Here’s a must-see video for you Vietnam-era naval aviation fans. Shot aboard the carrier Midway (CVA-41) during her 1971 and 1972-1973 Western Pacific (WestPac) deployments, there is something for just about everybody.
Image via US Navy
The video was uploaded as a tribute to the late Lieutenant Raymond P Donnelly. Donnelly was a VA-115 A-6A bombardier / navigator who was seriously wounded by ground fire while on a mission over North Vietnam on July 19th 1972. Despite the best efforts of his pilot, Lieutenant Michael T McCormick, to revive him, Donnelly died before the Intruder made it back to the Midway. The flight deck footage is as remarkable as the message of the video is poignant.
Enjoy the video (uploaded to YouTube by John Stubbs), and remember Lieutenant Raymond P Donnelly and his devotion to, and ultimate sacrifice for, his country.
Featuring footage shot during actual A-6A strikes, and plenty of cat shots and traps (including a barrier trap), the film stars the Grumman A-6A Intruders of VA-115 Arabs (call sign Arab), but also the rest of Carrier Air Wing 5 (CVW5). The A-7s of VA-56 Champions (call sign Champion) and VA-93 Blue Blazers (call sign Raven), F-4s of VF-151 Vigilantes (call sign Switchbox) and VF-161 Chargers (call sign Rock River), EKA-3Bs of VAQ-130 Zappers (call sign Robinson), E-2Bs of VAW-115 Liberty Bells, SH-3Gs of HC-1 Detachment 8 Angels (call sign Clementine), HH-3As of HC-7 Detachment 110 Sea Devils (call sign Big Mother), even the RF-8Gs of VFP-63 Detachment 3 (call sign Cork Tip) all play supporting roles.
The footage is as mixed bag in that much of it was obviously shot during CVW-5 WestPacs but some other footage has been spliced in. Nonetheless the video is definitely worth watching- especially if you served aboard Midway during the timeframe of the film. Titling is a bit confusing because Midway’s WestPac deployments ran from April to November of 1971, and from April 1972 to March of 1973.
General Jimmy Earned His Mach 2 Club Tie in a Hustler
On March 15th 1960, the first Convair B-58 Hustler became operational with Strategic Air Command (SAC).
One of the most impressive aircraft ever built, the Hustler was also expensive to operate, equipped with complicated systems that frequently required attention, tricky to fly, limited in its payload capacity, and in the end was rendered obsolete by the surface-to-air (SAM) missile. But to anyone who ever saw one in flight, the Hustler was absolutely unforgettable.
Raw Power and Unique Design
The B-58 prototype first flew on November 11th 1956. The design premise and intended mission of the B-58 was high-altitude supersonic penetration of Soviet airspace and release of multiple atomic bombs on targets for SAC.
Design highlights were its 60 degree raked delta wing, four underwing pod-mounted afterburning General Electric J79 engines, separate tandem compartments for the flight crew of three, distinctive area-ruled fuselage shape, and the large centerline fuel tank / weapon pod.
Changing Times Changed the Mission
When the Soviets began to deploy accurate surface-to-air missiles in the early 1960s, SAC was quickly convinced that the B-58 would not survive against the new generation SAMs at high altitude. The mission profile of the B-58 went from what it was specifically designed to do to what it quite simply could not do.
Impressive Nonetheless
Whatever the limitations of the B-58 were, it was certainly revolutionary. Capable of sustained flight at Mach 2 speeds, the Hustler was so advanced that nearly all of the B-58’s systems had to be re-thought and engineered from a new sheet of paper.
Coming as it did so soon after sustained supersonic flight had been achieved for the first time, B-58s were nearly otherworldly to the public.
Built for Crew Survivability
B-58 ejection seats were equipped with a protective shield or clamshell capsule that would shield the crew members- a completely new technology brought about by the prospect of ejection at Mach 2 speeds and 70,000 foot altitudes.
The capsule would float in water and provide independent oxygen to its occupant. Similar systems have been incorporated into new designs ever since.
That Soothing Voice…
Many of today’s military pilots ruefully refer to the audio warning systems in their aircraft as “Bitchin’ Betty.” Audio warning systems were pioneered in the Hustler, so in large part they have the B-58 to thank for “Bitchin’ Betty”, but Hustler crews called her “Sexy Sally.” How times have changed!
Actor Jimmy Stewart Talks Up B-58 Hustler, Scares Russians In This Rare Video 11
Accuracy Built In
Supposedly ten times more accurate than any previous bombing / navigation system, the B-58’s collection of AN/ASQ-42 “black boxes” enabled the aircraft to be, at least potentially, the most accurate atomic bomber in the Air Force arsenal. The B-58, thankfully, never did have to perform the mission for which it was intended.
