Go Aboard the Ranger with RVAH-6 and Watch RA-5C Vigilantes Do Their Thing
Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron SIX (RVAH-6) Fleurs was embarked aboard the Forrestal-class aircraft carrier Ranger (CVA-61) in May of 1968 when a Navy film crew captured some excellent footage of their RA-5C Vigilantes operating from the Ranger. The footage is silent, but it provides some of the best visuals of Viggies flying from carrier decks. The video was uploaded to YouTube by Periscope Film. Enjoy!
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The Rest of the Cast
During CVW-2’s 1967-1968 WestPac deployment (4 November 1967 – 25 May 1968) aboard the Ranger, the Air Wing consisted of VF-154 Black Knights and VF-21 Freelancers flying the McDonnell Douglas F-4B Phantom II, VA-22 Fighting Redcocks flying the Douglas A-4C Skyhawk, VA-165 Boomers flying the Grumman A-6A Intruder, VA-147 Argonauts flying the Ling Temco Vought A-7A Corsair II, RVAH-6 Fleurs flying the North American RA-5C Vigilante, VAW-115 Liberty Bells flying the Grumman E-2A Hawkeye, Detachment 61 of VAH-2 Royal Rampants flying the Douglas KA-3B Skywarrior, Detachment 61 of VAW-13 Zappers flying the EKA-3B variant of the Skywarrior, Detachment 61 of VAP-61 World Recorders flying the RA-3B Skywarrior, and Detachment 61 of HC-1 Pacific Fleet Angels flying the Kaman UH-2A and UH-2C Seasprite.
Born for Doomsday
RVAH-6 dates back to 6 January 1950 when VC-6 was established at Naval Air Station (NAS) Moffett in California as the Navy’s second nuclear attack squadron. At the time VC-6 was flying the Lockheed P2V Neptune. VC-6 then operated the North American AJ Savage before moving south to NAS North Island and being redesignated Heavy Attack Squadron SIX (VAH-6) in 1956. A couple of years later VAH-6 moved up to NAS Whidbey Island in Washington. VAH-6 began flying the Douglas A3D-2 Skywarrior in 1958 and deployed several times aboard the Ranger and the Forrestal (CVA-59). The A3D-2s VAH-6 was flying became A-3Bs in September of 1962 thanks to the Tri-Service Aircraft Designation System.
Moving Across Country and Going Supersonic
VAH-6 moved across the country to NAS Sanford in Florida in 1965. Later that year the Fleurs traded in their aging Whales for spanking new North American RA-5C Vigilantes and picked up the RVAH-6 designation. RVAH-6 deployed to the West Pac and Vietnam twice aboard the USS Constellation (CVA-64). The deployment aboard Ranger was the squadron’s third trip to Yankee Station. After their deployment aboard the Ranger RVAH-6 returned to Yankee Station three times- once each aboard the carriers USS Enterprise (CVN-65), USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63), and finally aboard USS America (CVA-66).
After Vietnam…
After the Vietnam War, RVAH-6 deployed a single time aboard the carriers Forrestal, Kitty Hawk, and USS Nimitz (CVN-68). When it came time to replace the Viggie aboard carriers the Vought RF-8G Crusader picked up where the RA-5Cs left off- at least until they were in turn replaced by the Grumman F-14A Tomcat/Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS) combination aboard aircraft carriers. After the conclusion of their last deployment in July 1978, after 28 years of active service, RVAH-6 was inactivated at NAS Key West on 20 October 1978.
