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WestJet Changes Its Name To Canada Air–Well Sorta

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WestJet Changes Its Name To Canada Air–Well Sorta

WestJet makes announcement with a new video highlighting how Canadian they are.

This time of year, its nearly impossible to tell truth from fake news.  WestJet had some April Fools fun by letting the world know that Canadians are better than any other country.  Their friendliness, diversity, and generosity sets Canadians apart from the rest of the world. In honor of the 150th birthday of Canada, WestJet has decided to change its name to Canada Air.  In front of a Boeing 737-700, WestJet unveiled its new and shortest-lived livery.

It’s all fake news…

Only its not real.  We’ve been had by another April Fools joke!

To be honest, it wasn’t their best viral video gig. The commercial was a bridge too far.  After all, why would anyone change the name of Canada’s second largest airline to a name that is the inverse of their main competitor?  It still made us chuckle though. And true avgeeks wouldn’t mind seeing a new paint scheme with colors that kind of like the old Hartford Whalers logo.

While enjoyable, we have to say that this wasn’t their best work. WestJet’s Christmas videos are amazing and hit viewers right in the ‘feels’.  Still though, kudos to an airline for finding ways to keep the flying experience light hearted.

GEICO Skytypers, Thunderbirds headline Melbourne’s Air and Space Show

Charles Atkeison
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GEICO Skytypers, Thunderbirds headline Melbourne’s Air and Space Show

The precision flight of the GEICO Skytypers six aircraft will take to the skies above America’s Space Coast this weekend as they join the Air Force Thunderbirds and top civilian aerobatic pilots at the Air and Space Show.

The Skytypers soar aboard six sleek 1940 SNJ-2 single-prop aircraft. The silver SNJ, Navy’s version of the Army’s T-6 Texan, was used by the pilots of the second World War and Korea to practice their flying skills and prepare for combat in the skies.

The squadron’s popularity has risen as they continue to co-headline many of the nation’s top air shows performing with both the Blue Angels and the Air Force Thunderbirds. The team is slotted to perform at around 1:20 p.m. on each day.fs3

“It’s a very dynamic demo with a lot of things happening very quickly with some maneuvers a tribute to the era of the generation of these World War II airplanes,” Skytyper 1 and commanding officer Larry Arken stated on Friday as we stood on the flight line. “Other things are done for the spectators view like a heart or a bomb burst, and other maneuvers are tactical maneuvers which the military still uses.”

The squadron is lead by Arken, with Chris Thomas, Ken Johansen, Chris Orr, Steve Salmirs, and Tom Daly as pilots of aircraft 2 thru 6. Skytyper 7 pilots include Jim Record and Bob Johansen as the team’s advance pilots. The Skytypers 20 minute demonstration will tell the story of the dizzying maneuvers executed by the pilots 70 years ago during air-to-air combat.

“There is no better place to begin our 2017 season than on Florida’s Space Coast!” Team spokesperson Brenda Little said as the World Famous GEICO Skytypers Air Show Team prepared to rehearse on Friday. “This air show has become a favorite for a few of the team members.”

On the ground, the Skytypers spend their time at each air show site visiting hospitals and education centers with their public outreach program. The team has also been know to host student groups at the air show for a group discussion plane side, and the chance to climb aboard their aircraft.

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Melbourne International Airport will be center stage for the two-day air show designed to spark interest in both aviation and honor the United States military. Beautiful weather will keep aviators on time each day as the opening ceremonies get underway at 11:30 a.m. Tickets for the air show remain available for both days via their web site or at the gate.

The dynamic sky show will begin with the National Anthem followed by the civilian pilots performances. A rare performance of an F-35 Lightning II is scheduled to take to the air at about 2:00 p.m., and will take part in the traditional airshow remembrance moment known as the Heritage Flight. The Thunderbirds will take-off minutes later aboard their sleek F-16C Fighting Falcons at about 3:10 p.m. to begin their 40-minute flight demonstration.

Melbourne airshow officials promises a fleet of vintage and current aircraft, both civilian and military, will be on display this weekend. Guests can get up close with several historic aircraft poised on the airport’s tarmac as aircraft engines echo and jets screech across the sky above.

(Charles A. Atkeison reports on aerospace and science. Follow his updates on social media via @Military_Flight.)