The Payload
The Hustler mounted a single remotely aimed and controlled 20 millimeter Gatling gun in the tail for self-defense. The large centerline pod housed both additional fuel and a nuclear weapon that could be jettisoned in separate parts.
At various times the B-58 carried up to four additional B43 or B61 atomic weapons on dedicated pylons mounted under its wing roots.
Convair F-102A
Bang NEXT PAGE below for the rest of the Hustler story- and the video!
TAMPA — The GEICO Skytypers, famous for their low level maneuvers and huge sky-typed messages, have released their new air show schedule as they prepare to take flight to begin their long awaited season opener.
Six WWII-era SNJ-2 warbirds form this special flight demonstration team now scheduled to soar across the skies of 15 of the nation’s popular air show sites during 2017 covering much of the eastern United States. The Skytypers will co-headline most of their air shows with either the U.S. Navy Blue Angels or the Air Force Thunderbirds.
The Skytypers twenty minute demonstration will show case these rare aircraft as the pilots tell the story of an age before the jet engine, and how a this prop plane made the difference during the second world war. A flight trainer in the early-1940’s, the SNJ was known among the army’s aviators as the pilot maker.
“Our SNJs trained the pilots of the Greatest Generation,” Skytypers pilot and team marketing director Steve Kapur said on Wednesday. “We consider it a privilege to inspire kids, honor veterans and fly these warbirds on behalf of our sponsor GEICO at air shows all across the U.S.”
The Skytypers air show season will begin on America’s Space Coast on April 1st and 2nd as the seasoned pilots perform exciting maneuvers over Melbourne, Florida’s International Airport. The Skytypers will then travel to neighboring locations at Sun-N-Fun near Tampa, FL, Beaufort, S.C., and Fort Lauderdale in the weeks ahead.
The pilots and their aircraft are marvels of aviation performing incredible feats of aerial skills in their 77-year-old warbirds. The Skytypers will perform over air shows across the northeast during the summer months before concluding the season at the annual Blue Angels Homecoming air show in November.
Much like aircraft headed into a dog fight during the second world war, these pilots moved into delta formation and from there soared into a nose dive with each aircraft then peeling off into a different direction during the opening minutes.
Bob Johansen is the slot pilot in aircraft 4 and a veteran of the Skytypers since 1978. A former naval aviator, Bob spent a storied career in the U.S. Navy performing carrier landings and piloting commercial aircraft. Bob and his son Ken make up one half of the Skytypers Diamond Team.
“The maneuver I enjoy the most is called the bomb burst,” Johansen highlighted as we made a wide left banking turn. “We have four aircraft pretty close nose-to-tail and smoking and we are going right toword the crowd. Then the two solos come from over the crowd and fly right under us. We pull up and the solos pull straight up. It’s amazing.”
Dynamic formations will also include two land-sea duels between the Skytypers six aircraft and the world champion speedboat, Miss. GEICO. “We know our sister speedboat team is the eight-time world-champion,” said Larry Arken, Commanding Officer and the Skytypers Flight Lead. “But one of our pilots, Tom Daly has his own world speed record at Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah and he never likes to come in second.”
As the warbirds soar across the sky, they will generate sky typed messages for the air show crowds. “The team also uses 21st-century technology to type giant messages 10,000 feet up in the sky,” said BBIG Marketing’s Brenda Little, spokesperson for the Skytypers, on Wednesday. “These dot-matrix style messages are 1,000 feet tall, can be viewed from 15 miles away in any direction and are created 17 times faster than the more traditional sky writing method.”
The GEICO Skytypers demonstration team is lead by Larry Arken in plane 1. Aircraft 2 through 6 include Chris Thomas, Ken Johansen, Chris Orr, Steve Salmirs, and Tom Daly. Skytyper 7 pilots include Jim Record and Bob Johansen as the team’s advance pilots who arrive a day early to meet with the local air show management.
2017 Air Show Schedule
April 1-2 Melbourne, FL Melbourne Air and Space Show
April 7-9 Lakeland, FL Sun ‘n Fun International Fly-In and Expo
April 29-30 MCAS Beaufort, SC 2017 MCAS Beaufort Airshow
May 6-7 Ft. Lauderdale, FL FORD Lauderdale Air Show
May 13-14 Pittsburgh, PA Wings Over Pittsburgh 2017
May 20-21 Quonset, RI Rhode Island National Guard Open House Air Show
May 27-28 Jones Beach, NY Bethpage Air Show at Jones Beach State Park
June 2-4 Reading, PA Mid-Atlantic Air Museum 27th Annual WWII Weekend
June 17-18 Ocean City, MD Ocean City Air Show
June 24-25 Dayton, OH Vectren Dayton Air Show
July 1-2 Newburgh, NY New York Air Show
Aug 12-13 Westfield, MA Westfield International Air Show
Aug 23 Atlantic City, NJ Atlantic City Airshow Presented by GEICO
Sept 16-17 Andrews AFB, MD Joint Base Andrews Air Show 2017
Nov 10-11 NAS Pensacola, FL NAS Pensacola Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show
(Charles A. Atkeison reports on aerospace and science. Follow his updates on social media via @Military_Flight.)
