Thank you, Ken, very much. To an ''aviation-challenged'' person like myself, your info is greatly appreciated.  And a couple of presentations of carrier aviation on the Military Channel lately have helped, too. I knew you would know the answers to my question so I posted a private message to you as well, prior to your answer here. Thanks ...

Thank you. Just by coincidence, after I posted that message I saw a special on the F/A 18 and the ship it was on was number 73 and I thought to myself that that sounds like the USS George Washington because I saw a program on the history channel recently which featured life on board your carrier. Is 73 the GW? dcb188@uid.onemain.com is my email ...

Prior USMC enlisted Vietnam Era and USAF JAG later, I am almost completely devoid of aviation knowledge. After seeing a documentary about the carrier USS George Washington's flight deck, am interested to know: What is the current most common kind of fighter aircraft on carriers i.e. the workhorse of the carrier fleet? I know this is a VERY basic ...