Aviation

[Airdale]

I’ve started this topic in other forums and it’s become quite popular.

My long association with military aircraft (31 years active and 10 years DOD civilian) provided me with extensive aircraft knowledge from a maintenance and maintenance management perspective. When my father was discharged from the USA after WWII he decided to get a private pilots license. By 1947 he had one and I was his first passenger. It was an old biplane. At age 13 I severely damaged my right hand and that would prevent me from being able to qualify for pilot training. However, with extensive rehab I got enough use of the hand to pass the Navy entrance physical and become a naval aviation mechanic. I did not attend the USN enlisted aviation fundamentals schooling at Norman, OK because of my knowledge of theory of flight that my father taught me.

I’ll start this off with brief stories about the types of naval aircraft I worked on/with during my military career.

I got out of Navy boot camp in March of 1957. My orders were posted on the company message board. I had to ask my company commander where Oahu, TH was. His reply was; “you lucky SOB, you’re going to Hawaii.”

The Navy had been tasked with providing a cold war early warning system from Midway Island to Kodak/Adak, AK.

The aircraft was the WV-2 and home based at Naval Air Station Barbers Point, HI. It was a huge gray bird with belly and upper fuselage appendages. Its basic design was from a standard super constellation.

[Airdale]

This is an iconic picture of a VF-41 F4-B launch taken during a 7 month Vietnam deployment aboard the Indy.

I was a member of VF-41 at the time and worked as one of their airframes flight deck troubleshooters for that entire cruse.

That picture was a headliner in the Independence 1965 cruise book.

[Astrodave20]

I am a Retired USAF Air Traffic Controller 1973 to 1993. Worked aircraft at Moody AFB, Kunsan AB ROK, Nellis AFB NV, Lajes Field, Azores, Myrtle Beach AFB, SC, Eglin AFB, Fla. and worked in the 5th Combat Comm, Desert Storm/Shield. Now work in the warehouse at Elizabeth City Coast Guard Base supporting the Coast Guard Aviation Fleet.

[boydn1]

Originally Posted by Astrodave20

I am a Retired USAF Air Traffic Controller 1973 to 1993. Worked aircraft at Moody AFB, Kunsan AB ROK, Nellis AFB NV, Lajes Field, Azores, Myrtle Beach AFB, SC, Eglin AFB, Fla. and worked in the 5th Combat Comm, Desert Storm/Shield. Now work in the warehouse at Elizabeth City Coast Guard Base supporting the Coast Guard Aviation Fleet.

When were you at Myrtle Beach? I worked Transient there from 82-92.

[Astrodave20]

boydn1 I was there from 86 till it closed, last guy out of the control tower. Hind sight being 20/20 should have gotten out then and went with the FAA.

[Karbean]

Lots of common threads starting to stack up. First, my Dad was an ABC on the Indy in 60-62. Was a catapult/arresting gear guy. Got to tour as a 12 yr old in Newport News....BIG BOAT!. Much to his disappointment, I joined the Air Force just ahead of a draft notice in 1971. Did 4 years, then DOD civilian ending up in....thread #2... Myrtle Beach in 1980 until it closed. I was in the Supply Sq the entire time.

[Astrodave20]

Originally Posted by Karbean

Lots of common threads starting to stack up. First, my Dad was an ABC on the Indy in 60-62. Was a catapult/arresting gear guy. Got to tour as a 12 yr old in Newport News....BIG BOAT!. Much to his disappointment, I joined the Air Force just ahead of a draft notice in 1971. Did 4 years, then DOD civilian ending up in....thread #2... Myrtle Beach in 1980 until it closed. I was in the Supply Sq the entire time.

I am just south of Newport News now in Camden fulltime till Jan. Then we head out to travel as much as we can with this covid. I worked both tower and radar, was there for hugo.

[boydn1]

Originally Posted by Astrodave20

boydn1 I was there from 86 till it closed, last guy out of the control tower. Hind sight being 20/20 should have gotten out then and went with the FAA.

Knew everybody downstairs in Wx and base ops but, don’t think I knew any controllers. We probably crossed on the radio.

[Astrodave20]

Originally Posted by boydn1

Knew everybody downstairs in Wx and base ops but, don’t think I knew any controllers. We probably crossed on the radio.