Want skinned knees and a broken camera? Guaranteed…with a chance of a bruised noggin too!
We’ve profiled Skiathos Airport in Greece before. Many people call it the St. Maarten of Europe. With short runways and a road right at the end of one end, it makes for some incredible photos and videos of arrivals and departures. You can’t get much closer to the action.
Just because you can get close to a jet, doesn’t mean you should though. Jet blast is hot exhaust at hurricane speeds exiting the engine. At takeoff thrust, the velocity can be well over 150 MPH even a few hundred feet back. Add in dust, sand, and pebbles and you are going to get sandblasted and probably hurt–possibly worse. Can you imagine the reason on your death certificate? “Standing behind a Boeing 737NG.” Moron!
Some things aren’t worth it. Standing behind a jet engine definitely isn’t worth it.
Dangerously low in marginal weather, a Frozen-themed WestJet 737-800 was seconds away from disaster. Fortunately, they broke the error chain. Let’s talk about what could have happened.
On March 7, 2017, WestJet flight 2652 from Toronto to Saint Maarten made some unexpected ‘waves’. The Boeing 737-800 with the famed Frozen livery was flying a non-precision instrument approach to runway 10 in marginal conditions. At the time, the visibility was about a mile and a half with a ceiling of less than 2,000 feet. Conditions weren’t ideal for one of the picturesque photos taken by countless avgeeks at the field but not that unusually for the professional pilots that occupied the seats of that Boeing.
It wasn’t a normal approach though. According to ADS-B data, the 737 briefly touched ‘O feet’ on the ADS-B readout. ADS-B reports altitude in 25 foot increments but have been known to report data inaccurately. That means that at most, the jet was 25 feet above the bay.
From photos and videos on the internet, you can see that the jet was lower than typical as the jet was around a ½ mile from the runway at less than a wingspan’s length above the water. Assuming the jet intended to be on a 3-degree glidepath, it should have been at around 150-200 feet above the water at that point. Instead of completing a successful landing the first time, the jet executed a go-around. Flight 2652 held for an additional 45 minutes and landed safely without further incident.
With no official word from WestJet on the incident, we took a look at footage provided online by ATCpilot.com and one of the St. Maarten spotter cams that is based at the field. The jet definitely looks low for where it was on the approach. The pilots, recognizing that it was an unstable approach (albeit very late in the process), made the right call to execute a go-around.
Without any official press release from the airline or any agency investigation initiated, we’re left to make surmise about what might have happened. As professional ‘avgeeks’ though, were not the traditional media with uninformed pundits spouting crazy conspiracy theories and providing click-bait analysis. It’s way too early to make any declarative judgment of what happened and we’re not surfacing this story to assign blame. When incidents like this happen though, professional pilots should ‘hangar talk’ about the scenario to think through how something like this could easily happen to them too and how to avoid a similar incident in the future. Here are three of the most likely scenarios of why WestJet’s Frozen bird could have came so close to a CFIT (Controlled Flight into Terrain).
1.) Task saturation and automation error while searching for the field
With visibility less than 2 miles, flight 2652 was most likely flying a GPS or VOR approach to runway 10. A non-precision approach is something that every commercial pilot must be able to do. (Non-precision means that there is course guidance but not vertical guidance) However, most commercial airports these days have precision approaches meaning that commercial pilots rarely get to practice these types of approaches except in a simulator. In this case, the pilots could have neglected to set a level off altitude as they dialed in a descent rate. When they arrived at the MDA (Minimum descent altitude), they could have continued to search ‘outside the cockpit’ for the runway. With a murky, indefinite-horizon sky (that looked like a combination of dark blue and grey), they could have continued the incipient descent without realizing it only to finally execute a go around because of declaring a missed approach without seeing the field or recognizing how low they were either by visual cue or audible alert (landing ‘100’ feet radar altimeter call out).
2.) Setting the wrong altimeter setting
While much less likely, the crew could have set the wrong altimeter setting on arrival. This means that the crew could have leveled off at their MDA but their actual altitude was significantly below the expected altitude. This situation is a stretch and not very likely. The altimeter setting was actually higher than the standard 29.92 meaning that they would have been high on the approach if they failed to reset it when passing through transition altitude. The only way this situation is a possibility is if they misheard the altimeter setting and dialed in a completely erroneous setting. While possible, it is also highly unlikely that they wouldn’t have caught the error on intermediate level offs that took place throughout the arrival. Pilots have addition tools like a radar altimeter that would have revealed such error.
