IS THERE ONE OR ARE THERE TWO SPECIAL TAIL F-18? J-5002 ILLUSION AND CLEVER ARTWORK • YORKNITE 25

J-5002 F/A-18 HORNET of the Swiss Air Force caused a bit of a stir or did it? It certainly confused me as it taxied for departure showing off its "11" paintwork on its stabilisers and then suddenly it disappeared as this wonderful tiger eye paintwork appeared. Did I miss the tiger eye livery taxiing? Well, the answer is simple, it is a single F-18 with a clever way of applying artwork to show one design in one point of view, with another livery on the opposite side. Ouside portside stabiliser and inside starboard stabiliser are painted with a '1'. The inside Portside stabiliser and outside starboard stabiliser are painted with the tiger eye. Simple, effective and confused myself and few others lol.

RAF Leeming hosts Exercise YORKNITE, which is an annual key training deployment of the Swiss Air Force. The Swiss bring their aircrew, military personnel from all three operational squadrons that fly the F/A-18 Hornets to the UK for 4 weeks. From their Payerne Air Base, Switzerland, the squadrons are Fliegerstaffel 11 "Tigers", 17 "Falcons" and 18 "Panthers".

From Air to Air Refuelling, low level and other sorties, Yorknite plays a key role for the F-18 pilots who integrate with the RAF and USAF too. There are other aircraft that are deployed for Ex Yorknite such as the Cougar helicopters and a Bombardier CC-144C Challenger.

The F18s of the Swiss Air Force have the opportunity to carry out their low level flying training as doing this in Switzerland this time of year posses avalanche risks in the Alps and other low flying areas. So, they come the UK for this.

#f18 #illusion #yorknite #rafleeming #swissairforce #clever

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