With the afterburner lit, this VFP-63 RF-8G pilot salutes the catapult officer seconds before being launched from JFK. Photographer was a Navy ROTC midshipman at the time.
This is BuNo 146860, which was the the last operational US forces Crusader. It was retired to the Smithsonian on March 30, 1987 and is on display at the Udvar-Hazy museum at Dulles Airport. Here it had some problems and dropped in at Selfridge.
Taken on Valentine's Day and still very well preserved on 'Celebrity Row' in AMARG, RF-8G Bu.No 144618 stored as AN2F0423. Retired to MASDC 15th
April 1982, last operated by VFP-63.
VFP-63 "Eyes of the Fleet" Photo'd July '77 on USS Coral Sea w/ VFP-63 code NL612. July '81 went to AMARC. Feb '87 from AMARC to NAS North Island Calif.