As an ardent F1 fan, I’ve been lucky to get along to most of the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, from when they first raced in Adelaide in 1985.  Although I was also unlucky to be there in 1991 when the race lasted just 24:34.899 minutes to become the second shortest Grand Prix in history behind the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix which was stopped due to rain after just 3:27.000 minutes

The 1991 Australian Grand Prix – Adelaide

Anyhow, the spectacle and atmosphere of being at an Australian Grand Prix is unbelievable, as a lot of effort is put into additional on and off-track entertainment which doesn’t exist at Grand Prix in other countries.

One of the traditional off-track displays which is one of my favourites, and I reckon for most others, is the flyover by the Australian Airforce FA/18 Hornet, and if you haven’t been able to see it live at the track, here’s the Network Ten coverage from 2015.

F/A-18A Hornet at the 2015 Australian F1 Grand Prix in Melbourne – Network Ten

The noise, the speed and the manoeuvrability of the plane is amazing, and if only my stomach was strong enough to hold everything down, I’d love to experience what it’d be like in the cockpit.

Consequently, whenever I get a chance to see a vision of these planes in action, I generally chase it up, as was the case with the following link.

Imagine having to land one of these planes on a moving aircraft carrier in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, well here’s what it’s like from the pilot’s seat …. And you’d be praying the hook is strong enough to catch you!!!!

Pacific Ocean recovery of a F/A-18E Super Hornet

As a footnote, after using the Boeing F/A-18A/B Hornet fighter jets for more than thirty years, in November 2021, the Royal Australian Air Force formally retired the fleet from active service and have replaced them with Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning 11 fighter jets, which hopefully will continue to be seen at an F1 Grand Prix near you.