Naval Aviation

[CWtheMan]

I worked in Naval Aviation for 40+ years. I’ve seen a lot of military aircraft come and go. Would you like to see where I’ve found a lot of them? My pictures will include aircraft from all USA services.

These are just introduction pictures. The first is me (18) just after reporting to my first duty station right out of boot camp . The place; Naval Air Station, Oahu, TH; the Squadron AIRBARSRON2, (1957); the aircraft Super Connie, Navy designation, WV-2, referred to as, Willy Victor.

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[flybouy]

Speaking personally I would. I love all things that fly. I had an ex Naval Aviator as my flight instructor (private ticket, not military) and I can remember some of things he taught me that I think went well beyond the "required" training.

[CWtheMan]

An USN A7 Corsair II aircraft getting ready to launch from a bow cat off the USS Midway (CVA-41). The picture was taken by me. It was 1971 and we were in the South China Sea providing support for our forces in Vietnam.

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That's a non digital picture taken with a Yashica 35mm.

[CWtheMan]

Just driving around the countryside looking for flea markets/yard sales and behold. At a smallish local airport we found this bird on display.

Cities & town all around the country really like to build monuments with some sort of aircraft as the primary element. This one did not have a placard.

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[flybouy]

I grew up just off the approach path to the Glenn L. Martin Company (now Martin State Airport KMTN) in Middle River, MD. That's also where I learned to fly. I watched a lot of aircraft fly over between Martin and the 2 Air Force Reserve wings. Martins had a ramp into the water for testing their air boats. Later they shifted to aerospace and I watched as the "Pregnant Guppies" would fly in and load up. They have a small museum there but I like Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Dulls VA, can't get enough of that place.

[locomech]

Just driving around the countryside looking for flea markets/yard sales and behold. At a smallish local airport we found this bird on display.

Cities & town all around the country really like to build monuments with some sort of aircraft as the primary element. This one did not have a placard.

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The bird you have pictured is a McDonnell F-101B VooDoo, but I'll bet you already knew that. I was a crew chief on the RF-101C model at Ton Son Nhut AFB. The other pic you have of the Super Connie brings back memories of my time in Taiwan pulling alerts for them flying along the coast of China. I was crewing an F-102A back then and we would scramble our alert jets when they were being harassed by the Red Chinese Air Force.

[Bob R]

I started in the Navy in 1971,became an Aviation Electricians Mate, a ships company tour onboard the USS Forrestal where I was in the shop and also did some Aircrew duty on the C1A, then shore duty to San Diego, then P3 Flight Engineer for 12 years and finished up back in San Diego as a C2A crewman as my last tour before retiring. I know a little bit about Naval Aviation. :)

CW, was that Willy Victor squadron the precursor to VQ1? I know the Norks shot down a Navy EC-121 in 1969 with 31 people on board.

There were only a few countries I was concerned when flying close aboard and the number 1 was North Korea, you never knew what they would do.

Russian not so worrisome, they were professionals just as we were. They would intercept but just hang out with us for a while.

bob

[Bob R]

Just driving around the countryside looking for flea markets/yard sales and behold. At a smallish local airport we found this bird on display.

Cities & town all around the country really like to build monuments with some sort of aircraft as the primary element. This one did not have a placard.

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We have a F101 on display at Fairchild AFB, along with the only B52 that shot down a MIG in air combat. There are some others there also. The F101 is special because it has a Genie missile mounted underneath it. The Genie was a 1.5 Kilo ton unguided air to air nuke used for air intercepts. That was back when it was assumed the Russians would send in waves of bombers to do the job so a air to air nuke would ruin their day. Ours too but people didn't think of that much back then.

bob

btw: I could talk airplanes and aviation all day!! ;)

[CWtheMan]

CW, was that Willy Victor squadron the precursor to VQ1? I know the Norks shot down a Navy EC-121 in 1969 with 31 people on board.

ercept but just hang out with us for a while.
bob

Yes, 1971.

http://vw1assoc.org/

[Bob R]

Yes, 1971.

http://vw1assoc.org/

That's kind of neat, you were around at the inception of the DEW line, which is why the WV were out there, probably filling in gaps in the line.

bob

[Hellbilly13]

I started in the Navy in 1971,became an Aviation Electricians Mate, a ships company tour onboard the USS Forrestal where I was in the shop and also did some Aircrew duty on the C1A, then shore duty to San Diego, then P3 Flight Engineer for 12 years and finished up back in San Diego as a C2A crewman as my last tour before retiring. I know a little bit about Naval Aviation. :)

bob

Sounds like you left NASNI just before I got there? I worked on S-3's for 5 years there. 94-99. I finished up my career in Army Aviation.

[cavediver]

I started in the Navy in 1971,became an Aviation Electricians Mate, a ships company tour onboard the USS Forrestal where I was in the shop and also did some Aircrew duty on the C1A, then shore duty to San Diego, then P3 Flight Engineer for 12 years and finished up back in San Diego as a C2A crewman as my last tour before retiring. I know a little bit about Naval Aviation. :)

CW, was that Willy Victor squadron the precursor to VQ1? I know the Norks shot down a Navy EC-121 in 1969 with 31 people on board.

There were only a few countries I was concerned when flying close aboard and the number 1 was North Korea, you never knew what they would do.

Russian not so worrisome, they were professionals just as we were. They would intercept but just hang out with us for a while.

bob

Do you remember we were heading to Crete from Athens ⁶with a Russian destroyer tried to keep up and blew its boiler? Captain Linder offered assistance to throw salt in the wound.

[Bob R]

Sounds like you left NASNI just before I got there? I worked on S-3's for 5 years there. 94-99. I finished up my career in Army Aviation.

I was in AIMD at NASNI from 75 to 78. I was assigned to the VAST shop running boxes off of the S3 and occasionally F14 boxes brought down from Miramar. I was one of the few AEs that got that job because shortly after they said we didn't have the digital background needed. SO they said, a monkey could have done that job.

Do you remember we were heading to Crete from Athens ⁶with a Russian destroyer tried to keep up and blew its boiler? Captain Linder offered assistance to throw salt in the wound.

A shipmate!!!! Nice.

I don't recall that incident but I do recall Capt. Linder. We spent so much time in the Med those 3 years I was aboard I could probably still find my way around Athens and Palma.

bob

[cavediver]

I was on the C1A crew during the 72-73 med cruise. An AMS. The best duty on the ship.

[Bob R]

I was on the C1A crew during the 72-73 med cruise. An AMS. The best duty on the ship.

I got to ride the C1 on occasion, it seems I was one of the only AEs on the ship that knew how to rebuild a carbon pile voltage regulator and then parallel the generators. I was onboard from 72 to 75. That 72-73 deployment was a long one and as I was young and dumb I loved every second of it. How else could a poor boy from Oklahoma get to spend 10 months cruising around the Med? :)

bob

[CWtheMan]

Army Aviation?

Yup, I've got them.

One of our major routes out of FL is US-231. Nice highway and relaxing traveling.

Our normal stopover is Der Run near Troy, AL.

Fort Rucker does not have a military RV park so we had never been there. I was somewhat curious about their aviation museum. So, one time we stopped in Ozark, AL for a side trip out to the museum. We were just going to spend a couple of nights that ended up being four nights because after seeing the golf courses at Fort Rucker I just had to play all three courses (Red, White & Blue).

I've got at least a hundred pictures taken at the museum and I'll post more in the weeks to come.

I hardly ever take a camera or cell phone with me when golfing, so not many pictures there. I have a bad habit of forgetting them in the golf carts.

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[gkainz]

1976 - 1985 USN AT Aircrew in the E-2 Hawkeye at NAS Miramar, deployed on Nimitz on the MED turned I/O extended cruise where we flew the Iranian Hostage Rescue mission, then WESTPAC cruises on Constellation and Ranger.

[xrated]

CW.....I have a friend that flew the A7s on and off the carriers. As a reference, he is 66-67 years old now and is also fast as crap on a motorcycle racetrack. We worked together as Instructors for the largest motorcycle trackday organization in the country.

[CWtheMan]

1976 - 1985 USN AT Aircrew in the E-2 Hawkeye at NAS Miramar, deployed on Nimitz on the MED turned I/O extended cruise where we flew the Iranian Hostage Rescue mission, then WESTPAC cruises on Constellation and Ranger.

I was a CVW8 flight deck maintenance chief when the H-53s came aboard Nimitz from Diego Garcia, 1979.

[CWtheMan]

This picture has had some rough handling. I don’t know how it survived.

My second duty station in the Navy was at Naval Air Station Alameda, CA. The squadron was VP-9 and the aircraft was a P2V-7.

This is a picture of the squadron’s Aircraft Division. It was taken in 1959, I’m seated far left.

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This picture was taken by me. It's a P2V-7 on display at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, FL. Behind it is a F-14 from VF-84, with the paint scheme used in the movie, "The Final Countdown"; filmed - in part - aboard the USS Nimitz.

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[gkainz]

I was a CVW8 flight deck maintenance chief when the H-53s came aboard Nimitz from Diego Garcia, 1979.

Fair winds and following seas for those shipmates who gave the ultimate sacrifice on that mission.

[JGEORGE]

Never had opportunity to serve, injured by a drunk driver as a teen, but love airplanes and such. Lived on Little Rock AFB for six years when married to my ex. She was a fuel system specialist on the C130 Hercules, later an instructor. This is one of my favorites from our Local closed Castle AFB open house.

[CWtheMan]

Saw this F4 Phantom II on the way to the golf course at Nellis AFB, Las Vegas, NV.


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[Bob R]

This is the first or one of the first F14s to be aboard a carrier. Wwe craned the first one to get launched from a carrier onboard the USS Forrestal (Pier 12 NAVSTA Norfolk) in 1973, I believe.During that at sea period off of VA we did several launches and traps of the F14 for suitability trials.

https://i.imgur.com/deo5fbq.jpg?1

bob

[Bob R]

The Air Force still has a flying F4 (possibly, older picture), it is from the drone squadron at Holloman AFB. They keep this one around and use it for legacy flights on the air show circuit. Quite possibly the last one as the rest have been used as aerial targets. :(

https://i.imgur.com/Uil3Yx5.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/MLv1tPP.jpg?1

bob

[CWtheMan]

This is the Pogo, an early experimental manned vertical takeoff aircraft of the 1950s.

In the late 1960s and on into the early 1970s, this bird was on display at Naval Air Station Norfolk, VA. The NAS was merged with Naval Station Norfolk in the 1990s and retains that name today.

You can read all about the Pogo at Wikipedia.

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[gkainz]

Nimitz 1980 - one of the H-53 helicopters from HM-16 that was later "borrowed" and participated in Operation Eagle Claw, the Iranian Hostage Rescue mission.

[flybouy]

This is the Pogo, an early experimental manned vertical takeoff aircraft of the 1950s.

In the late 1960s and on into the early 1970s, this bird was on display at Naval Air Station Norfolk, VA. The NAS was merged with Naval Station Norfolk in the 1990s and retains that name today.

You can read all about the Pogo at Wikipedia.