Played ball with a guy from wx. Right about crossing on the radio.

[Karbean]

Ah yes.....Hugo.....fun times were had by all! Then there was the DS deployment. Running the Wing with all the #2s because Col Sharpe took all the 0-6s with him on the first wave. I've often thought the wing would have been in big trouble if that first C-5 had gone down. Would have lost the entire leadership at one time.

[wayne272]

Originally Posted by Airdale

This is an iconic picture of a VF-41 F4-B launch taken during a 7 month Vietnam deployment aboard the Indy.

I was a member of VF-41 at the time and worked as one of their airframes flight deck troubleshooters for that entire cruse.

That picture was a headliner in the Independence 1965 cruise book.


Attachment 242765

I was a plane captain in VF-33 with F4-J's aboard the Indy during the Iranian hostage crisis. Spent 7 months in the red sea in 1980. Happy veterans day to all my fellow vets.

[NECamper]

A&P mechanic here. 28 years and counting career with the last 22 in corporate aviation.

[Airdale]

Originally Posted by wayne272

I was a plane captain in VF-33 with F4-J's aboard the Indy during the Iranian hostage crisis. Spent 7 months in the red sea in 1980. Happy veterans day to all my fellow vets.

I was also there in 1980. I was working for CVW8 aboard the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) as one of their flight deck Maintenance chiefs.

[Airdale]

The 1980 Iranian crisis: As a CVW8 flight deck control maintenance chief, all requests for aircraft movements came to our desk first. We would relay a final request to the Nimitz aircraft handler and discuss options. Once the RH-53s came aboard, all of their movements had #1 priority. It was a hectic time as they had to be hidden from detection. Satellite, airborne and ship detections had to be avoided at all costs. They would be hidden in one of the hangar bays and only came to the flight deck for scheduled inspections and practice flights.

In this early picture of one of them being moved to the hangar bay you can see a lot of yellow shirts. They are the ships aircraft movement handlers and needed familiarization with the model so they could safely move them around the ship.

[Airdale]

Being retired military, our full time years took us to numerous military CGs all around the country. Almost all of them have an aircraft display area. Some are right at the main gates and have more elaborate displays found somewhere aboard the base. For the next few posts I'll be posting pictures taken at the bases we visited.

On this trip we were traveling cross country, primarily using US-2. This display right at the Grand Forks AFB was the largest aircraft we encountered this close to a base entrance.

[Airdale]

After passing through the NAS Jacksonville main gate there is a large field on the right being used as an aircraft display area. It's grassy with display pads and paved walkways. From time to time I'll be posting pictures taken at that display. In this first photo you're looking at an A7-E aircraft with attack squadron 46 markings. The A7 aircraft on the east coast were stationed at Naval Air Station, Cecil Field, FL - about 12 miles west of NAS Jacksonville.

I have fond memories of that particular A7 because I was the maintenance chief for that squadron from 1983-1985 during my last deployment in the Navy. I retired as maintenance chief for VFA-132, F/A-18 aircraft in 1988. However, I never went to sea with them.

[Airdale]

In the late 1970s the movie “The Final Countdown” was partially filmed aboard the Atlantic Fleet aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68).

The primary aircraft used in most of the aviation action was the F-14 Tomcat. The squadron that got the spotlight was Fighter Squadron 84 (VF-84). Their nickname, Jolly Rogers, was very popular because of the Jolly Roger painted on the tail section of their aircraft.

NAS Jacksonville has one of those aircraft on display.

Trivia: VF-84 call sign, "Victory".

[Airdale]

From 1970 to 1973 I was a member if Fighter Squadron 151 operating off the USS Midway. We made two long deployments to the South China Sea during that time (7 mo & 11 mo).

I took these pictures in 1972 from “vultures row”, a popular viewing area above flight deck level.

Note: When the Midway retired it was designated CV-41 and that's how its advertised at the San Diego museum.

[aceinspp]

Thanks for sharing. I'm no expert on air craft but there is a neat little air museum in Bowling Green KY. Later RJD

[emm-dee]

Originally Posted by NECamper

A&P mechanic here. 28 years and counting career with the last 22 in corporate aviation.

Bomdardier or Embraer? I’ve previously taken aircraft to both of them.