The aircraft has remained with the Gladiators for its entire 31-years of service. The aircraft took off from NAS Oceana accompanied by three F/A-18F Super Hornets for a one-and-a-half hour flight and return to Oceana where it will be officially stricken from the inventory, stripped of all its usable parts and be scrapped.
Becker said the F/A-18C aircraft has served admirably for over 30 years and highlighted its history in naval aviation.
"Its technological innovation was continued on the F/A-18 E/F/G aircraft and helped the US Navy transition from 4th to 5th generation aircraft," said Becker.
During the last year, VFA-106 has transferred over 50 F/A-18 Hornets to various Navy Reserve and US Marine aviation commands, as well as being placed in preservation for future use if needed.
Both the F/A-18A and F/A-18C Hornet variants have been replaced by the updated F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. VFA-106 is the Navy's East Coast Fleet Replacement Squadron, which trains naval aviators to fly the F/A-18 Super Hornets.