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Take off wasn't too bad but landing it? No thanks.

I spent a lot of time in Norfolk, Hampton Roads, Chesapeake area. Loved the fighters constantly doing touch and goes at Oceana. I would drive down 301 and cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnels. One trip I stopped at the gift shop/restaurant at the south end. I ordered a flounder sandwich and it was amazing. They bought the fish from local fisherman so it was fresh and it was huge. That became a regular stop as I would set and eat while watching the hovercraft go past from the nearby base. I've seen one carrier deployment and it was quite impressive. The carrier, an attack sub, missile cruiser, and the gun boat escorts.

[flybouy]

Found a picture of the flounder sandwich. Now I'm hungry!:lol:

[CWtheMan]

I was one of three Carrier Air Wing maintenance chiefs during the whole Iran operation.

Unless you’ve spent some time in an aviation environment on an aircraft carrier you probably cant’s even come close to imagining how difficult it was to deal with these aircraft people that had no flight deck experience and were given sort of carte blanche authority with just about everything they wanted to do. Count the yellow shirts in that picture, 10, and 3 in tan pants meaning CPO or Officer. Yellow shirts are responsible for all aircraft movements/positioning on the flight/hangar decks.

During daylight hours we had to move them to the hangar deck to hide them from satellite detections. Then the Nimitz CO would have to find cloud cover or a rain squall to hide in so they could come up and fly.

When aircraft are moved around the ship, each squadron maintenance chief or his flight deck coordinator has to make a request for aircraft movement with the air wing maintenance chief, who in turn will work with the aircraft handler to find a suitable place for the aircraft to be spotted for the maintenance function to be performed. If the ship is not in cyclic operations (round the clock) the individual squadron maintenance chiefs will provide an aircraft schedule by side number for the first launch of the coming day to the air wing maintenance chief who will work with the aircraft handler to get all aircraft spotted for that launch.

Now we have to work with those helos, which take nearly as much space as three A7 aircraft. Sometimes we would have to go out on the flight deck and work with their maintenance coordinator just to make one simple move.

The aircraft templates used on the huge Plexiglas flight & hangar deck mockups are cut to scale. On the mockup there is a scale model – by side number – for every aircraft onboard when the days launching starts. Someone in ships engineering made some for the H53s.

Sorry, that’s a lot of writing. I hope it gives some insight into just how difficult it was for us to bring those huge aircraft aboard with no place to send air wing aircraft to make room for them. We were operating so close to Oman we were out of range for our mail which came from Diego Garcia.

The Nimitz is a large nuke carrier with 4800 – 5200 people onboard and we had sand on the flight deck. Was we, the ones working the flight deck, the only ones to notice the sand?


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[Bob R]

My favorite. Of course I may be a little prejudiced, it brought me home every time we went out, for more than 5000 hours worth of boring holes in the sky.

https://i.imgur.com/XkyvkBB.jpg

bob

[cavediver]

Most people don't realize that a carrier only has one (in my day) aircraft, the rest are detached land based squadrons. Night ops are a sight to behold.

[Bob R]

Most people don't realize that a carrier only has one (in my day) aircraft, the rest are detached land based squadrons. Night ops are a sight to behold.

I don't even think they have the one anymore. All of the C2s are land based and will det with the boat.

I have to agree, night ops with planes launching with afterburner on and position lights all lit getting thrown into the blackness of the night ocean sky is quite a sight. During my ship's company tour I worked 7p to 7a when at sea, I spent a lot of time on vulture's row at night.

bob

[gkainz]

Mail call! :) almost - this War Hoover didn't have the buddy store, but was the only aircraft with the legs to make the trip from Diego Garcia to GONZO Station.

[gkainz]

And then here's my Hawkeye just over the round down.

And a "then" and a "now" comparison ... the Hawkeye has aged better than the crew.

[Bob R]

^^^^

When I was onboard the USS Forrestal the shop I worked in (AIMD Power/Generating) shared a space with the E2 radar bench and AT's. We had a west coast squadron onboard for one of our deployments and IIRC some of them cross decked when we were relieved in the Med. We did the cross deck in the Atlantic. They are the reason I ended up in San Diego, they made it sound like paradise compared to Norfolk (it was!).

In preparation for my last tour where I went to VRC 30 (C2s) in San Diego I did the E2/C2 RAG at Miramar (VAW110).

bob

[CWtheMan]

I took these pictures from "vultures row" on the USS Midway - 1972.



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[Pull Toy]

CVA-42, Swanky Frankie checking in! Yep... another Airdale! ‘68 - ‘70, ATR in AIMD-IM3 just across from Vultures Row on the 03 level. That was after a tour at NAS JAX.

Don’t know if they’re still there, but NASWillow Grove, PA had a display of captured WWII German & Japanese planes, as well as some early Navy jets by the main gate. Base has been decom’d, but I believe still launches P-3s.

[Pull Toy]

Found this: https://wingsoffreedommuseum.org/wp/
Good Luck

[CWtheMan]

The Army Aviation Museum at Fort Rucker is comprised of indoor and outdoor aircraft displaying areas. The indoor area is nearly as large as the outdoor. The indoor displays date back to very early aircraft.

Here are some from the WW1 era.


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[gkainz]

^^^^

When I was onboard the USS Forrestal the shop I worked in (AIMD Power/Generating) shared a space with the E2 radar bench and AT's. We had a west coast squadron onboard for one of our deployments and IIRC some of them cross decked when we were relieved in the Med. We did the cross deck in the Atlantic. They are the reason I ended up in San Diego, they made it sound like paradise compared to Norfolk (it was!).

In preparation for my last tour where I went to VRC 30 (C2s) in San Diego I did the E2/C2 RAG at Miramar (VAW110).

bob

Hey Bob - when were you at VRC 30 and VAW-110? I was at 110 from 77-79 and again in '83. A good friend of mine (best man at my wedding) was at VRC-30 in the mid-90s.
Greg

[+Ruff Rider]

This is a cool thread. I was in the Navy from 72 to 75. I was stationed on the USS Ticonderogs CVS 14. Our job was to hunt submarines. We flew A 4's F8"s Sonar aircraft I forgot the names of them. I was a quartermaster on the bridge. I spent many hours on the bridge. i was allowed to watch take offs and landings from the flight captains office at the rear of the bridge. We couldn't fly the F14's because we had a wooden flight deck and the afterburners were just to hot.
After Perl Harbor while in port all aircraft and helicopters would fly into port. You cant launch aircraft from a stationary ship. Being on a aircraft carrier was the most exciting thing in the fleet. I was also on a gun mount during GQ. We had 5"-38's. The projectile came in 2 pieces. the business end and powder charge. We got to spend a day shooting some rounds. I was the fuse setter. I was the last person to walk off the ship after we decommissioned her in 74 I believe. I received a nice folder from the Navy with a page from the log book with my last entry. I had the best time on that ship. You have brought back some wonderful memories. I just cant seem to find any pictures of my ship but I have them somewhere.

[CWtheMan]

This is a cool thread. I was in the Navy from 72 to 75. I was stationed on the USS Ticonderogs CVS 14. Our job was to hunt submarines. We flew A 4's F8"s Sonar aircraft I forgot the names of them. I was a quartermaster on the bridge. I spent many hours on the bridge. i was allowed to watch take offs and landings from the flight captains office at the rear of the bridge. We couldn't fly the F14's because we had a wooden flight deck and the afterburners were just to hot.
After Perl Harbor while in port all aircraft and helicopters would fly into port. You cant launch aircraft from a stationary ship. Being on a aircraft carrier was the most exciting thing in the fleet. I was also on a gun mount during GQ. We had 5"-38's. The projectile came in 2 pieces. the business end and powder charge. We got to spend a day shooting some rounds. I was the fuse setter. I was the last person to walk off the ship after we decommissioned her in 74 I believe. I received a nice folder from the Navy with a page from the log book with my last entry. I had the best time on that ship. You have brought back some wonderful memories. I just cant seem to find any pictures of my ship but I have them somewhere.

I spent nearly 31 years in the navy. All in aviation. During that time I was ship's company once. That was on the USS Boxer (LPH-4) in 1963. The Boxer also had a wooden deck. It had been a CVA and served in Korea. It was then converted to a LPH and hauled Marines and their Helicopters to Vietnam. Because it did not have an angle deck it could transit the Panama Canal.

Remember these?

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[Bob R]

Hey Bob - when were you at VRC 30 and VAW-110? I was at 110 from 77-79 and again in '83. A good friend of mine (best man at my wedding) was at VRC-30 in the mid-90s.
Greg


I was at VRC 30 from 89 to 92. I retired out of there, I made it my last tour so I could retire in San Diego, that didn't work out too well (the retirement in SD) but I did find my present wife there, so I guess it did work out OK. :)

bob

[Ken / Claudia]

Great stories guys, I never served, but like to read about and learn about our military history.
Side story, my Dad was OR National Guard/ Air Force at PDX full time for 34 years as I recall. He worked the flight line most or all the time. Crew Chief to many jets. An F-4 tail number 37699 was his most talked about. After he retired I found a model with his name on the side as CC and the name he put on it "Red Barron". The fighter had 2 kills in Vietnam. He said it went to the bone yard and maybe was destroyed when replaced by the F-15s.
It happened to end up being his last birthday when I researched that plane and found it in England on display at a air museum. It was repainted with their markings. I had a blown up photo of it for him. His mind and health were failing quickly, he could see that it was a F-4 and when I read him the tail number he remembered it. I told him the story as I knew it. He was glad to see it on display and then made the comment "Why did they have to change the markings".

[CWtheMan]

"Why did they have to change the markings"?


Position of the aircraft's log book is passed on with the aircraft. The USA could not keep it once sold to another country.

We're not going to let another country us our "markings". Once that log book was passed on to them they were obligated to remove all USA markings/insignia.

[JRTJH]

Ken,

The USAF historical office manages all aircraft "loans" for display purposes. Few are "given to someone to display" rather they are "demilitarized" and offered for loan. Many reasons for this, such as "future one of a kind parts" requirements to keep other aircraft flying, political considerations, loss of funding to maintain the airplane at the location or other things (like some significant historical event associated with that airplane)… Consider, as an example, there were 4 airplanes that flew dignitaries to sign a peace treaty ending a war. The treaty was signed on a specific Navy vessel. If that Navy vessel was put on display as a memorial, they may "ask the Air Force" for one of the planes that was a "significant part of that event"... So, the Air Force might "pull that display from one location to provide it to another "more significant location".... They may, offer to provide a similar airplane that can be 'repainted to resemble' the airplane that was moved....

There's loads and LOADS of airframes on display around the country, overseas on US military bases and in other countries, many of which flew the same type airframe under their own flag.

As an example, the Commander's aircraft (traditionally the oldest airframe in the unit inventory) at the 87th FIS, KI Sawyer AFB, MI, was 570231. That airplane was shot down in the drone program at Tyndall AFB, FL. When KI Sawyer was closed, the county historical society wanted an F-106 to put on static display as a part of their "Heritage Park". Since that airplane, 231, was a significant part of the unit history but was no longer in existence, the Air Force historical office provided another F-106 for display with the authority to repaint it to "represent the unit history".