3.) Wind shear
A very low approach like this could possibly be explained by a very strong wind shear. Strong wind shear has been known to cause rapid decay of airspeed and altitude on approach. Delta flight 191 crashed because of a strong wind shear back in the 1980s. In this case though, the FlightRadar24 data doesn’t show any rapid descents or drastic speed changes (other than a slow ground speed). Aircraft landed at the field before the WestJet 737 without incident and no shear was reported. Still though, storms were in the area and the video footage shows winds near the field were strong enough to cause rippling in the bar patio umbrellas that were seen in the first go around video. Winds aloft could have been much stronger. One other indication that makes this situation plausible is that the gear was not immediately retracted on the go around. That could have been intentional or an oversight during a rattling situation of a normal go-around after almost impacting the water short of the field.
It’s all just speculation at this point but we shouldn’t shy away from discussing ways to become safer aviators.
It’s easy to Monday morning quarterback the situation. And the truth is that at this point the only people who know exactly what happened are the pilots and anyone that they spoke to after safely landing. Despite great technology, improved cockpit resource management, and training, mistakes do still happen. If this was just a mistake, everyone is fortunate that there was no damage besides a bruised ego and a probable chat with the chief pilot.
Unfortunately for the WestJet pilots’ sake, the mistake happened near one of the most photographed/videoed airports in the world. It’s a reminder to all professional aviators that in this era of smart phones and social media, every flight is just one tap away from the rest of the world seeing it. Fly safe out there…
Editors note: Thanks to ATCPilot.com for the footage and screenshot.
Operation Homecoming returned POWs from North Vietnam. Tail number 66-0177 held a unique place in the hearts of wartime heroes, aircrew, entertainers and avgeeks.
On March 12th 1998, a United States Air Force Lockheed C-141B Starlifter transport (Air Force serial number 66-0177, AKA the “Hanoi Taxi”) departed Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. A C-141 flight out of Wright-Pat was a common enough occurrence, but this one was special. Onboard were more than 50 former American prisoners of war. The Starlifter’s destination was Randolph Air Force Base in Texas, the site of the 25th Annual Reunion of the Freedom Flyers.
That particular C-141 had flown some of these passengers before. On February 12th 1973 the very same aircraft flew the first mission to repatriate the first 40 American prisoners of war released by North Vietnam from Gia Lam airport in Hanoi.
From February 12th through April 4th 1973, C-141s flew 54 Operation Homecoming missions out of Hanoi returning 591 prisoners of war to their country and families. Air Force Technical Sergeant James R. Cook, who suffered severe wounds when he bailed out of his stricken aircraft over North Vietnam in December of 1972, saluted the American Flag from his stretcher as he was carried aboard the aircraft.
Also on the first flight was Navy Commander Everett Alvarez Jr. The first American pilot to be shot down in North Vietnam, Alvarez was the longest-held POW, having spent more than eight years in captivity. Celebration broke out aboard the Hanoi Taxi when it lifted off on its way out of North Vietnam, as the former POWs experienced their first taste of freedom.
Speaking to the crowd that lined the tarmac at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines to welcome the aircraft on its first stop, returning POW Navy Captain Jeremiah Denton was cheered as he thanked all who had worked for their release and proclaimed, “God bless America.” Denton continued his naval career, eventually rising to the rank of Rear Admiral. He was later elected to represent Alabama in the United States Senate.
United States Air Force Captain Larry Chesley recalled that “everything seemed like heaven” after having spent seven years as a prisoner of the North Vietnamese. “When the doors of that C-141 closed, there were tears in the eyes of every man aboard,” he said.
The senior officer at the Hanoi Hilton, Air Force Colonel Robinson Risner, choked back his emotions as he arrived at Clark on the second C-141 flight from Hanoi. “Thank you all for bringing us home to freedom again,” he told the gathered crowd.
The last Vietnam POW to serve in the Air Force, Major General Edward Mechenbier, recalled the emotion of his own Operation Homecoming flight out of North Vietnam on February 18th 1973. “When we got airborne and the frailty of being a POW turned into the reality of freedom, we yelled, cried and cheered,” the General said.
The first group of 20 former POWs to make it all the way home arrived at Travis Air Force Base in California on February 14th 1973. News clips of their arrival and the tearful scenes planeside revealed the emotions of the freed POWs.
Navy Captain James Stockdale remarked, “The men who follow me down that ramp know what loyalty means because they have been living with loyalty, living on loyalty, the past several years — loyalty to each other, loyalty to the military, loyalty to our commander-in-chief.” Though permanently injured before and during his ordeal as a POW, Stockdale continued his naval career rising to the rank of Vice Admiral.
