Here are a couple Hornets I've always thought would be great for visibility. The one in the middle is the MD F-18 Prototype and the others are the China Lake Naval Weapons Station scheme.
I have both a Blue Angels JL F-18C and a Gray SM F-18F. In most instances the Blue Angels is easier to see than the Gray. On the Gray I have applied on the bottom of the wing on one side a yellow and black bar using peel and stick trim film. That helps a lot. The top of the plane has the Jolly Rogers Detailing that is somewhat visible but the plain gray bottom would disappear in a hazy overcast sky.
Personally I would shy away from a camouflaged scheme. I have an SM F-5 with a Jungle Camo on it which is real easy to see on the ground but in the air the camo tends to break up its shape and it is surprisingly difficult to see and orient.
Another thing to try is to use different color sunglasses. Some pairs I have will turn the Blue Angels Much more black than others. The Brown or Rose tinted ones seem to do better but it changes with sky conditions.
I have had an instance where I momentarily looked away (always a bad idea) and a half second later my Blue Angel was gone! Thank goodness for smoke. I yelled out "I lost it" and a buddy of mine said "Hit the smoke" and there it was.
Happy Flying!
SteveK