It's the same with the F-86 that's on display at England AFB, LA. That airplane represents the last aircraft associated with Clare Chennault as a member of the "Flying Tigers". It's not actually the airframe he flew "one time in the early 50's, but it's a similar airframe that represents the unit heritage and the hero who flew it. England AFB was the "last location of the "Flying Tigers" and was located "very near Clare Chennault's home.

ADDED: I think, in the past 10 years or so, that F-86 has been moved to another location as a part of the Flying Tiger history and has been replaced with an F-84 that was flown by the 23 TFW "Flying Tigers" at another time in the wing's history, while it was operating at England AFB...

Anyway, most of the display aircraft are not "given to some entity for display" but are loaned to them and often are "moved or relocated" to places where their presence might better preserve the Air Force history. I'd guess that the Navy aircraft displays are probably managed pretty much the same.

[CWtheMan]

Aboard this huge AFB you will find the largest military aircraft “bone yard” in the country. It is managed by the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center.

I actually “cannibalized” A7 aircraft there on two occasions. The first time was for a block of Corsair IIs for Taiwan and then another time for a block to South Korea.

The basic service life of an aircraft is its airframe. It can only be overhauled a few times depending on the assessment of repairs needed to extend its life. Normally items like ailerons, flaps, speed brakes, and unit horizontal tail items may be cannibalized for spare parts. So can most of the hydraulically controlled units such as landing gear and flight control units.

After retirement and doing our full time thing we stopped in Tucson a few times and Linda got to tour the graveyard with me. There are many aircraft on static display around the base. Some are quite unique like the U2.

The aerial view is credited to Wikipedia. The F4 with Robin Olds written at the pilot cockpit entrance was taken by me.

General Olds is an iconic USAF pilot. This particular F4 was never flown by him but is a dedication to his combat missions while flying the F4 Phantom II in Vietnam.


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[gkainz]

I was at VRC 30 from 89 to 92. I retired out of there, I made it my last tour so I could retire in San Diego, that didn't work out too well (the retirement in SD) but I did find my present wife there, so I guess it did work out OK. :)

bob

Did you know a LCDR Buck Bentley at VRC-30? I can't recall the exact dates he was there, but might be that timeframe.
Yeah, I managed to find a San Diego beach babe who agreed to ride shotgun with me, too. Celebrating 35 years in December.

[gkainz]

You cant launch aircraft from a stationary ship.


We launched the last of the Navy's RF-8 Crusaders from anchor in Naples, Italy off the Nimitz ... so, you can do it ... just not regular practice.
I never saw it, but the training films for the E-2 showed a deck run launch ... on 1 engine! Not saying I would want to do it, but apparently it was possible!

[Bob R]

You cant launch aircraft from a stationary ship.

Let me add that during the Greek/Turk dust up over Cyprus in the early 70's we would launch an RA5C every morning while we were anchored in Souda Bay so we could get up to date intel. We also launched F4s at other times whie anchored.

bob

[CWtheMan]

This Joint Training center owns a lot of Florida land. It’s main gate is located on FL highway 16 about 7 miles east of Starke, FL. FL-16 is a link between US-301 and Blanding Blvd in Orange Park, FL.

There is a very large percentage of military bases around the country that must feel compelled to display military aircraft; this base is no exception.

There is a large RV park located on a circular lake that has clear water, a rarity in Florida. When this picture was taken we were scouting the RV Park. In the future we stayed there twice. During this visit we were completing our winter months at a KOA in Starke, FL. That KOA gets nothing but accolades from its northern snowbird residents

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[Alpine]

I worked in Naval Aviation for 40+ years. I’ve seen a lot of military aircraft come and go. Would you like to see where I’ve found a lot of them? My pictures will include aircraft from all USA services.

These are just introduction pictures. The first is me (18) just after reporting to my first duty station right out of boot camp . The place; Naval Air Station, Oahu, TH; the Squadron AIRBARSRON2, (1957); the aircraft Super Connie, Navy designation, WV-2, referred to as, Willy Victor.

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Yes indeed!

[Ken / Claudia]

Thanks for the information John and CW.
I did not check if it was on loan or given to England. I thought the tail number would remain the same plane no matter where the plane went or for what reason. It seems that is not true. In the end my Dad was happy to think that it was once his plane. I could see that in his eyes and words.
Guys, more old plane stories, please.

[CWtheMan]

In early 1980 I was working as a Carrier Air Wing 8 flight deck maintenance chief on the USS Nimitz off the coast of Oman. Although due for a shore duty assignment I had been told I would stay with the Nimitz until it returned to Norfolk.

It’s nearly impossible to try and figure out the why and when of Naval duty assignment orders. Especially when you have absolutely no experience in an assignment you’re selected for.

Out of the clear blue I got transfer orders to the staff of the Commander in Chief, US Atlantic Fleet. The priority was level 2 with a report no later than date. No one on the Nimitz or its battle force commander was going to question orders from CINCLANTFLT, a four star command.

There were no flights to anywhere from the Nimitz to a land base, we were too far from Diego Garcia (A small British owned Atoll out in the middle of the Indian Ocean). So the plan was for me to fly over to the USS Roanoke and go to Diego Garcia for further transportation.

The pictures depict my transportation for the first leg of my long journey to the CINCLANTFLT compound at Norfolk, VA.

First was a H-46 ride over to the Roanoke, a replenishment oiler & cargo ship. The ride to Diego Garcia took 7 days and I was well rested when I got there. The rest of the trip is an even longer story.

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[Badbart56]

I was a CVW8 flight deck maintenance chief when the H-53s came aboard Nimitz from Diego Garcia, 1979.

Small world. I was deployed to WESTPAC in 79 with VP-19. And went to Dodge twice.

[cavediver]

After a double engine change, we lined up with the back of the island and took off at anchor in Athens. That's with a C1A. Ya gotta love propellers and pratt-whitney R1820's. We're off the ground in 458 feet.

[CWtheMan]

This display of aircraft is at the main gate at Marine Air Station, Yuma, AZ.

I have a lot of pictures like this from military bases all around the country. Like this one, many of them will be pictures taken by me, or Linda riding shotgun..

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[Badbart56]

This display of aircraft is at the main gate at Marine Air Station, Yuma, AZ.

I have a lot of pictures like this from military bases all around the country. Like this one, many of them will be pictures taken by me, or Linda riding shotgun..

26894

I worked in AIMD with a Marine from a Harrier Squadron from Cherry Point NC when we were in Kadena rebuilding tires. Those AV8B's were pretty cool to watch landing and taking off!

[Badbart56]

My favorite. Of course I may be a little prejudiced, it brought me home every time we went out, for more than 5000 hours worth of boring holes in the sky.

https://i.imgur.com/XkyvkBB.jpg

bob

Are you on the P-3 Orion Veterans Facebook site? Jim Hunnewell has that pic on there.

[Bob R]

Are you on the P-3 Orion Veterans Facebook site? Jim Hunnewell has that pic on there.

Yes, I am on there. I was in VP 46 with Jim. Then a short time at NADC and then to VP 19 in 1983 for 5+ years. I kept extending on sea duty. Had I known they were decommissioning shortly after I would have stayed.

bob

[Badbart56]

Yes, I am on there. I was in VP 46 with Jim. Then a short time at NADC and then to VP 19 in 1983 for 5+ years. I kept extending on sea duty. Had I known they were decommissioning shortly after I would have stayed.

bob

I was VP-19 airframes 77-80.

[+Ruff Rider]

We launched the last of the Navy's RF-8 Crusaders from anchor in Naples, Italy off the Nimitz ... so, you can do it ... just not regular practice.
I never saw it, but the training films for the E-2 showed a deck run launch ... on 1 engine! Not saying I would want to do it, but apparently it was possible!

I have seen a S2 launch without the catapult. It looked crazy. He had the wheels off the deck way before the end of the flight deck. We were underway at the time. I used to check out the aircraft in the hanger bay. They were something to see. Especially the fixed wing plains. They were huge.

[CWtheMan]

I worked in AIMD with a Marine from a Harrier Squadron from Cherry Point NC when we were in Kadena rebuilding tires. Those AV8B's were pretty cool to watch landing and taking off!

Than you're really going to be amazed at the new F-35B capabilities. There are some great pictures in this link.

https://www.f35.com/about/variants/f35b

[CWtheMan]

This U-2 (Dragon Lady) is on display at the Davis-Monthan AFB.

The U-2 was a spy plane that became very well known when the USSR shot done Francis Gary Powers – A CIA pilot – during a mission over USSR territory in 1960.


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[CWtheMan]

When I got my indoctrination training on the F-14 supersonic (Mach 2+), sweep wing, dual engine, fighter/interceptor aircraft, I was most intrigued by its yaw string. I was assigned to VF-41 from 1977 to 1980.

In 1981, two F-14s from VF-41 intercepted two SU-22 Russian built , Libyan owned aircraft, off the coast of Libya. Because the SU-22s were observed to be armed and heading right for the USS Nimitz they were challenged by the F-14 pilots. All efforts to get them to disengage from their threat to the Nimitz battle group failed, the F-14s crews shot them down. This picture is an artist’s depiction of what the pilots described to him.

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[Fishsizzle]

I’m not a navy guy, but my step father was on the Enterprise for 8 years. Worked on A7 and A6 I believe as communications tech. He had to leave the service with the death of his father to come home and take care of his mom.

He had an awesome scrap book with great pictures. I remember one of an A7 that must have been swept over and they somehow retrieved it. I don’t remember the specifics.

His hearing is shot from it all. But he is a proud veteran and I have great respect for him.

[CWtheMan]

I took this picture at the Veterans Museum right on the water front.


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[CWtheMan]

When Naval Squadrons are deployed they like to get photographed near world famous volcanos. In the Pacific its Mount Fuji. In the Mediterranean sea its Mount Etna.

I was a member of the four aircraft flight over Fuji. The VF-84 aircraft over Etna was the sister squadron to VF-41.

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[CWtheMan]

Many years ago in another life (USN Days), I did a lot work on aircraft carrier flight decks. This is a short story about one of those days.

Early in 1978 I was assigned – once again – to Navy Fighter Squadron 41. The squadron had just transitioned from the F4 Phantom II to the F-14 Tomcat. I got to VF-41 in early 1977 and had completed the entire training syllabus required for managing the F-14 and had worked in the Maintenance Control Office until I had qualified to sigh aircraft safe for flight. Then I became the squadron’s flight deck maintenance coordinator.

On a nice calm, clear day I decided to take my camera with me to the flight deck and follow an aircraft from preflight to launch. I asked a member of the crew flying wing with 107 if they would provide me with a picture of 107 when they returned to the Nimitz. LCDR Lindner was known to always carry a camera on every flight and he took the picture of 107 returning to the Nimitz.


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[CWtheMan]

This is a pretty good example of what the A7 aircraft could take into battle from an aircraft carrier.