Starlifter 66-0177, later named Hanoi Taxi, continued to serve the country after Operation Homecoming. The aircraft was reworked with the standard C-141A upgrades and modifications, such as a lengthened fuselage and the addition of aerial refueling capability, resulting in designation changes to C-141B and later to C-141C. 177 even flew entertainer Bob Hope to Vietnam for his USO tours.
The Hanoi Taxi had been maintained by the Air Force as a flying tribute to the POWs and MIAs of the Vietnam War. When the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III replaced the venerable machine, the Air Force wanted the aircraft to be preserved. After her final missions of mercy evacuating victims of Hurricane Katrina, C-141C Air Force serial number 66-0177, the Hanoi Taxi, and the last operational C-141C in Air Force service, was officially retired to the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Pat on May 6th 2006.
Flyover kicked off three days of intense training before freshman cadets get recognized.
The B-1B Bone flew a loud, afterburner-fueled low-pass that kicked off recognition. For freshman cadets who were about to endure a relentless three-day exercise known as recognition, the flyover gave them hope. The next three days of their life would suck, but one day it could be them flying an instrument of our nation’s power.
What’s recognition?
Freshman at the Air Force Academy go through an eight-month long training program that is designed to prepare them for battle. The purpose of the intense (somewhat open for debate these days) training is to instill a sense of confidence and fortitude such that no physical pain or mental distress in combat could dissuade an airman.
The regimented life involves running on certain pathways (known as ‘the strips’) to classes, requiring every freshman to greet upperclassmen by name and rank, and keeping dorm rooms in inspection-ready shape at all times. Afternoons after class frequently involve training sessions with upperclassmen requiring the “four degrees” to recite knowledge under stressful mental and physical conditions.
Air Force photo showing the Run To the Rock. Taken by Bill Evans in 2015.
The training culminates in a three-day exercise known as recognition. The event is meant to physically and mentally drain every freshman such that teamwork and a positive attitude is the only thing left. At the conclusion of the training, the cadets ‘run to the rock’. When they arrive at the rock, they are recognized by their upperclassmen as peers.
The flyover took place on Thursday March 9th. Video is by the Air Force Academy’s Facebook page.
A-10 Pilot Don Ramm Recalls the Ups and Downs of Flying the Best Close Support Aircraft Ever Built.
By Don Ramm
Welcome to the flying memories of a peace time pilot. I started pilot training in September of 1973 and dropped my last practice bomb in 1989. The closest I got to anything resembling combat was orders to Korat, Thailand, in 1976. Those were cancelled, and I went to England AFB, Louisiana in the A-7.
In 1978 at the ripe old age of 27 with less than 1000 hours under my belt I was offered the opportunity to fly the A-10. The truth is, I wanted to fly F-16s but didn’t want to endure a tour as an ALO (Air Liaison Officer), a standard “follow on” assignment for many first-assignment attack pilots.
I called MPC (Military Personnel Command), asked the fighter assignments guys what my options were, and was offered an A-10 IP (instructor pilot) job at Davis Monthan AFB near Tucson, AZ.
I spent 1975 – 76 at DM checking out in the A-7 and flying with an operational squadron and liked the area. I was glad to go back. By June 1981 when I left active duty I had logged just over 1000 hours in the Hog.
(U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Robert Wieland)
1.) Conversion Course and IP School
After a transition course to learn how to fly the “Hog” and drop bombs and shoot bullets from its well known GAU-8 30 mm cannon, I attended the IP course to learn how to instruct. The A-7 was the finest bomb and bullet delivery platform during its heyday in the 70s.
Its computed weapons delivery system was a technological miracle that, when employed by a pilot who knew how to make it work, was capable of unparalleled accuracy. The USAF-wide bombing competitions of the 70s and early 80s were dominated by the A-7.
Moving from that to the A-10 which had no computer (at that time; it does now) took some getting use to. Flying slower and with a nice “hard sight” HUD (heads up display), I was able drop some pretty good bombs in the “low angle” events, but a 45 degree dive delivery (release at 3 or 4 thousand feet as I recall = slant range of more than a mile) was a challenge.
The gun, on the other hand, was point and shoot. Yes, some Kentucky windage was required on a long distance shot but in close it was hard to miss. And, oh, the sound of that gun! Not so much from in the cockpit, but from the ground it was a thrill to hear and watch it work.
One of the nice things about the A-10 which is true to this day: There are no two-seaters. How does one instruct without a two-seater? Of course, all of the trainees were already pilots who had flown at least one airplane that is harder to fly than the A-10 – that is, the T-38.
