This is the ‘light yellow tab’ version of the “Fleet Rhino” patch created for the F/A-18 Hornets. It shows the US Flag in the background, similar to the Tomcat Felix patches. When carrier based aircraft are inbound for landing they transmit their type and fuel to ensure that the trap wires are set at the right tension. An F-14 pilot might have said something like “One-Zero-Three, Tomcat, xx” meaning aircraft number 103 on the nose, a F-14 Tomcat, and xx pounds of gas. F/A-18s are “Hornets”. But the E/F/G versions are much heavier,and “SuperHornet” could easily be misheard as just “Hornet”. A/B/C/D’s identify as ‘Hornet” and the “SuperHornets” identify as “Rhino”. They do look like Rhinos don’t they, gray, ugly, dangerous, big-nose? This patch does not come with velcro attached. Update: Now that there are no more ‘regular’ Hornets, I don’t know if that callsign procedure is still in place.