That aircraft was from Navy Attack Squadron 86, aka the snakes.

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[CWtheMan]

I took these pictures while parked at the Laughlin AFB at Del Rio, TX.

The first one was at the entrance to the golf course parking lot and the second was at a rec area at the entrance to base housing.



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[CWtheMan]

My first duty assignment right out of boot camp was Air Barrier Squadron Two (AIRBARSRON2). It was located at Naval Air Station Barbers Point on Oahu, TH. Hawaii was not yet a state.

The primary mission of the huge squadron was to provide a “Cold War” early warning barrier from Midway Island to Kodak, AK with Barbers Point as the control base.

The pictures are file photos. Cameras were not allowed anywhere near flight operations during the time I was with the squadron.

The primary early warning aircraft was the Super Connie with the Navy designation WV2, nick named Willie Victor. For moving people and equipment and training the squadron had a half dozen Super Connies with the Navy designation R7V. For pilot training for ground controlled approaches (GCA) the squadron used a twin engine, conventional landing fear beach craft with the Navy designation SNB.

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[Badbart56]

I was based at NAS Moffett Field, Ca., with detachment/deployments to Adak, AK., NAF Kadena, Okinawa, Misawa, Japan, Diego Garcia, NAS Cubi Point, PI, with numerous stops in between. Fond memories and good times back when life was much simpler.

[CWtheMan]

I was based at NAS Moffett Field, Ca., with detachment/deployments to Adak, AK., NAF Kadena, Okinawa, Misawa, Japan, Diego Garcia, NAS Cubi Point, PI, with numerous stops in between. Fond memories and good times back when life was much simpler.

This picture should bring back some memories.

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[Badbart56]

Yeah, we used any excuse to fly down there. We would go down there in the winter from Misawa just to wash the plane. And then, mysteriously, something on the plane would break and we would get stuck there for days!

CW, have you been to the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida? When they decommissioned Cubi Point they packed up the O club and reassembled it at the museum. LOTS of memorabilia!

[CWtheMan]

Some have never seen this aircraft and surely not this many in one place.

These are in desert storage at DMAFB, Tucson, AZ.

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[Badbart56]

Some have never seen this aircraft and surely not this many in one place.

These are in desert storage at DMAFB, Tucson, AZ.

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I loved watching them take off and land at Kadena along with the F-4's. When the SR-71 rotated it would go vertical and disappear into the clouds in seconds.

[notanlines]

https://militarymachine.com/sr-71-facts/
One of many interesting articles I've read over the years concerning the SR-71. The only one I have ever seen up close and personal is located at the site of the USS Alabama battleship, Memorial Park, just east of Mobile, Alabama.
Also at the park is the USS Drum submarine and a B-52 bomber located where one can actually walk all around and under this aircraft.
This is truly a hands-on park where you (and most positively your children) can wander the decks freely, actually crawl up into the massive gun turrets and sit in the seat used by the person behind those guns.
I could go on and on, but you 'get my drift.'
Now, if only I could convince the board to bring in a retired aircraft carrier....naw, never happen.

[JRTJH]

Some have never seen this aircraft and surely not this many in one place.

These are in desert storage at DMAFB, Tucson, AZ.

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To add a bit of history to this photo, the second aircraft, SR-71B 61-7956, is the only remaining "dual cockpit" SR-71 in existence. Two were built, one crashed at Beale AFB, CA in 1968. The "top cockpit" housed an Instructor Pilot while the lower cockpit housed a student pilot or a qualified pilot who needed upgrade training, qualification/certification in some aspect of the SR-71 operational missions. This aircraft, 61-7956, is currently on display in Kalamazoo, MI at the Air Zoo. Last October was the first time an SR-71 cockpit was "opened for public viewing". It's extremely rare to see the only dual cockpit aircraft in existence, but to have seen it with open cockpits is even more of a "once in a lifetime event".

[CWtheMan]

Once upon a time (1972) a long time ago, when America had more than 500,000 personnel actually in the Vietnam combat zone, I was one of them. I was a member of Navy Fighter Squadron 151. Their aircraft (12 of them) were F-4 Phantom II aircraft and I was the aircraft check crew supervisor. Our crew was responsible for performing in-depth periodically scheduled aircraft maintenance inspections, called calendar inspections. Aircraft check flights were required to return the aircraft to full service after completing a calendar inspection.

The Squadron was part of Carrier Air Wing 5 and was operating off the aircraft carrier USS Midway (CVA-41). (The Midway is now a popular memorial on the San Diego, CA waterfront).

Our work-center was located on the 01 level in hangar bay 2 and was not air conditioned. There were very few places tall enough in the hangar bays where an F-4 could be jacked in the air, off its wheels, for a drop-check (operating the landing gear). One of them was just below our work-center.

Here are some pictures from that time and place.


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[+Ruff Rider]

The Ticinderoga CVS14 was parked next to the Midway more than once, along with the Kitty Hawk. The Kitty Hawk was the newest carrier in 71.
My how old we look now LOL

[CWtheMan]

The Ticinderoga CVS14 was parked next to the Midway more than once, along with the Kitty Hawk. The Kitty Hawk was the newest carrier in 71.
My how old we look now LOL

The major 4 year refitting and overhaul was completed on the Midway in 1970. I made two long cruses (7 & 11 mos.) from 1970 to 1973 and we were never on water hours.

[cavediver]

Ah the days of Elmo.

[Fishsizzle]

Fascinating and sad article on some Naval Aviation on the news.

https://ktvz.com/news/oregon-northwest/2020/05/25/every-day-is-memorial-day-on-burma-rim/

[CWtheMan]

The first A6 intruder squadron to deploy into a combat zone was VA-75. They were embarked aboard the USS Independence and deployed to Vietnam early in 1965. Some of the missions they were assigned to were very dangerous low level missions resulting in the loss of aircraft and crew members. The famed retired Rear Admiral and US senator Jeremiah Denton spent nearly 8 years in a Hanoi prison camp after being shot down piloting an A6.

The airwing deployed on the Independence in 1965 was the first to deploy from the Atlantic fleet. The airwing had the distinction of also being the first USN all jet air wing to deploy to Vietnam.

It was a long 7 month cruise and I worked the flight deck for the entire cruise as an airframes troubleshooter for Fighter Squadron 41 (F4 Phantom II aircraft).

A6 file photos.

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[Bob R]

One of the Pilots I flew with in VP 46 transitioned to A6s back when. He was doing a low level flight in a training area over the Washington Palouse (south east WA) and missed the egress point by a smidgen and when he pulled up out of the training area his A6 collided with an AgCat that was spraying the fields. He and his instructor pilot ejected and the AgCat crashed. Thankfully (luckily) no one was killed. The pilot I used to fly with suffered a broken arm from the ejection. The AgCat pilot was burned pretty badly.

In other A6 news (actually EA6B) I was able to finagle a back seat ride in one off of the USS Forrestal as a re-enlistment incentive. I also finagled a ride in the back seat of an F4J that same deployment.

In USS Midway news. My final tour was VRC 30 out of North Island. I made what was possibly the last C2 trap and cat from the Midway when she came home the last time from Japan. If not the last it was the second to last for sure.


bob

[CWtheMan]

These are pictures I took from “vulture’s row” on the USS Midway during a Vietnam
combat load, launch and recovery in 1971.

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[gearhead]

Is it true the F4 is proof that with enough thrust a rock could fly?

[cavediver]

Given enough power the military can make a house fly.

[JRTJH]

Given enough power the military can make a house fly.

They have done it several times. Look at the C5A and the C117, and if you prefer "aeroplanes with propedders" the C119 (flying boxcar) and the C130.

[notanlines]

I've escorted USMC prisoners from Blytheville AFB to 29 Palms and from Little Rock AFB to 29 Palms back in 1970-71 on combined forces shuttle flights. All were C-130, all were dead empty, all had box lunches furnished and all were as punishing as any flight I've ever been on. I don't remember ever even looking inside the boxes.

[cavediver]

Yes sir I like airplanes with propellers, much better glide ratios.

[CWtheMan]

Yes sir I like airplanes with propellers, much better glide ratios.

This is a USN O2-A, A two engine (pusher-puller) aircraft. Most commonly seen at the Naval Air Station, Fallon, NV where it’s used/was used as a spotter/observer aircraft during bombing practice and other areal weapon exercises.

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[CWtheMan]

There is a huge USAF aircraft museum at Ellsworth AFB located just east of Rapid City in a little town called Box Elder.

Over time I’ll post more pictures of this museum's aircraft and some of actual flight line operations.

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[Snoking]

The bird you have pictured is a McDonnell F-101B VooDoo, but I'll bet you already knew that. I was a crew chief on the RF-101C model at Ton Son Nhut AFB. The other pic you have of the Super Connie brings back memories of my time in Taiwan pulling alerts for them flying along the coast of China. I was crewing an F-102A back then and we would scramble our alert jets when they were being harassed by the Red Chinese Air Force.


https://books.google.com/books?id=PW90DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT80&lpg=PT80&dq=did+the+rf-101c+in+vietnam+have+loran+navigation+system&source=bl&ots=YzNrO00gu-&sig=ACfU3U353x_EqauEye0Ui2YHQ0s8h93ivg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjjhIXsoPbpAhWtIDQIHaBJB7sQ6AEwC3oECAwQA Q#v=onepage&q=did%20the%20rf-101c%20in%20vietnam%20have%20loran%20navigation%20 system&f=false

I was part of the construction detail the built the Loran C navigation system in the summer of 1966 in SE Asia. I took this picture of the the B-57 at Tan Son Nhut the end of June 1966.

The RF-4's at Udorn used our Loran. The Loran Monitor was at Udorn next to the garbage dump South of the AFB. I have friend that was there the first year would pick up film that blew out of the dump and look at it. Now he wishes he would have keep some of it as a keepsake. Monitoring the ho chi minh trail was a big deal. Loran allow taking repeat pictures over time along the trail.

Second picture looks like a couple O-1 Bird Dogs.

[CWtheMan]

To the land lovers and other service members not familiar with Navy carrier operations, this picture requires some explanations.

Aircraft carriers must have aircraft airborne at all times during flight operations to assist those aircraft that need a little extra fuel to safely land on the carrier.

Some aircraft such as the one in the lead in this picture are built with a primary mission as tanker. (Lead tanker is an A6, second is an A7).

During cyclic ops – launching and recovering every two hours – there is always a primary tanker available. Other aircraft types that can carry heavy loads will be assigned to carry a refueling tanker package to augment the primary tankers. That’s the mission of the second aircraft in this link.

The third aircraft in this link-up is a F4 Phantom and it looks like it’s losing fuel and may have to take on fuel all the way to final approach. The first aircraft is probably scheduled to return on the same cycle as the Phantom and is insuring his replacement has a full refueling tank after getting the Phantom safely aboard. Just about all of that is my opinion as I’m just making an educated guess as to why that Phantom is dumping fuel.