So, we as instructors did not teach our charges how to fly as much as we were in their subconscious (via FM radio which was used for airplane to airplane communications) as we coaxed them through maneuvers. In the early flights where they just got the feel of the A-10 and in the early air-to-ground rides we would fly a close “fighting wing” position so we could tell what their airplane was doing.
In later flights, the student would fly wing and be pretty much on their own; we would lead the flight and drop our own bombs and shoot our own gun. So I had 600 or 700 hours as an IP and never once had to share the stick with the student.
image via national archives
2.) Two-Seat A-10
Actually, there was one two-seat A-10. It was built by Fairchild and pitched by them as a close support platform that could operate in marginal weather and at night. The Air Force evaluated it in the early 80s but didn’t buy it. I ran across this lone two-seater in 1997 when Tracy (my wife and pilot) and I flew into Edwards AFB.
After doing a touch and go on their 5 mile long runway in our rented T-41, we landed near the Edwards Aero Club in a quiet corner of the base. On the ramp next to the club was one of just about every late model USAF airplane including an F-16, F-4, A-7, even an SR-71, and the only two-seat A-10 ever built.
Not only did we walk among the museum pieces, we climbed on them and no one seemed to mind which is where this picture of Tracy came from.
image via national museum of the us air force
3.) Bicycle Lake
One of the more enjoyable TDYs (temporary duty) we had was a three-week “Red Flag” at Fort Irwin in California. Ft Irwin is about 50 miles northeast of Barstow CA which if you are familiar with that neck of the woods is pretty much in the middle of no where.
As an Army fort it had seen better days. There must have been a hundred houses on base – all were empty. We stayed in the “Q” (Visiting Officer Quarters) – as opposed to the Army troops who were participating in the same exercise; they left on Monday morning and spent the week living in pup-tents “in the field”.
The nice thing about the exercise, of course, was the flying. We flew off of Bicycle Lake next to Fort Irwin. It wasn’t like the WWII days when the Spitfires and Hurricanes took off any direction they pleased. There was a runway plowed out of the dry lake bed. We always took off single ship.
Lead would start a turn right after take off and do a wide 360 over the lake at about 500 feet while his wingman took the runway. It was easy for lead to time his turn so that he rolled out about a mile wide in line abreast from the wingman so the flight was in “tactical formation” immediately after takeoff.
We would routinely fly the entire mission at under 500 feet. (This was in the days when low altitude was thought to be the best way to fly the A-10 – under the radar.)
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
4.) Nose Low
One day, the squadron ops office was leading a two ship on a typical mission. His aircraft had just been worked on by the maintenance folks – something which involved putting the gear handle in the up position while on the ground. They did put it back down (it was down when he did his before start checks said the pilot) but apparently not down far enough and for some reason the nose gear was not pinned per standard procedures.
As he fired up the #1 engine, as soon as there was enough hydraulic pressure, the nose gear obeyed what it was commanded to do and folded up. For some reason the mains didn’t retract (perhaps they were pinned) so the A-10 nose hit the hard dirt ramp area driving the gun into the ground. Somehow they picked the nose up, dropped the gear and pinned it.
Except for the dirt in some of the seven barrels of the GAU-8, it looked like all of the other A-10s. The exercise ended a few days later and we flew it home with the landing gear down. (I flew on the crippled Hog’s wing on the way home. I anticipated having lots of fun making “high speed” passes on the stiff-legged A-10, but it wasn’t mean to be.
The ground crew, instructed to leave the gear pinned on the injured A-10, did the same to mine. When I raised the gear handle nothing happened, and I flew home with gear extended as well.)
LANGLEY, Va. — The only operational fifth-generation fighter aircraft will launch into the start of its 2017 air show season in March with a schedule highlighted by popular visits across America and include four international show sights.
The Aerial Combat Command, based at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, released their official F-22 Raptor schedule on Thursday, one week prior to the official start of the air show season. The news gave the selected show sites cause to celebrate as they took to social media to celebrate the news.
Air Force Major Dan Dickinson will again lead the 19-member F-22 demo team this season as the lead pilot — the only pilot — of the $140 million aircraft of the demo team. To date, Maj. Dickinson has logged nearly 900 hours flying the F-22.
The schedule will see a pair of Raptors visit 23 cities between March through November, and a fly-over only of the Air Force Marathon at Wright-Patterson AFB in September. Four international stops will include Quebec, Canada in June; RAF Fairford, UK in July; Toronto, Canada in September; and Seoul, South Korea in October. The Raptor’s public affairs officials did add that visits to the UK and Korea are subject to change at this time.
In the United States, the F-22 Demo will launch their season on Georgia’s warm golden coast as the team performs over the Wings Over the Golden Isles air show. The inaugural show was a major triumph for the Brunswick community.
