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    This page documents a history of a specific aircraft. The details provided vary from aircraft to aircraft and are dependent on the research and amount of data uploaded to the Aerial Visuals database.

    Airframe Family: Northrop F-17 Cobra / F-18 Hornet
    Latest Model:F/A-18A-13-MC (Lot 6) Hornet
    Last Military Serial:161973 USN
    Construction Number:191
    Last Civil Registration:N118FA
    Compressed ID:McDD F/A-18A-13-MC (Lot 6) sn 16197...
    Latest Owner or Location:Bissell Auto And Body, Saint Louis, Missouri

    EDIT THE HISTORY HERE    		 If you can add to the history or would like to submit a correction please use the editor to do so.

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    Dates

    Event

    Constructed as a F/A-18A-13-MC (Lot 6) by McDonnell Douglas.

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Navy with BuNo 161973.

    Transferred to Blue Angels, NAS Pensacola, FL.

    23 January 1990

    Category A Crash.
    In midair collision with 161524.Landed safely but Class A damage.

    By July 1990

    Transferred to Blue Angels.
    Operated with markings: Blue Angels, 1

    July 1990


    Photographer: Tom Tessier
    Notes: At MCAS El Toro CA. Open House.

    5 September 1992

    James Bissell comments (25 July 2023): Participated in an airshow in Moscow, Russia piloted by Captain Greg Wooldridge as the number 1 Blue Angel.

    1993

    Markings Applied: Blue Angels, 5
    James Bissell comments (25 July 2023): For the 1993 season F/A-18A 161973 was renumbered to the #5 Blue Angel and piloted by Captain Ken Switzer.

    1994

    Struck off Strength/Charge from the United States Navy.

    February 2002

    Offered for public sale by Air Capitol Warbirds.

    5 August 2004

    To Hal G. Reinstra, North Hollywood, CA with new c/r N118FA.

    From Unknown to By October 2009

    To Mojave, CA.
    Only the fuselage survived here. Stored near route 58.
    View the Location Dossier

    18 May 2015

    Civil registration, N118FA, cancelled.

    James Bissell comments (25 July 2023): Airframe ended up in a Dayton, Nevada aircraft salvage lot sometime after being in Mojave, CA.

    To James Clark Bissell.

    In the inventory of Bissell Auto and Body, Saint Louis, MO.
    View the Location Dossier

    21 July 2023


    Photographer: James Bissell
    Notes: F-18 Owned by James Clark Bissell and stored at Bissell Auto and Body, in Saint Louis, MO

    21 July 2023


    Photographer: James Bissell
    Notes: F18 161973 Owned by James Clark Bissell stored at Bissell Auto and Body in Saint Louis, MO
    This dossier is waiting for review by an editor.This airframe dossier is based on
    unreviewed imported data.
    If you can verify the documented history or add to it with additional text and/or photos please feel free to do so by using the upload tool and the history editor.
    Credits
     Data for airframe dossiers come from various sources. The following were used to compile this dossier...
    Internet Sources
     Aerial Visuals - The Locator by Mike Henniger, Senior Editor
    Federal Aviation Administration in the United States of America
    United States Military Services Serial Number Lists by Joe Baugher
    Individual Contributors
     James Bissell
    Mike Henniger
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