By Denise Deon, TEAM Public Affairs, Pax River

Aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) — A new era in Naval Aviation commences as pilots of the Navy's first F/A-18E/F Super Hornet squadron completed their initial carrier landings on the USS Abraham Lincoln off the coast of Southern California. This milestone is added to the long list of achievements that make the F/A-18E/F the most successful acquisition program in naval history.

Pilots from Strike Fighter Squadron 122 (VFA-122) have spent several days aboard the Abraham Lincoln conducting initial carrier qualifications. For some of the Navy's newest instructors, this period marks the first time they have landed a SuperHornet aboard a carrier.

"The Super Hornet has been very impressive during its carrier testing aboard the Abraham Lincoln," stated Capt. J.J. Quinn, the ship's commanding officer. "There is no doubt that this aircraft will be the cornerstone of carrier aviation in the 21st century."

While aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, the squadron was joined by two other SuperHornet teams conducting sea trials. Aircraft and personnel from the Integrated Test Team (ITT), Naval Air Weapons Center, Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., and pilots and support personnel from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Nine (VX-9), Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake, Calif., used the sea time to conduct testing.

All totaled, seven F/A-18E/Fs performed 293 arrested landings onboard the carrier. VFA-122, commissioned in January 1999, received its first SuperHornets in November 1999 and immediately began training the fleet's first F/A-18E/F instructor pilots. The squadron has spent the last six months working on syllabus verification and "training the trainers," qualifying the first group of instructor pilots, Instructor Weapon System Operators (WSOs) and maintenance personnel to perform their jobs in preparation for the first class of replacement aircrew.

These initial carrier qualifications mark the near completion of the "Train-the-trainer" period.

According to Commanding Officer Captain Mark Fox, "there is an enormous amount of very detailed work that must be done to prepare for the SuperHornet to go to sea and to operate as part of the fleet. Our next major milestone is in June of 2000 when we say we are ready to train and the first class starts flying."

"We intend to make this training system the very best we can," he added.

In June 2000, the first class of replacement pilots and weapon system operators will report for hands-on training. Every six weeks a new class of replacement aircrew will begin a syllabus comprising of seven to nine months of instruction.

The first class of SuperHornet fleet pilots will graduate from VFA-122 in the early part of 2001. Graduates are destined for the first fleet squadron of operational SuperHornets. In 2002, the Super Hornet will embark on its first deployment aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and begin to shape the future of how our naval air forces project power.