Naval Aviators and Boeing Test Pilots Celebrate 30th Anniversary of the Super Hornet

The National Museum of Transportation

By Carmelo Turdo

 celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Boeing Super Hornet first flight through a series of public events this summer and fall and following the dedication of their F/A-18E Super Hornet display back in August 2024. This aircraft, E1 BuNo 165164, was the first Super Hornet produced and was flown on November 29, 1995, by McDonnell Douglas test pilot Fred Madenwald. This jet was used for initial flight testing and later evaluated weapons mounts for the Kuwaiti Super Hornet transition program. It was eventually put in outdoor storage at Boeing St. Louis and is now on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, FL. 

Super Hornet Dedication with Vice Admiral Francis Morley

The museum hosted two events in October featuring military and Boeing test pilots with significant experience flying the Super Hornet. The Aero Experience continues our coverage of the Super Hornet 30th Anniversary with this pictorial review of both programs hosted by David Nelson, retired Boeing Flight Test Engineer.

F/A-18 Pilot Panel (October 11) 

 

Dave "Dez" Desmond's career spans over 40 years of flying tactical jets, including the Hornet, Harrier and Super Hornet. He became a private pilot at age eighteen and joined the U.S. Marine Corps through OCS in 1980. After pilot training, Desmond intentionally remained in the training command as a TA-4J Skyhawk instructor for a specific purpose: The Hornet was coming. In 1982, he was assigned to the first operational squadron and later turned down a Top Gun slot to leave the service and become a test pilot for McDonnell Douglas in 1985. He performed extensive tests on Super Hornet E3, gave hundreds of VIP and demo flights over the years, tested the radar-equipped Harrier, and led a quality improvement program that greatly reduced the number of production acceptance test flights per aircraft. He retired as Boeing's Tactical Chief Test Pilot in 2013. 

Elliott "Hemo" Clemence is U.S. Naval Academy graduate who flew combat missions in Operation Southern Watch, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He flew Hornets in the Aggressor role and became a test pilot for Super Hornets. As a Navy test pilot, he served a test tour, combat tour and another test tour (rinse and repeat) to better integrate new systems into the fleet. Hemo's call sign was given to him after he canceled a flight for a nosebleed during his first squadron carrier qualification. The condition was caused by sleeping under a vent for 3 days, which dried out his nasal passages.  After thirteen years, he decided to leave the Navy and fly the T-50 and F-35A/B/C for Lockheed Martin before serving as Boeing's current Chief Test Pilot after Dave Desmond's retirement. 

Jason "Finch" Pattison is also a U.S. Naval Academy graduate. He scored number one on initial carrier qualification in the T-45C Goshawk and was given the choice of "the last Tomcat or the first Hornet." Pattison chose the Super Hornet. He served with VFA-102 aboard the USS Kitty Hawk during Operation Iraqi Freedom and also for tsunami relief from 2002-2004. After attending the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, he continued to do test work on the type for over a decade before joining Boeing Phantom Works in 2019. 

 

Top Gun (October 15)

Captain Kevin "Proton" McLaughlin, USN (Ret) is the former commander of the U.S. Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor Program (formerly Fighter Weapons School), or Top Gun, and the Navy's advisor for the Top Gun: Maverick movie. He received his call sign from having served on nuclear submarines before transferring to aviation. Captain McLaughlin flew all models of the Hornet and Super Hornet family, with his last flight being in an F/A-18C legacy Hornet. 

Captain McLaughlin attended Top Gun in 1998, and served as instructor staff from 1998-2001. After serving in various command and staff positions, he returned to command Top Gun from 2012-2013. Preparations for filming the movie Top Gun: Maverick were underway back in 2012, and over the next decade McLaughlin would remain involved behind the scenes while performing his regular duties. The Super Hornets used in the movie were painted at NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach under his leadership.

The Aero Experience thanks The National Museum of Transportation and the participating guest speakers for making these two Super Hornet 30th Anniversary events a great success. We also thank the museum for expanding their aviation education programs and exhibits, and we look forward to visiting again in the coming year.