“The F-22 Raptor joins the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, the AeroShell Demonstration Team and many other performers to give the Wings Over Golden Isles event a world-class lineup,” John Cowman, president of JLC AirShow Management, said following the announcement. “We couldn’t be more excited about hosting this amazing team in Brunswick.”
The next show stop April 22 and 23 will see the Raptor soar over the proclaimed “Home of Air Dominance”, Tyndall AFB, located just east of Panama City Beach, Florida. The two day air show will include the Air Force Thunderbirds.
“For this year’s show we’ve pulled out all the stops and will feature performances by the Thunderbirds, the F-22 demonstration team, and many more,” Colonel Michael F. Hernandez, Commander of Tyndall’s 325th Fighter Wing said. “On behalf of the more than 5,000 Airmen of Team Tyndall, it is my pleasure to invite you to the 2017 Gulf Coast Salute open house and air show.”
Two weeks later, the fully fueled F-22 will perform over the McEntire JNGB near Colombia, S.C. on May 6 and 7. An F-16 and F-15 will join the Raptor for the free air show event.
Summertime will later usher in demonstrations over Pittsburgh, Miami Beach, Seattle, Chicago, and Jacksonville. The Raptor team will conclude its ambitious season with the Thunderbirds at the Nellis AFB Open House in November.
Spads Were Tough Old Birds and This Medal of Honor Recipient Was Cool Under Pressure.
On 10 March 1966, United States Air Force pilot Major Bernard Fisher was flying a close air support mission with five other A-1E Skyraider pilots over the A Shau valley, near the Laotian border west -northwest of Da Nang in South Vietnam. Fisher was supporting a Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) / US Army Special Forces camp located in a position to interdict traffic along the Ho Chi Minh trail that was in danger of being overrun by more than 2,000 North Vietnamese regular troops who were surrounding it.
Official US Air Force photograph
Hairy Valley
The situation in the valley and at the SF camp was not exactly news to Fisher and his fellow pilots- Fisher had been awarded the Silver Star for his air support role in the same battle the day before. The weather had not improved either- with a solid ceiling lower than the tops of the 1,500 foot hills around much of the valley, close air support was a risky proposition indeed.
Myers is Grounded
During one of several attack runs on the enemy emplacements one of the other Skyraider pilots, Major Dafford W. “Jump” Myers, was hit by ground fire and forced to land his crippled “Spad.” Using the 2,500 foot-long steel plank runway used to supply the camp by air, Myers was able to crash-land his A-1E and exit the aircraft on the ground with only slight injuries. He then found a spot in which to hole up and wait for a Jolly Green Giant rescue helicopter to pull him out of what was one enormous jam.
Official US Air Force photograph
Desperate Situations Call for Heroic Measures
Meanwhile, as he orbited the downed pilot and took stock of the situation, Fisher realized that the closest helicopter was at least 30 minutes away. After witnessing the crash landing, Fisher believed that Myers was at the very least badly injured. Able to see the North Vietnamese troops closing in on Myers’ position and convinced that Myers would not last much longer on the ground, Fisher contacted the other members of his flight and notified them that he planned to land on the torn up airstrip and pick up Myers.
Only 19 Bullet Holes…
While the rest of the flight pressed covering attacks on the enemy troops, Fisher managed to land on the airstrip and taxi most of the way back down the runway while avoiding holes and debris, under enemy fire, until he was close Myers’ position. Then, while still taking enemy fire, Myers bolted from his hide, climbed onto the Skyraider’s wing and Fisher pulled Myers head-first into the right seat of his A-1E. Despite continuous heavy enemy fire, Fisher was then able to take off from the now-ruined runway and return to his base at Pleiku. Mechanics found 19 bullet holes in Fisher’s Skyraider.
The First Living MOH Recipient of the War
For his heroic action that fateful day in March 1966, Major Bernard Fisher was awarded the Medal of Honor. President Lyndon B. Johnson presented the medal to Major Fisher on January 19th 1967. Fisher was the first living Air Force recipient of the Medal of Honor for action in the Vietnam War.
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Jet Stream Winds Played Havoc with Bombs Dropped from 30,000 Feet Over Japan.
On 9 March 1945 the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) XX Bomber Command initiated Operation Meetinghouse. The Twentieth had been using their B-29 Superfortresses to bomb Japan from bases in the Marianas since November 24th 1944, and from bases in China since April of 1944. Results of their missions were unsatisfactory. A change was necessary. It was time for General Curtis LeMay.
Official US Air Force photograph
The First Raids on the Homeland
America’s very first raid of the war on Tokyo took place on April 18th 1942, when USAAC Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle led sixteen twin-engine B-25B Mitchell bombers, launched from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8), to attack Japanese targets including Tokyo and Yokohama.