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[Badbart56]

The third aircraft in this link-up is a F4 Phantom and it looks like it’s losing fuel and may have to take on fuel all the way to final approach. The first aircraft is probably scheduled to return on the same cycle as the Phantom and is insuring his replacement has a full refueling tank after getting the Phantom safely aboard. Just about all of that is my opinion as I’m just making an educated guess as to why that Phantom is dumping fuel.

28061

Over flow vent maybe?

[Badbart56]

Is it true the F4 is proof that with enough thrust a rock could fly?

I was told it had so much power because it had the glide path of a toolbox.

[CWtheMan]

I was told it had so much power because it had the glide path of a toolbox.

A short story about their power.

In 1964 I checked-in to my very first tail hook squadron. They were in the process of transitioning to the F4-B aircraft which were being delivered straight from the factory. When we received one that was slick winged and passed its acceptance inspection, an ADM visited the squadron and requested a ride. Our skipper was quick to oblige. Back then all squadrons that had aircraft that could exceed the speed of sound had to keep a log of every time someone exceeded Mach 1. The book was called a "Boom Log". The skipper logged Mach 2.2 that day. Even with the Parasite drag of pylons the F4-B could still make Mach 2.

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[Badbart56]

That remains my favorite fighter jet. I know they're prehistoric but that's one loud and proud aircraft!

[CWtheMan]

The Naval Air Facility at El Centro, CA is the winter home of the Naval Aviation flight demonstration team. The aircraft display area just inside the main gate has all past and present aircraft used by the Blue Angles. One time we wintered there for a couple of months and I took pictures of all of them. This is the Phantom II.

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This is the smallest jet ever used by the team, the TA-4 sky hawk.

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[Snoking]

The Naval Air Facility at El Centro, CA is the winter home of the Naval Aviation flight demonstration team. The aircraft display area just inside the main gate has all past and present aircraft used by the Blue Angles. One time we wintered there for a couple of months and I took pictures of all of them. This is the Phantom II.


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Link to attachment does not work.

[JRTJH]

The F-4 was, as far as I can remember, the only aircraft flown by both the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds. The reason the Air Force moved to a smaller aircraft for the Thunderbirds was the "fuel crisis" in 1973 caused the switch to T-38's which were developed as a lightweight, fuel efficient trainer. USAF Thunderbirds flew the F-4 from 1969-1973.

[CWtheMan]

The F-4 was, as far as I can remember, the only aircraft flown by both the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds. The reason the Air Force moved to a smaller aircraft for the Thunderbirds was the "fuel crisis" in 1973 caused the switch to T-38's which were developed as a lightweight, fuel efficient trainer. USAF Thunderbirds flew the F-4 from 1969-1973.

USAF & USN flight demo aircraft.

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[CWtheMan]

There were more than 10,000 of these little cargo planes built. They were used in the civilian version as a DC3. In the USAAF/USAF designated C-47. And by the Navy and Marines designation R4D.

#1 – Laughlin AFB, Del Rio, TX
#2 – Ellsworth AFB, Rapid City, SD
#3 – Davis Monthan AFB, Tucson, AZ

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[Snoking]

There were more than 10,000 of these little cargo planes built. They were used in the civilian version as a DC3. In the USAAF/USAF designated C-47. And by the Navy and Marines designation R4D.

#1 – Laughlin AFB, Del Rio, TX
#2 – Ellsworth AFB, Rapid City, SD
#3 – Davis Monthan AFB, Tucson, AZ

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As a kid growing up in Port Angeles, Wa a West Coast Airlines DC3 made several trip a day into and out of the local airport. I could hear it's distinctive sound miles away while playing outside.

[hankaye]

CW, Howdy;

Been reading this thread and your path and mine may have crossed
or at the least ran in the same township.

Started in the Coast Guard having gone through the Nay schools in
Millington, Tn. (AMS & AMH 'A' schools), Oct. 68-Apr. 69. Then it was
off to Naples, It. for the rest of that enlistment flew as a Loadmaster on C-123B to help resupply the LORAN Chain. Evacuated the Loran Sta. in Libya
during 1970.
Joined the Navy in Sept. 74, ended up going to SAR wetcrewman school at Jacksonville, Fl. ending up in HC-2 assigned to Det. 2 and took the Nimitz for it's first cruise to the Med.(76-77). We had the H-3G's We also named each as a nephew of Donald Duck and had their likeness's painted on the sides of each, the 4th was Daffy Duck. OIC of the Det was Lcdr. Drake (go figure???). When HC-2 was Decomed. I asked for and received orders to EOD school, 1st divorce got in the way of that :rolleyes:
Was re-directed to VF-101 for training on the F-14 system. Ended up
in VF-14 as POIC of the Corrosion Control shop, on the JFK. Med cruise.
Got out then came back in in July of 80. Quick stint as LPO for the Transit
Line at NAS Oceana then back to the Nimitz as Ship's Co. IM-3 Hydraulic shop. As the LPO of the Sheetmetal shop didn't know how to clean the
paint guns I was directed to Have a training session with them. Then I was
assigned to the tire shop, then was asked to become the IM-3 Corrosion Control "expert", as this was shortly after the Big flt. deck fire, they wanted
an Emergency Reclamation Instruction for future use. That kept me busy for
a few months. Luckily, there were a few hands still onboard that had had to
work the problem. I picked their brains for everything I could. Found out awhile back that it has become the latest add on to the 509 set of manuals.
My-oh-my has it grown :eek:.
During the extended yard period I was tad'd to Cheatam Annex near Williamsburg, Va. to go over all of the IMRL gear along with the guys from the Metrology Shop. That's where I had the accident that tore up my knee the led to my eventual discharge for Medical reasons 2 years later. 1985.

One thing about the Power of an P&W engine used in an F-14. Guy that ran the test cell on the fantail when running one up to full after burner the ship can go no faster then 12 or 13 Knots or not enough air bleeds down from the flight deck and the engine will starve. So they ask the Bridge for 12 knots.
Well, when they get to full afterburner the ship will show 13 knots. Yup, 1 of
them can and will increase the speed of a Nimitz class (fully loaded), carrier
by 1 knot. That's alot of POWER. I verified it with a couple of Quatermasters and Bos'n mates.

hank

[MerlinB]

There were more than 10,000 of these little cargo planes built. They were used in the civilian version as a DC3. In the USAAF/USAF designated C-47. And by the Navy and Marines designation R4D.

#1 – Laughlin AFB, Del Rio, TX
#2 – Ellsworth AFB, Rapid City, SD
#3 – Davis Monthan AFB, Tucson, AZ

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Your first picture is not a DC-3/C-47.

It is a Beechcraft Model 18. The Air Force called it a C-45 and the Navy called it an SNB.

[CWtheMan]

Your first picture is not a DC-3/C-47.

It is a Beechcraft Model 18. The Air Force called it a C-45 and the Navy called it an SNB.

Yup! Surprisingly I copied the wrong PIX. I worked on and flew in the SNB, 57 - 59.

I took this picture at the Fort Rucker, AL air museum.

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[MerlinB]

Yup! Surprisingly I copied the wrong PIX. I worked on and flew in the SNB, 57 - 59.

I took this picture at the Fort Rucker, AL air museum.

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Nice picture. I got my wings at Ft Rucker in 1965.

[CWtheMan]

Nice picture. I got my wings at Ft Rucker in 1965.

We stayed in the Ozark KOA (average KOA) when we visited Fort Rucker - Nice golf course at Rucker.

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[gearhead]

Floating the Pacific on a tin can, I was told a F4 was proof that with enough thrust a rock could fly.

[CWtheMan]

Floating the Pacific on a tin can, I was told a F4 was proof that with enough thrust a rock could fly.

Okay, I found one of them.

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[gearhead]

A striking resemblance!! LOL
Nothing like getting buzzed by a F4 just clearing the radars. About jump out of your shoes.
ET/R class of 1973? Treasure Island. Reserves.

[CWtheMan]

This is a Grumman F-11 Tiger. It had a short 4 year history as a naval fighter aircraft because of inferior engine performance. However, it did well for the Blue Angels from 1957 – 1968.

I took this picture when parked at the NAF El Centro RV Park. There is a Blue Angels aircraft display area just inside the main gate. NAF El Centro is the Blues winter home.


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[CWtheMan]

These were used on the scheduled raid on Iran, 1980.

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Note: In the 1960s, Robert McNamara (Secretary of Defense) wanted the F-111 to be a carrier based aircraft. The Navy canceled their contract, supposedly because none of the existing aircraft carrier elevators could lift two of them at the same time.

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[Snoking]

These were used on the scheduled raid on Iran, 1980.

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My parents we in Yuma during the build up to the rescue attempt. Everyone in town knew something was up, as the training flights had greatly increased. They should have taken the equipment they trained with and that was harden to desert environment.

[CWtheMan]

My parents we in Yuma during the build up to the rescue attempt. Everyone in town knew something was up, as the training flights had greatly increased. They should have taken the equipment they trained with and that was harden to desert environment.

They had a clue but none paid much attention to it: The USS Nimitz, 100 miles off the coast of Oman, had to parodically wash-down the flight deck because of the sand. Good thing we were on the Nimitz, because it was a nuke and could make much more fresh water than conventional carriers.

[CWtheMan]

Once upon a time, some years ago, we were meandering across AL & MS on US-82. As we were traveling through Tuscaloosa, AL we spotted this military memorial in a large shopping mall parking lot. We had to go around the block to find a place to get our rig into a parking spot so I could get these pictures.

The A-7 aircraft has VA-174 markings. However, I can assure you that squadron was never assigned to any aircraft carrier with A-7 aircraft. VA-174 was the east coast replacement training squadron for pilots and maintenance personnel and the model manager for all Navy A-7 aircraft.


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[JJaxon]

Midway Magic. I was there 1981-82 AIMD.

[JJaxon]

An USN A7 Corsair II aircraft getting ready to launch from a bow cat off the USS Midway (CVA-41). The picture was taken by me. It was 1971 and we were in the South China Sea providing support for our forces in Vietnam.

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That's a non digital picture taken with a Yashica 35mm.

Midway Magic. I was there 1981-82 AIMD Airframe.

[CWtheMan]

The USS Midway (CV-41) is currently a floating military museum moored at downtown San Diego.



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[Snoking]

The USS Midway (CV-41) is currently a floating military museum moored at downtown San Diego.



28698

We did that in the spring of 2018. A week or so before the Bonhomme Richard sailed in for extended yard work. Toured the bay on a sight seeing boat.

[JJaxon]

The USS Midway (CV-41) is currently a floating military museum moored at downtown San Diego.



28698

Yes, I've been there to visit her a few years ago. Great memories it brought back.

[CWtheMan]

When I last visited the Midway I wore my original Midway cap. They let me ring the bell when I asked for permission to come aboard.

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[Snoking]

On the same trip home for Az in the spring of 2018 that we toured the Midway and learned that it was built in 17 months, which seemed amazing, we did the reactor B tour at Hanford, Wa. The Manhattan Project was a 11 month effort to bring workers from across the country, build a city to house them and complete the reactor B project. If one is in the SE Washington State area it is a fascinating free tour. The result!

