The first of three “new” F/A-18B Hornets arrived at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California Nov. 6.

Two F/A-18B aircraft involved in the AFF program return to base in close formation with the autonomous function disengaged.

Lt. Cmdr. Mike Shelton delivers a F/A/-18B Hornet to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California. Shelton, center, was met by Armstrong’s Tom Grindle, from left, Ted Williams, Gary Gano and Brian Fox.

David Carbajal and Gary Gano meet Lt. Cmdr. Mike Shelton, right, of the U.S. Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland. Shelton delivered a F/A-18B Hornet to NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California.

NASA's F/A-18B #845 was captured by the photographer as it returned from its final flight in the Autonomous Airborne Refueling Demonstration research project.

The Southwest Research Institute's SWUIS-A digital imaging system was installed on the instrument panel of a NASA Dryden F/A-18B for a series of astronomy flights.

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center's F-18B Systems Research Aircraft on an External Vision System project flight.

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center's F-18B Systems Research Aircraft on an External Vision System project flight.

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center's F-18B Systems Research Aircraft on an External Vision System project flight.

NASA Dryden Flight Research Center's F-18B Systems Research Aircraft on an External Vision System project flight.

Southwest Research Institute astronomer Dan Durda checks the alignment of the SWUIS-A Xybion digital camera mounted in the rear cockpit of a NASA Dryden F/A-18B before taking off on an astronomy mission.

NASA is partnering with Gulfstream on the External Vision System project to demonstrate the use of an HD video system on the F-18B Systems Research Aircraft.

NASA's F-15B carrying thermal insulation foam on its flight test fixture is shadowed by a NASA F-18B chase aircraft during a LIFT experiment research flight.

NASA's two Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft form the backdrop as pilot Dick Ewers banks NASA F/A-18 #845 low over Rogers Dry Lake to end a research flight.

Pilot Dick Ewers and flight test engineer Leslie Molzahn were hands-off as NASA F/A-18 #845 flew itself into the drogue on an autonomous refueling demonstration.

An HD display is mounted on top of the rear instrument panel in NASA's F-18 SRA aircraft, as NASA is partnering with Gulfstream on the External Vision System project.

NASA research pilot Jim Smolka prepares to take off in NASA's F-18 Systems Research Aircraft for an External Vision System project flight.

An HD camera is mounted behind the head-up display of NASA's F-18 SRA aircraft. NASA is partnering with Gulfstream on the External Vision System project.

Gulfstream project pilot Tom Horne readies to fly an External Vision System project flight from the backseat of NASA's F-18 Systems Research Aircraft.

Long-time NASA Dryden research pilot and former astronaut C. Gordon Fullerton capped an almost 50-year flying career, including more than 38 years with NASA, with a final flight in a NASA F/A-18 on Dec. 21, 2007. Fullerton and Dryden research pilot Jim Smolka flew a 90-minute pilot proficiency formation aerobatics flight with another Dryden F/A-18 and a Dryden T-38 before concluding with two low-level formation flyovers of Dryden before landing. Fullerton was honored with a water-cannon spray arch provided by two fire trucks from the Edwards Air Force Base fire department as he taxied the F/A-18 up to the Dryden ramp, and was then greeted by his wife Marie and several hundred Dryden staff after his final flight. Fullerton began his flying career with the U.S. Air Force in 1958 after earning bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. Initially trained as a fighter pilot, he later transitioned to multi-engine bombers and became a bomber operations test pilot after attending the Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. He then was assigned to the flight crew for the planned Air Force Manned Orbital Laboratory in 1966. Upon cancellation of that program, the Air Force assigned Fullerton to NASA's astronaut corps in 1969. He served on the support crews for the Apollo 14, 15, 16 and 17 lunar missions, and was later assigned to one of the two flight crews that piloted the space shuttle prototype Enterprise during the Approach and Landing Test program at Dryden. He then logged some 382 hours in space when he flew on two early space shuttle missions, STS-3 on Columbia in 1982 and STS-51F on Challenger in 1985. He joined the flight crew branch at NASA Dryden after leaving the astronaut corps in 1986. During his 21 years at Dryden, Fullerton was project pilot on a number of high-profile research efforts, including the Propulsion Controlled Aircraft, the high-speed landing tests of sp