The bombers were to continue flying west after their attacks and land in China. Because the ships in the task force had stumbled upon Japanese picket boats, the bombers were forced to launch much earlier, and at much longer range from Japan, than planned.
A Morale Boost More Than a Victory
While the raid did little real damage, it provided a much-needed morale boost for an America reeling after Pearl Harbor and the subsequent Japanese sweep through much of the Pacific. The fate of the bombers was sealed when they took off so far from their planned departure point.
None of the bombers reached the planned recovery airfields in China. However, Japan was forced to commit resources to the defense of the home islands, which had been thought to be safe from American attack, for the remainder of the war.
Official US Air Force photograph
You Can’t Bomb From High Altitudes with High Winds
Fast-forward to 1945. Results of the high altitude precision daylight bombing of Japan by XX Bomber Command over the previous 11 months were unsatisfactory, due in large part to very strong high altitude winds aloft over Japan.
These winds, later to be recognized as the jet stream, made the approach to the target areas, the bomb runs, and egress from the target areas after bomb release over Japan problematic. In some cases, B-29 ground speeds were reduced to less than 100 miles per hour when bucking the strong headwinds. When bombing from high altitude, bombing accuracy was significantly reduced by the high winds affecting free-fall bomb trajectories.
The consistently cloudy weather over the Japanese islands also contributed to the overall lack of precision in high altitude precision daylight bombing.
LeMay Makes the Call
General Curtis LeMay, the new commander of XX Bomber Command, took one look at the results of the bombing of Japan from China since April, and especially from the new bases on Saipan, Tinian, and Guam since November, and decided to change the tactics employed by the Twentieth.
There would be no more high altitude precision daylight bombing of Japan. LeMay’s crews would bomb from low to mid-level, and they would bomb at night. The B-29 aircrews tasked with flying the missions harbored misgivings about the changes LeMay instituted.
Attacking between 5,000 feet and 9,000 feet seemed suicidal, and removing all the defensive guns from their bombers except the tail guns made little or no sense to the crews.
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The Tiger Was Ahead of its Time, for a Time, But Time Caught Up Quickly
On 8 March 1957, United States Navy Attack Squadron ONE FIVE SIX (VA-156) Iron Tigers accepted the first Grumman F11F-1 Tiger aircraft to enter service. The Tiger came along at a time when supersonic speeds were suddenly a requirement and Grumman did indeed deliver its first carrier-based supersonic fighter. With advanced features like full-span leading edge slats, roll-control spoilers instead of ailerons, all-moving horizontal stabilizers, and area-ruled fuselage design, the Tiger was, at the time of its introduction, in many ways ahead of its time.
Developed From Another Legendary Grumman Cat
At first envisioned as an improved F9F-6/7 Cougar, the resulting design and the refinements made during the development process yielded a completely different aircraft. Ironically, the Tiger’s service life was much shorter than the Cougar’s.
Close But Second to the Skyray
Even though on July 30th 1954 the prototype Tiger first flew without the afterburning engine for which it was designed, it nearly reached supersonic speeds on its maiden flight. When the second prototype flew with the afterburning engine, the Navy had its second supersonic aircraft (the Douglas F-4D Skyray was the first). The aircraft received the new designation F11F-1 in April of 1955.
Headed to The Fleet on The Boat
Carrier suitability trials began on April 4th 1956. The carrier Forrestal (CV-59) hosted the Tiger for trial arrested landings and catapult launches. After successfully completing trials, the aircraft went on to equip several Navy squadrons. The Navy operators of the F11F-1 Tiger were VF-21 Freelancers and VF-33 Astronauts in the Atlantic Fleet and VA-156 Sundowners (VF-111 from January 1959), VF-24 Renegades (VF-211 from March 1959), VF-51 Screaming Eagles, VF-121 Pacemakers, and VF-191 Satan’s Kittens in the Pacific Fleet. Tigers operated from the Essex-class carriers Intrepid (CV-11), Hancock (CV-19), Bon Homme Richard (CV-31), Shangri-La (CV-38), and the Forrestal-class carriers Forrestal (CV-59), Saratoga (CV-60), and Ranger (CV-61).
Up Against Two Legends
The last Tiger was delivered to the Navy on January 23rd 1959. The aircraft only lasted four years in front-line service. Unfortunately its performance was vastly inferior to both the Vought F-8 Crusaderand the McDonnell F-4 Phantom II, both of which were being delivered to the Navy in roughly the same timeframe. The Tiger’s J65 engine also proved unreliable. Coupled with limited range and insufficient endurance, the Tiger was craned off all carrier decks by the end of 1961. The Navy cancelled all orders for the F11F-1 and a proposed reconnaissance version (the F11F-1P) on the books. Only 199 Tigers were built.
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