[Pull Toy]

This may be of interest to some of us old "Airdales".

When the keel was laid for CVA-42, she was to be the Coral Sea. While she was in the ways, FDR died and she was re-dedicated the FDR (aka Swanky Franky!)

The keel was laid for CVA43, and she became the Coral Sea.

Good Luck,

[CWtheMan]

USAF C-141, an awesome aircraft. In my US Navy adventures I got to fly in one of these a few times. The fastest flight was from Pope Field in NC to March AFB in CA. The most enjoyable was leaving the Indian Ocean from the island of Diego Garcia to Clark AFB in the Philippines.


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[Snoking]

USAF C-141, an awesome aircraft. In my US Navy adventures I got to fly in one of these a few times. The fastest flight was from Pope Field in NC to March AFB in CA. The most enjoyable was leaving the Indian Ocean from the island of Diego Garcia to Clark AFB in the Philippines.


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I flew none stop from Bangkok, Thailand to Travis AFB on one set up as a passenger plane with airliner type seats in 1967. Around 7800 air miles and around 14 hours + or -. Which appears to be way more than the stated range. Someone in the know will have to explain that to me.

[KimNTerry]

In flight re-fueling provides for almost unlimited range.

[Snoking]

In flight re-fueling provides for almost unlimited range.


We were not in air refueled as far as I know! Would that have occurred at full cruise speed and altitude?

[CWtheMan]

For may years NAS Miramar was home to the Navy's west coast fighter community and the home of the famous "Top Gun".

During the BRAC commission meetings in the 1990s it was decided to realign Naval Air Station Miramar and turn it over to the Marines. Sometime in 1997 it officially became Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

These pictures were taken by me after the realignment and there are other Marine aircraft displayed at various locations on the MSAS.

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[Javi]

Once upon a time (1972) a long time ago, when America had more than 500,000 personnel actually in the Vietnam combat zone, I was one of them. I was a member of Navy Fighter Squadron 151. Their aircraft (12 of them) were F-4 Phantom II aircraft and I was the aircraft check crew supervisor. Our crew was responsible for performing in-depth periodically scheduled aircraft maintenance inspections, called calendar inspections. Aircraft check flights were required to return the aircraft to full service after completing a calendar inspection.

The Squadron was part of Carrier Air Wing 5 and was operating off the aircraft carrier USS Midway (CVA-41). (The Midway is now a popular memorial on the San Diego, CA waterfront).

Our work-center was located on the 01 level in hangar bay 2 and was not air conditioned. There were very few places tall enough in the hangar bays where an F-4 could be jacked in the air, off its wheels, for a drop-check (operating the landing gear). One of them was just below our work-center.

Here are some pictures from that time and place.


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An old friend and past co-worker was a Yellow Shirt on the Lex about that time frame.. early 70's

[KimNTerry]

We were not in air refueled as far as I know! Would that have occurred at full cruise speed and altitude?

Yes, refuelling can occur at speed and altitude. Aside from what would feel like turbulence, you would not have known you were refueling ulesss you were in the cockpit, had a headset on set the same channel as the flight crew, or the AC made an announcement.

[Snoking]

Yes, refuelling can occur at speed and altitude. Aside from what would feel like turbulence, you would not have known you were refueling ulesss you were in the cockpit, had a headset on set the same channel as the flight crew, or the AC made an announcement.

Thanks. As the longest range I could find without refueling was Travis to Japan, which is 1500-2000 miles shorter. Seems we flew all night. I could have been asleep. I do know it was a non stop flight. Chris

[JRTJH]

I have no idea how that C141 made the trip, and I'm not going to suggest it was/was not refueled in flight. I would say that most specifications for range and cruising speed are based on ideal flight conditions at "average/full weight capacity". Most passenger configurations don't come close to the C141 weight capacity, so it takes significantly less fuel to keep the airplane at cruise speed, most efficient altitude with a minimum load onboard....

Additionally, almost all "military aircraft unclassified specifications" don't reveal the "ultimate capacity"... We really don't want our enemies to know what we can do under austere conditions with the available equipment we have.... Some of the older fighter aircraft were capable of, in some cases, more than 50% greater performance than was listed in the "unclassified data"..... I'd suspect that it was much the same with the cargo aircraft.

[CWtheMan]

NAS Jacksonville was the first home for the Navy Flight Demonstration Team - Blue Angles.

The last time I was at NAS JAX I took this picture. The aircraft was on display just outside the main gate. It may still be there.

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[Bob R]

When i was stationed at NAS Jax they had the F11 in Blue Angel livery parked at the front gate. :)

bob

[CWtheMan]

When i was stationed at NAS Jax they had the F11 in Blue Angel livery parked at the front gate. :)

bob

Here's a F11 on display, Grand Junction, CO.

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[CWtheMan]

Support aircraft pictures.

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[CWtheMan]

I ended my Navy career when I retired from VFA-132 as their maintenance chief.

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[Snoking]

This is one of my two 1100mm RC Navy T-28's. One in the North hanger and one in the South hanger. I can see why the Navy liked them as trainers. With the amount of dihedral in the wing it is a very stable flier. Chris

[BrooksFam]

The Evergreen Air and Space Museum is a great place to visit if you are ever in Oregon. It's where the Spruce Goose is located. It is a huge aircraft.

https://www.evergreenmuseum.org/

The last time I was there they had a B-17 shaded nicely under one of the tail wings of the SG and the B-17 was a big aircraft in the same period of time.

[CWtheMan]

These aircraft are on display at Naval Air Station, Lemoore, CA. (That's out in the middle of the San Joaquin Valley).


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[CWtheMan]

These little aircraft have a long history of supporting the military in a various number of mission assignments.

This first picture is a colorized postcard from a collection I have that I picked-up at a yard sale – the next one I found on display at the aviation museum at Ellsworth AFB, SD - The last one was found on display at DMAFB, Tucson, AZ.

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[JRTJH]

These little aircraft have a long history of supporting the military in a various number of mission assignments.

This first picture is a colorized postcard from a collection I have that I picked-up at a yard sale – the next one I found on display at the aviation museum at Maxwell AFB, SD - The last one was found on display at DMAFB, Tucson, AZ.

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Maxwell AFB is in Montgomery, Alabama. Ellsworth AFB is near Box Elder, SD, just about 10 miles east of Rapid City, SD. I'm not sure if Maxwell still has a Stinson L-5 on display, but the Ellsworth Museum does have one on indoor display. That "tail number" 35046, is at the Ellsworth Museum.

[CWtheMan]

Naval Air Station Cecil Field, FL was closed by the BRAC commission. The base was turned-over to the city of Jacksonville, FL and is now known as Cecil Airport.

Cecil Airport has become a haven for military aircraft contractors/manufacturers and government agencies such as US Customs and Homeland Security.

Down at the flight lines and near the tower they have dedicated a small aircraft display area. This F/A-18 is currently displayed there.


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I served at NAS Cecil Field with VA-174 - 1966-1970 and again with VA-46, CLAW1 and VFA-132, 1983-1988. I retired there in 1988.

[hankaye]

CW, Howdy;

The Coast Guard's HitRon-10 was stationed there. Maybe they still are?
History Channel did an episode on them a while back.

hank

[CWtheMan]

CW, Howdy;

The Coast Guard's HitRon-10 was stationed there. Maybe they still are?
History Channel did an episode on them a while back.

hank

Yup, that's where they are at. This is one of the Cecil Airport's newer hangars.

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[Badbart56]

Hey CW, any chance you served with, or knew of AVCM George Wolf? He too was in Naval Aviation and served for 30 years. I believe he retired in 77 or 78. He was carrier based and VP Navy.

[CWtheMan]

Hey CW, any chance you served with, or knew of AVCM George Wolf? He too was in Naval Aviation and served for 30 years. I believe he retired in 77 or 78. He was carrier based and VP Navy.

The only encounter I had with the P-3 aircraft was at Moffett Field, CA in 1970. I was attached to VP-30 while attending flight engineer school. They didn't question my physical ability to perform the tasks of a P-3 flight engineer because I had passed a physical before being sent there. However, I severely damaged my right hand when 13 and got most of the functions back during rehab. But, I only have about 40% feeling and have to look at small objects to pick them up or work on them. During my first week of training in the flight engineer seat I was instructed to pull circuit breaker #?? on a panel out of my vision and required to find it without looking. I could no even find the CB. That ended my P-3 days and I was sent to VF-151 at San Diego (NAS Miramar).

The NATOPS training lasted about 6 weeks, 8 hours a day with a couple more hours of homework. I have remembered at least 10% of it.

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The P-3 flight engineer is seated center, right in this pix.

[Badbart56]

The only encounter I had with the P-3 aircraft was at Moffett Field, CA in 1970. I was attached to VP-30 while attending flight engineer school. They didn't question my physical ability to perform the tasks of a P-3 flight engineer because I had passed a physical before being sent there. However, I severely damaged my right hand when 13 and got most of the functions back during rehab. But, I only have about 40% feeling and have to look at small objects to pick them up or work on them. During my first week of training in the flight engineer seat I was instructed to pull circuit breaker #?? on a panel out of my vision and required to find it without looking. I could no even find the CB. That ended my P-3 days and I was sent to VF-151 at San Diego (NAS Miramar).

The NATOPS training lasted about 6 weeks, 8 hours a day with a couple more hours of homework. I have remembered at least 10% of it.

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The P-3 flight engineer is seated center, right in this pix.

Yeah, that was a trainer bird, the fleet versions only had three seats. Master Chief Wolf was only in the P-3 community for a relatively short time in the mid 70's. He was attached to fighter and attack squadrons for most of his career. He started out in avionics. I was in VP-19 out of Moffett but I didn't get there until 1976.

[CWtheMan]

This is a VF-151 Phantom II being launched from the Midway. It was armed for a CAP mission.

The Phantom was a bridal launched aircraft. Meaning those wires connected to the forward fuselage would propel the aircraft off the ship.

The reason the nose is so high is because the nose landing gear has been pressurized to a fully extended position for carrier launches. The "cat extension" switch was in the port wheel well and operated by the airframes troubleshooter upon command of the pilot as indicated by the launching officer.

The green shirts in the picture are part of the Midway’s launching crew and doing a final check to insure the bridal is properly connected.

I was a member of this squadron from early 1970 to late 1973 and made two extended deployments to the South China Sea.


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[Snoking]

This bird is at the Palm Springs air museum.
Chris

[Snoking]

There is one on the deck on Midway in San Diego.
Chris

[CWtheMan]

I served on the USS Midway from 1970 – 1973 with Fighter Squadron 151, F4 Phantom II aircraft.

These are pictures taken by me from what is commonly called “vulture’s row”. The first one is of an underway personnel inspection on the flight deck, USS Midway, 1971. Next is of C-2 Greyhound commonly called the “COD” for carrier onboard delivery. Everyone knew when the call was “cod on the ball” the mail – among other things – was coming onboard. That pix was taken while the Midway was operating off the coast of Vietnam. Those aircraft in the background with yellow and black tail strips were VF-151 aircraft.

