “Legacy” shows in which Super Hornets fly in formation with
classic warbirds like the F-4U Corsair and F6F Hellcat. Legacy shows provide a
unique comparison between where the past and present and provide some great
photo opportunities.

The officers who fly in the Super Hornet demonstration are veteran Naval avia-
tors, each with years of flight experience. Hailing from around the United States,
these pilots and Naval flight officers have each spent up to two years earning their
Wings of Gold. After their flight training, they reported to various front-line squad-
rons on aircraft carriers around the globe. Many have flown combat operations in
Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan and each has spent long months away from home dur-
ing their time in the Fleet.

Upon completion of Fleet duties, these aviators were selected for their skill, ex-
perience and teaching ability to serve as flight instructors at VFA-122. They rely on
their training to introduce the next generation of Naval Aviators to the F/A-18. From
amongst the cadre of VFA-122 instructors, demonstration pilots are chosen for their
abilities in the aircraft in order to showcase the Navy’s premier strike-fighter to the
American people.

John Collver & his AT-6 Texan “War Dog”

John Collver has an aviation career spanning more 2I¿FLDO860DULQHVSKRWR6JW0LFKHOH+XQW
than three decades and over 14,000 hours of flight time in
over 50 types of aircraft. His career includes time in the by John and his sidekick War Dog to the sounds of patriotic military tunes that this
Goodyear Blimp, flying for television, as well as teaching performance is more than its visual appearance. Their performance is a living trib-
and competing in the aerobatic arena. In addition, John ute performed by an unyielding dedicated individual and his plane to honor the men
formally flew for the Northrop/Grumman corporation and women serving today and in the past, living or deceased.
supporting the U.S. military for over a decade.
The aerial demonstration performed by John and War Dog is without a doubt an
War Dog was built in Texas in 1944. First stationed at act that thrills spectators young and old. It stirs their patriotic hearts and generates
Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, then six months later a high level of excitement within each spectator.
transferred to Miramar Air Station. Several years and nu-
merous duty stations later, War Dog was retired from the
US Armed Forces and was assigned to the Japanese Self
Defense Force until 1974.

Due to be scrapped, as was the demise of many World
War II warbirds, it was at this time War Dog was discov-
ered and saved by Warbirds West in Compton, California.
They sent the plane back to the states where it was com-
pletely rebuilt to its original condition. It was at this time
John became War Dog’s new owner.

War Dog has logged over 10,000 hours on her airframe
and had nine Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial engine re-
placements or overhauls by 1997. She is a tough airplane
that still has plenty of flight hours left thanks to the me-
ticulously detailed maintenance John regularly performs.

War Dog, with a wing span of 42 feet, a length of more
than 29 feet, and a performance speed of 212 miles per hour, will go the distance to
perform an aerobatic routine that will leave spectators breathless. For those Veter-
ans that learned to fly the AT-6/SNJ, it is a sight that will leave you teary eyed. For
the memories of training to be aviators, the same maneuvers and techniques they
were once taught as fighter pilots and the war time experiences long ago will return
renewed as if it were yesterday.

There is no doubt in the minds of those observing the loops and rolls performed