▁ship ' s ▁Commander ▁( exec utive ▁officer ) ▁was ▁Commander ▁David ▁Cow ling . ▁The ▁theme ▁t une ▁for ▁the ▁programme ▁was ▁" S ail ing " ▁by ▁Rod ▁Stewart ▁– ▁a ▁song ▁that ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁ship ▁and ▁her ▁successor . ▁She ▁visited ▁Fort ▁La ud erd ale , ▁Florida ▁from ▁ 3 0 ▁May ▁until ▁ 1 4 ▁June ▁ 1 9 7 8 . ▁ ▁She ▁entered ▁H M NB ▁Dev on port ▁on ▁ 4 ▁December ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁and ▁de comm ission ed ▁on ▁ 1 4 ▁February ▁ 1 9 7 9 . ▁Like ▁her ▁sister ▁E agle , ▁she ▁had ▁a ▁relatively ▁short ▁( 2 4 - year ) ▁life , ▁and ▁when ▁the ▁White ▁En sign ▁lower ed ▁for ▁the ▁last ▁time ▁the ▁Royal ▁Navy ▁no ▁longer ▁had ▁fixed - wing ▁aircraft ▁at ▁sea , ▁a ▁situation ▁that ▁pers isted ▁until ▁the ▁commission ing ▁of ▁the ▁Inv inci ble - class ▁light ▁aircraft ▁carri ers , ▁with ▁their ▁comple ments ▁of ▁Sea ▁Har rier ▁V TO L ▁aircraft , ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁On ▁ 2 9 ▁March ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Def ence ▁( MO D ) ▁announced ▁that ▁she ▁would ▁be ▁sold ▁for ▁sc rap ▁and ▁so ▁ended ▁plans ▁to ▁preserve ▁her . ▁She ▁left ▁Dev on port ▁on ▁ 2 2 ▁September ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁under ▁to w ▁to ▁be ▁scra pped ▁at