Tears were shed and fond memories shared at the Royal Australian Air Force base at Williamtown today, as a significant contribution to aviation history was marked. 

The F/A-18 Classic Hornet has been officially retired after serving the country for nearly 40 years.

In that time the fleet of Hornets completed more than 400,000 flying hours and more than 1,900 missions.

Hundreds of people gathered this morning to celebrate the aircraft's long list of achievements.

Group Captain Jason Easthope, the air combat group's chief of staff, had the honour of flying a Hornet for the final time.

"It's an ageless aeroplane ... the performance is fantastic," he said.

"It was bittersweet for me ... because I'm passionate about flying and I love flying the Hornet but it was pretty clear to me today it was coming to an end.

It was a display that captured the attention of around 500 guests.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton was among them and paid tribute to those who had been involved in the Hornet program.

"That was a spectacular display and it showed to all Australians what incredible service the Hornets have provided to our country," he said.

"It's a remarkable effort by the pilots, by the crew, by the support industry and by the Royal Australia Air Force.

"It's a leading Air Force and respected right around the world."

Rich aviation history

The first RAAF Hornets to arrive in Australia were flown from the US to Avalon, Victoria in June 1984. The A21-103 model made its first flight the following year.

The Hornets were first deployed following the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001 to protect the major US air base on the Indian Ocean island Diego Garcia, which was used to mount operations in Afghanistan.

They were also deployed to the Middle East in 2003 to aid the war on terror in Iraq and most recently in 2018 for the fight against Daesh.

Air Commodore Tim Alsop, commander of the air Combat Group, said tens of thousands of men and women have worked with the Hornets.

"Many have gone onto the new F-35A; some have gone onto the Super Hornet up north," he said.

"A number are working on the preparation of the Classic Hornet to be either displayed in museums and also for the Canadian Air Force."

More than 20 Hornets have been sold to Canada and the US, while around eight will remain on display in Australia, including two at the Fighter World museum in Williamtown.

The Hornet can fly above 50,000 feet and up to 1,915 kilometres per hour.

The aircraft have been replaced by the F-35A Lightning II joint strikers.

"We will continue to see the F35 numbers grow so we're still taking deliveries of the aircraft from Dallas-Fort Worth.

"The most recent three only arrived about two or three weeks ago."