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[notanlines]

Cal, I have a friend who at one time was in the C-2 program. It is a very unique aircraft. Here is a long (sometimes boring) article about the craft by one of its pilots.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/16535/confessions-of-a-c-2-greyhound-carrier-onboard-delivery-pilot

I'll quote one short story from the article's author:

"One Air Force four star general took offense to my being so young, I was 23.5 years old and the plane commander. He wanted the much more seasoned older Lieutenant Commander, my co-pilot, to fly him out. I patiently explained that as a flag officer he can take command of the aircraft and do as he wishes. However the Lieutenant Commander here is not qualified to land this aircraft on the boat and I am feeling suddenly un-well and will stay ashore. My skipper commanded me to grow a beard to appear older."

[BrooksFam]

The Wings of Freedom tour comes to the local airport every couple of years. I love the WWII aircraft. I take the g-kids when I can.

My dad flew in a B24 in WWII. He was in the Navy and stationed in England. The only ship he was on during the war was the Queen Mary going over and coming back.

https://www.flightmuseum.com/wings-of-freedom/

[CWtheMan]

The Wings of Freedom tour comes to the local airport every couple of years. I love the WWII aircraft. I take the g-kids when I can.

My dad flew in a B24 in WWII. He was in the Navy and stationed in England. The only ship he was on during the war was the Queen Mary going over and coming back.

https://www.flightmuseum.com/wings-of-freedom/



A few years ago I found a box of colorized aviation postcards at a yard sale, they were from the WWII era. There were two versions of the B-24 and I scanned them together, front and back.

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[CWtheMan]

My A-7 Corsair II story – very short version

As my sea tour with VF-41 (Black Aces), F-4 aircraft, was coming to an end, I got orders to shore duty. They were a surprise. As a very junior Aviation Structural Mechanic (hydraulics) second class I was selected to attend factory training on the Navy’s newest acquisition, The Corsair II.

I reported to the LTV factory in Texas for training then on to VA-174 which would be the east coast A-7 training squadron and model manager. It was the beginning of 12 years – spanning 22 years - with all Navy models and never back to back assignments until at the near end of my naval career when I went from VA-46 to CLAW-1 at NAS Cecil Field, FL.

A lot of my A-7 pictures are “boot-legged” as we were not allowed cameras in aircraft operating areas.

These pictures will be well received by those pilots that did their carrier qualification training on the USS Lexington (CVT-16) in the Gulf of Mexico; and the enlisted maintenance personnel that worked the flight deck.

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[scottz]

USS Midway welcoming USS Carl Vinson home. Taken from the flight deck of USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) returning after nine months in the Persian Gulf (Valiant Shield, 2015).

[scottz]

HSM 73 Battle Cats (MH60 Seahawks) departing the Vinson as she returns to San Diego.

[scottz]

VFA-94 (Mighty Shrikes) F/A 18 Super Hornet, F/A 18 trap, refueling demo, MH60 demo dropping sonobuoys

[scottz]

Paying respect.

[scottz]

F/A-18 launch, F/A-18 flyby, MH60

[scottz]

USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) firing exercise, Carrier Strike Group escorts

[CWtheMan]

A few days ago I was looking around on the net for pictures of the USS Midway and found this one.

Ironically I served on both of the carriers in the picture. In early 1965 the USS Independence (CVA-62) deployed from Norfolk, VA on a 7 month deployment to the Pacific Fleet and more specifically, the South China Sea. I was a member of VF-41, F-4B Phantom II aircraft. It was my first deployment with an attack aircraft carrier. I worked the flight deck for that entire cruise as a VF-41 airframes flight deck troubleshooter.

In early 1970 I reported to VF-151 – my second F-4B/N squadron assigned to the Air Wing in the USS Midway (CVA-41). From 1970 to 1973 we deployed twice (7 mos & 11 mos) to those same seas in support of our troops in Vietnam. My entire tour of duty with VF-151 was as their scheduled maintenance supervisor, called check crew and later phased maintenance crew.

This picture was taken at Pearl Harbor.

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[CWtheMan]

The first one has a little historical information about Ellsworth AFB at Rapid City, SD.

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The second one is a WWII Air Corps Comics postcard. Got a small box full of them one time. Sold most of them. This one has a little damage so I still have it.


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[BrooksFam]

Love the WWII aircraft. The P-38 Lightning is one of my favorites. Also like the P-61 Black widow.

[CWtheMan]

Naval Air Station Cecil Field at Jacksonville, FL was a popular east coast Naval Air Station. It was closed by BRAC actions in the 1990s.

The base was turned over to the city of Jacksonville and is now known as Cecil Airport.

One day after a round of golf at the Cecil Airport, I decided to take pictures of the aircraft still on display. It was in the news that they were going to be removed. They lined the main road after entering the main gate.

My camera at the time was an old analog with limited storage area.

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[jasin1]

Very impressive! My sons room as a child was and still is filled with die cast models of some of these planes (Mostly ww2 planes) and tanks as well.
I’ve always been fascinated with aviation and military history.
Thanks for taking the time to start this thread.

[CWtheMan]

Being an an airborne tanker base, Grand Forks, AFB in ND has a large tanker bird on display right at the main entrance to the base.

(Very nice FAMCAMP parking out in the "south 40").

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[B-O-B'03]

These little aircraft have a long history of supporting the military in a various number of mission assignments.

This first picture is a colorized postcard from a collection I have that I picked-up at a yard sale – the next one I found on display at the aviation museum at Ellsworth AFB, SD - The last one was found on display at DMAFB, Tucson, AZ.

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A buddy of mine had a 1946 Aeronca champ, which is a very similar design, 65HP Continental engine, prop start, nothing electrical in it.

He kept it in a barn, took off from the cow pasture and it was a ton of fun to fly in.

-Brian

[RV lifestyle]

I was a Naval Aircrewman, AW, AC, & AZ. I started my career in as an AW and SAR swimmer with SH-5 Night Dipper stationed on CVN-69 "IKE". Did a med cruise in 81/82. Fell in love with Naples Italy. Then went back to school for Air Traffic Controller and finally ended my career as an AZ stationed in GITMO and NAS Cecil Field FL, VA-81 F/A-18 Squadron. I loved the Navy and miss it terribly.

[CWtheMan]

I was a Naval Aircrewman, AW, AC, & AZ. I started my career in as an AW and SAR swimmer with SH-5 Night Dipper stationed on CVN-69 "IKE". Did a med cruise in 81/82. Fell in love with Naples Italy. Then went back to school for Air Traffic Controller and finally ended my career as an AZ stationed in GITMO and NAS Cecil Field FL, VA-81 F/A-18 Squadron. I loved the Navy and miss it terribly.

I think I've already posted this picture here somewhere. It's a picture of a VFA-18 aircraft on display at Cecil Airport.

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[CWtheMan]

One tine we stayed at the Barksdale AFB FAMCAP for a week. It rained heavy almost all the time we were there.

We never did get out of the truck to get pictures. Here are some of what we got through the wet windows. These aircraft displays are at different locations aboard the base.


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[CWtheMan]

VF-41 F14 aircraft night launch from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz.

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[CWtheMan]

The little McDonald Douglas F4D Skyray became operational in 1951. It was the first carrier-based aircraft to hold the worlds absolute speed record of 759.943 MPH.

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In 2006, the lookalike Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II got all the accolades with a top speed of 1199 MPH.

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[CWtheMan]

Last week we visited Jacksonville, FL. While there we drove out to see all the improvements at Cecil Airport.

I served at Naval Air Station Cecil Field from 1966 –1970 while attached to Navy Attack Squadron VA-174.

The POW MIA Memorial has just added an A7 aircraft display and it’s an old restored A7 with VA-174 Markings. Here are a few pictures.

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[sandy43]

I really enjoy your pictures. Spent 4 years in the Navy as an AC. A tour in the Med on the Saratoga, 2 years at Navy Kingsville where I saw many Cougers go down from pilots learning to fly jets. The stories I could tell.

[CWtheMan]

During my more than 31 years in Naval Aviation, I served with Navy Fighter Squadron 41 twice. The first time was 1964 – 1966 with F-4B Phantom II Aircraft. The second time was 1977 – 1980 with the F-14A Tomcat Aircraft.

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[ladon67]

CW- The AH-1F on the outside of the Army Aviation museum was mine as a crew chief in the late 80s-early 90s. It's a RIARNG helicopter, serial number 68-17109. I left for flight school at Ft Rucker in 92 and when I got back to RI, I got to fly my old helo!
I flew Cobras for 7 or so years, then went fixed wing flying the C-12 and C-23 Sherpa. I'm a CW5 now flying the -12 exclusively. I gotta say, it's fun when I get a 3 star Admiral on board and I tell him "I used to be in the men's department of the Navy." They look at you quizzically and I say "I was in the Marines!!" HAHA!!

[Canonman]

Was fortunate to capture these images of a vintage Navy/Marine PBJ during the Reno Air Races. After a 23-year restoration, Semper Fi is the only original PBJ flying in the world. Thanks!! to all of our veterans and member veterans for your service

[jasin1]

Was fortunate to capture these images of a vintage Navy/Marine PBJ during the Reno Air Races. After a 23-year restoration, Semper Fi is the only original PBJ flying in the world. Thanks!! to all of our veterans and member veterans for your service

Mitchell bomber?

[Canonman]

Mitchell bomber?

Yes, Navy version of the B25 Mitchell.

"During World War II the Marine Corps operated surplus B-25 Mitchells with the designation “PB” for patrol bomber. The Marines used the aircraft extensively in the South Pacific to routinely heckle and attack Japanese bases as well as intercept enemy shipping."

[CWtheMan]

One time while visiting a random yard sale I found a box of WWII colorized aircraft postcards. This is one of them.

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[jasin1]

Yes, Navy version of the B25 Mitchell.

"During World War II the Marine Corps operated surplus B-25 Mitchells with the designation “PB” for patrol bomber. The Marines used the aircraft extensively in the South Pacific to routinely heckle and attack Japanese bases as well as intercept enemy shipping."

One time while visiting a random yard sale I found a box of WWII colorized aircraft postcards. This is one of them.

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Thanks! You can still fly on that b25 that’s featured on the postcard…pretty cool.

My sons room is still full of his die cast model airplanes and helicopters from when he was a kid..’. He has his own home now but we leave both of our kids rooms the way they were when they moved out….call me nostalgic

[CWtheMan]

Thanks! You can still fly on that b25 that’s featured on the postcard…pretty cool.

My sons room is still full of his die cast model airplanes and helicopters from when he was a kid..’. He has his own home now but we leave both of our kids rooms the way they were when they moved out….call me nostalgic

Thank You!

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[CWtheMan]

An Airdale story

In April 1973 I deck launched off the USS Midway somewhere in the South China Sea and flew to Danang in Vietnam. By that time most of South Vietnam was being shelled by the Northern forces. From there I hitched a ride in a USA Caribou aircraft going to the Tan Son Nhut air base at Saigon. Saigon and the airbase were suffering from random missile shots in the outskirts. The air base was also the Saigon airport and I had to get a bus ride from the military side to the civilian side. There were very few people out and about.

