Throwback Thursday: Blue Angels select F/A-18 Hornet as Official aircraft in 1986

On March 10, 1986 the U.S. Navy announced that the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet would be the new official aircraft of the Blue Angels flight exhibition team, replacing the A-4 Skyhawk.

The Blue Angels fly the Hornets in more than 70 shows across the country every year. They estimate that since 1946, the Blue Angels have flown in front of more than 260 million people.