A Reflection on the AV-8B Harrier’s Legacy

CHERRY POINT, N.C. — On June 4, the AV-8B Harrier II will take flight on American soil for the final time, closing out an operational history of over half a century as the final squadron retires its remaining jets to transition to the F-35B Lightning II.

The AV-8B’s retirement marks a symbolic shift in military aviation. The Harrier represents some of the last purely mechanical “stick-and-rudder” airframes and its sundown marks the final shift from these systems to modern fly-by-wire platforms. For the men and women of the final Harrier squadron, VMA-223, “The Bulldogs,” these characteristics are what make the Harrier unique.

The Marine Corps hosted the final public demonstration of the Harrier on May 10 at the biennial MCAS Cherry Point Airshow. Amidst a crowd of tens of thousands, VMA-223 showcased the Harrier’s capabilities and power, at one point registering a deafening 125 decibels on the ground as it hovered in place in front of the crowd. For the pilots who demonstrated these capabilities, the reality of the aircraft’s retirement was beginning to sink in.  

“Honestly, it hasn’t hit me yet, but I will tell you, it’s coming, it’s bittersweet,” said a Harrier pilot known by the callsign “Pepe.” “It’s sad to see it go, but it’s exciting I guess to be a part of the end of it.”

The Harrier was one of the first aircraft to successfully incorporate thrust vectoring with its Pegasus engine, which allows the pilots to manually rotate four exhaust nozzles to transition between forward flight and hover. This capability has birthed infamous tactics such as Vectoring in Forward Flight (VIF)— a maneuver used in dogfights to shed air speed and force an enemy to overshoot. However, Pepe notes that while it is a viable combat technique, it comes at a price. “You can do it… but you’re selling your soul for a shot, basically,” referring to the intense loss of potential energy. Despite being a subsonic aircraft in an increasingly supersonic world, the Harrier has consistently held its own in modern environments. Its small physical cross-section compared to other aircraft helps. "We're really small, so if you can't find us, you can't fight us," Pepe said.

Flying the Harrier is notoriously challenging. Since it lacks a modern digital fly-by-wire system, the pilot must manually stabilize the aircraft and manage the throttle, stick, rudder, and nozzle positions simultaneously. Pepe explained that intense repetitive training prepares aviators to fly the Harrier. “It’s definitely challenging,” he said. “It’s just the training that we go through to do it is what helps you know what you’re looking for… especially into the hovers.”

According to Pepe, that transition into hover is an experience that defies traditional aviation logic and remains the most memorable experience in the jet.  

“Honestly, the very first hover that I came into, it breaks your mind, right?” Pepe recalled. “You can fly Cessnas and you’re going 60 knots or so… then you’re flying jets where 360 knots is our normal tactical speed. Coming into like a break at 350 knots and then being in the hover about a minute later really breaks your mind as you’re slowing down there. It’s wild. Just sitting there on thrust—it’s unique and different.”

That experience is accompanied by intense physical effects. To protect against the extreme acoustic environment of the engine, pilots wear double ear protection with special built-in radio communications beneath the flight helmet. Yet, even with the muffled sound, the sound can still be felt. On crisp, cold days with less drag, takeoff will “really kick you in the pants,” according to Pepe.

When asked about the legacy of the Harrier, Pepe gave a simple phrase about his favorite part of the aircraft: “Vertical Vibes.” As the Harrier is retired, those who flew it have no complaints. “Honestly, there’s really not anything I’m going to be glad to get rid of. I love the jet. It was an absolute blast and a privilege to fly.”

For Embry-Riddle students, the Harrier offers a blueprint for strong Human-Machine Interface (HMI) design. Pepe, who holds a background in engineering, stressed that as engineers design new platforms like the F-35 and beyond, they must never lose sight of how a human operator interacts with the machine in high-stress environments.  

“You’ve got to definitely think about how the aircraft is set up, what you’re putting where, and where you’re looking for that information,” Pepe advised Riddle students. “If you can package it well, the pilot is way less tasked to find the information that they need to fly the aircraft.”

As the Harrier approaches its final sundown, it stands as an incredible testament to the triumph and skill of the engineers who built it, the maintainers who kept it flying, and the pilots who operated it. Pepe had two final words on the Harrier: “Go Dawgs!”

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