I had reservations aboard Pan Am flight #1 via Hong Kong and Tokyo to San Francisco. However, because the airport had taken a few missiles hits the Pan Am flight would not land. There were 16 of us scheduled to fly out on the Pan Am 747 and we were scurrying around trying to find something going to Hong Kong when we saw an Air France 747 land. Because the peace talks were an ongoing thing in Paris the Air France pilot wasn’t worried about being shot at. We went to the Pan Am desk to see where the Air France aircraft was going when it left? It was going to Hong Kong and Pan Am booked us out on it. I spent two nights in a very nice Hong Kong hotel waiting for a Pan Am flight to the states. Of course, Pan Am paid for my hotel room and all meals. Most of those I had traveled with were going to Sidney, Australia or Honolulu for R&R.


The Caribou I got to Saigon in is the one being loaded for its return to Danang. My seat mate on the Caribou ride to Saigon was a 21-year-old Chief Warrant officer who was taken out of recruit training and sent to special training. His vision was something like 20/05 and he could bust a beer bottle at 300 yards with a sniper rifle. (His story).

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[jasin1]

First airplane pic reminds me of Doolittle raid…did the air plane drop noticeably when it took off or did it just climb steadily?

[CWtheMan]

First airplane pic reminds me of Doolittle raid…did the air plane drop noticeably when it took off or did it just climb steadily?

On waist deck launch it will drop a bit according to its weight and head wind. On a cat shot it jumps right into a climb.

[jasin1]

On waist deck launch it will drop a bit according to its weight and head wind. On a cat shot it jumps right into a climb.

Pretty cool. Thanks!

[CWtheMan]

USS Nimitz – 1978

Story time. Right after I got promoted to SCPO I got reassigned to the carrier air wing (CVW8) as their flight deck control maintenance coordinator. I was an extra E8 in VF-41 and the air wing was in desperate need of a flight deck chief with a lot of flight deck experience. During the turn around the air wing got two new CPOs, an E9 and an E7. Both had come from fixed wing careers and had zero experience with shipboard flight deck procedures. I remained with the CAG until my transfer to shore duty in 1980.

This might be leading somewhere, right? Because of availability the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) was chosen to go back in time in the movie the “Final Count Down”. Fighter Squadron 84 was chosen as the iconic aircraft to be used in nearly all of the aviation scenes. It was mostly due to their nick name, the Jolly Rogers and their famous tail insignia, black skull and cross bones. I cannot explain how difficult it was to provide flight deck parking for a squadron that had #1 priority and knew it.

Anyhow, the picture with the Tomcats in pursuit of the Zero was shot somewhere off the coast of Key West, FL. Naval Air Station. Key West was being used as a staging point for the movie production company. Peter Douglas – the son of the movie’s star – Kirk Douglas – was the producer of the movie. Rumor had it that Peter and the Nimitz CO were hang glider buddies out in CA.


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[ladon67]

That’s a great story CW! I’ve spent a fair amount of time flying outta NQX enroute to Central America. It’s a great step off point because we have to fly around Cuba!

[CWtheMan]

F-35 Lightning II

A series of pictures taken during carrier qualification for the USN F-35. These tests were conducted aboard the USS Nimitz (CVN-68).

That control station protruding from the deck in the past pix is called the "bow bubble". During recover and re-spotting it is lowered to form a solid, level deck.

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[jasin1]

CW…How long could the carrier operate with the onboard tanks for refueling the aircraft? …guess the tanks were low in the hull..did they always keep them topped off or have to flood with seawater when empty for stability.

[Marinerjoe]

CW…How long could the carrier operate with the onboard tanks for refueling the aircraft? …guess the tanks were low in the hull..did they always keep them topped off or have to flood with seawater when empty for stability.

As a retired Navy engineer, I can answer some of your questions. Regarding how long they can operate aircraft, it all depends on the tempo. As long as there are tankers out there to UNREP (underway replenishment) as needed, we can keep fighting for weeks and months. Like we did in the Arabian Gulf as we (at CTF-53 where I was) coordinated beans, bombs, and fuel for the US and coalition ships there for the better part of a year after 9/11.

Regarding stability, there are LOTS of ballast tanks that are used for stability control. It would be a HUGELY last resort to put seawater ballast into a fuel tank as the process to clean them out for fuel use is a major evolution.

Hope that answers your questions.

Joe
CDR, USN (Surface Warfare)

[jasin1]

yeah i thought i remembered reading somewhere where fuel tanks were flooded for ballast in ww2 ? ..i figured they would have high volume pumps and be able to evacuate it quickly and use water separator’s to clean up…..doesn’t make much sense after i read back what i originally posted lol..

i read a lot of war books ( mostly ww2 ) Halseys Typhoon was about the destroyers that capsized in a typhoon because the tanks were empty and couldn’t be refilled because of heavy weather..also they added heavy armor plating above decks which shifted the center of gravity

thanks for the info

[bsmith0404]

I should dig back through some of my old photos and add to this thread. During 25 years of USAF service I’ve put together quite a collection. I worked avionics on F15s and was also assigned to the F117s at the time they were being retired and returned to Tonopah. My son worked on the B1 at Ellsworth AFB. For now I’ll just add a couple pics. One of my son and I in an F15 at Langley AFB in 1991, one of my retirement shadow box, one of me in 1990 when I was an Airman, and one of me in 2010 getting closer to the end of my career.

[jasin1]

would like to thank you all for your service

[CWtheMan]

This is an USAF A-7 Corsair II on display at the Montrose, CO regional airport.

41182 41183

41184 41185

[CWtheMan]

USS America (CV-66)

Nearing the end of my career in the USN, I made my last deployment aboard the USS America, as a member and maintenance chief for attack squadron 46 (VA-46) - (A-7E Aircraft). About halfway through our deployment in the Mediterranean Sea, our battle group was ordered to the Indian Ocean in support of increased US Naval operations in that area of the world. After a port call at Haifa Israel, we proceeded to the Suez Canal. The Egyptian air forces provided us with air cover for the transit.

The year was 1984 and here are pictures of our battle group on the way to the Red Sea.

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41590 41591

[CWtheMan]

Davis-Monthan AFB

Out in the Arizona desert within the coffins of Davis-Monthan AFB at Tucson, AZ there is a huge US Military aircraft graveyard. Most of the aircraft there have met their limit for structural integrity and retired. However, hydraulic/pneumatic components, engine components, electrical/electronic components and flight control structures are salvageable. Sometimes when other countries like Taiwan purchase aircraft (A-7) from our government, many of the usable components from aircraft stored at DMAFB will be removed by skilled technicians and restored for sale to the foreign governments.

The aerial photo came from Wikipedia, the others were taken by me on a drive-through visit. DMAFB now provide van tours for the public.

When aboard DMAFB, aircraft of all kinds, restored for display, can be found around the base on display.

41986 41987

41988 41989

41990

[jasin1]

didn’t know where else to post this but thought it may fit here..guy still volunteers at the museum every saturday https://komonews.com/news/local/world-war-ii-b17-erics-heroes-bomber-museum-of-flight-tukwila-washington-dick-nelms-100th-birthday

[JRTJH]

didn’t know where else to post this but thought it may fit here..guy still volunteers at the museum every saturday https://komonews.com/news/local/world-war-ii-b17-erics-heroes-bomber-museum-of-flight-tukwila-washington-dick-nelms-100th-birthday

There's a link in the story at the above post. It goes much deeper into the life and feelings Dick Nelms had when over Berlin during the war. Reading a bit more of his story only serves to whet anyone's appetite for even more details from the memories of one of America's true heroes. There aren't many of them left and they are dying faster than we can learn of their memories...

https://komonews.com/news/erics-heroes/erics-heroes-the-b-17-pilot-who-is-a-living-link-to-history#

[jasin1]

There's a link in the story at the above post. It goes much deeper into the life and feelings Dick Nelms had when over Berlin during the war. Reading a bit more of his story only serves to whet anyone's appetite for even more details from the memories of one of America's true heroes. There aren't many of them left and they are dying faster than we can learn of their memories...

https://komonews.com/news/erics-heroes/erics-heroes-the-b-17-pilot-who-is-a-living-link-to-history#

Wow thanks for the link…makes me want to watch some old war movies..I only wish he was closer i’d go visit him at the museum

[JRTJH]

Wow thanks for the link…makes me want to watch some old war movies..I only wish he was closer i’d go visit him at the museum

My dad was on subs in the Pacific. He was at Pearl Harbor on December 7th. All he ever told me about his service was, "Boy, you never want to have to deal with those kinds of memories" and "I was in a hammock on the deck because it was too hot to sleep below decks. All hell broke loose and even the water was on fire." Other than that, it was only short bits and pieces that he'd give as answers to direct questions. I wish he'd have be able to open up and share what he'd never talk about, but kept bottled up inside until the day he died.

The few Air Force (Army Air Corps) airmen that I have been able to listen to have all had memories that give me pause to wonder if I'd be brave enough (or young and foolish enough) to go where they went and do what they did... And it wasn't once, it was day after day until they finally accomplished their mission and gave us peace, at least for a few years..... Heroes all who deserve to be honored and remembered.

[jasin1]

My dad was on subs in the Pacific. He was at Pearl Harbor on December 7th. All he ever told me about his service was, "Boy, you never want to have to deal with those kinds of memories" and "I was in a hammock on the deck because it was too hot to sleep below decks. All hell broke loose and even the water was on fire." Other than that, it was only short bits and pieces that he'd give as answers to direct questions. I wish he'd have be able to open up and share what he'd never talk about, but kept bottled up inside until the day he died.

The few Air Force (Army Air Corps) airmen that I have been able to listen to have all had memories that give me pause to wonder if I'd be brave enough (or young and foolish enough) to go where they went and do what they did... And it wasn't once, it was day after day until they finally accomplished their mission and gave us peace, at least for a few years..... Heroes all who deserve to be honored and remembered.

My grandfather was the same way…well i’m down a rabbit hole now,gonna watch this interview…have a good evening and thanks to all that have served
https://digitalcollections.museumofflight.org/items/show/45833

[sourdough]

There's a link in the story at the above post. It goes much deeper into the life and feelings Dick Nelms had when over Berlin during the war. Reading a bit more of his story only serves to whet anyone's appetite for even more details from the memories of one of America's true heroes. There aren't many of them left and they are dying faster than we can learn of their memories...

https://komonews.com/news/erics-heroes/erics-heroes-the-b-17-pilot-who-is-a-living-link-to-history#


Obviously veering from RV topics; my FIL was in the 101st Airborne in WWII. He always wanted to be a pilot but he was color blind so that wouldn't work. Said airborne was as close as he could get. Back then devotion to our country ran deep. After landing in the 101st he asked to be sent to Germany. He ended up at the Battle of the Bulge not realizing what that meant at the time. Lost his toes from frostbite but SO proud of what they did (and you had to pull his teeth to talk about anything). This gentleman reminds me of him and what they gave for us - almost all of them are gone.