The Whale: Skywarriors Were Huge and Hugely Flexible Jets

Bill Walton
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The Whale: Skywarriors Were Huge and Hugely Flexible Jets

The A3D Was Larger Than Life and Twice as Heavy But Did Every Job Exceedingly Well

On March 31st 1956 the Douglas A3D-1 Skywarrior entered service with United States Navy Heavy Attack Squadron One (VAH-1) Smokin’ Tigers. Better known as “The Whale”, the A3D would go on to perform several roles over its 35 year career with the Navy. Only 282 Whales were built between 1956 and 1962, but they did everything asked of them well. Whales were the largest and heaviest aircraft ever to deploy aboard and routinely operate from aircraft carriers. The combination of that size and weight, coupled with the narrow track of the Whale’s landing gear, made every carrier recovery an adventure. In order to operate Whales, carriers had to turn their arresting gear engines and catapult systems “up to 11.”

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Image via US Navy

Big For a Sinister Reason

The first operational Navy carrier-based strategic (atomic) bomber was the hybrid jet and propeller driven North American AJ Savage. Douglas was asked to design an all-jet powered, carrier-based strategic bomber in 1948. The new design would operate from the proposed “super-carrier” United States class, therefore size was less of a consideration than payload. The atomic bombs of the day were exceedingly large and heavy, so the loaded weight requirement for the design was 100,000 pounds. That’s a whopping 50 tons to you and me! Whale indeed.

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Image via US Navy

Penned by a Legend and His Team

Ed Heinemann of the Douglas design team, considering the possibility that the carrier United States might be cancelled, designed the A3D to operate from the aircraft carriers in service at the time. While still whale-like at 68,000 pounds loaded weight, the Skywarrior was comparatively svelte and considerably smaller than the other designs in consideration. Within weeks the United States was indeed cancelled, and the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) awarded the contract to Douglas on September 29th 1949. Don’t confuse the Whale with the Air Force’s Douglas B-66 Destroyer. The Destroyer started out as a modified Skywarrior but paths diverged quickly. In service the two aircraft shared few common parts or assemblies.

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Image via US Navy

Waiting for the Power to Shine

Douglas had their hands full designing and building an aircraft as large and heavy as the A3D for carrier use. The prototype XA3D-1 Skywarrior first flew on October 28th 1952. Besieged by issues with the available engines and complicated landing gear required by the design, it took another four years to get the A3D into service. Ironically the Skywarrior would eventually operate from the decks of all Navy attack aircraft carrier classes- from the smaller Essex-class all the way up to the Nimitz-class.

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Image via US Navy

Finally- a Turbojet Engine Worthy of the Name

The A3D was not really a revolutionary design apart from its sheer size and weight. Equipped with folding wings as well as a folding vertical stabilizer, the Whale was always the easiest aircraft to identify on a carrier deck- it was still huge even when all folded up. The original J40 engines intended to power the aircraft turned out to be unsuitable and they were replaced with the widely-used and proven Pratt & Whitney J57 turbojets- which also powered everything from Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses and 707 commercial airliners to Lockheed U-2s and Vought F-8 Crusaders. A distinctive A3D design feature is the hollow point bullet-shaped oil cooler installed in each nacelle in front of the engine.

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Image via US Navy

Crews and Tales of Tails

Skywarriors carried crews ranging in size from three to seven or even more- none of whom sat in ejection seats. The less popular and more morbid nickname for the Whale became “All 3 Dead”, derived from the aircraft designator but referring to the lack of a way to quickly exit the aircraft in extremis. Electronic warfare, VIP transport, and training versions of the Whale carried personnel in the pressurized bomb bay. The A3D-1 Whales were equipped with twin remote controlled 20 millimeter cannon mounted in their tails. Electronic countermeasures “boat tails” replaced the guns in short order on most of the Whales. Others simply had the guns removed and the original production tail left in place.

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Image via US Navy

Record Cross-Country

On July 31st 1956, an A3D-1 Skywarrior flew nonstop and unrefueled from Hawaii to New Mexico (3200 miles) in just 5 hours and 40 minutes. In 1957 two A3D-1s launched from the aircraft carrier Bonne Homme Richard (CVA-19) and trapped aboard the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga (CVA-60). This flight is unremarkable except that Bonnie Dick was steaming in the Pacific Ocean and Super Sara was underway in the Atlantic Ocean at the time.

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Image via US Navy

For More Whale Tales Bang NEXT PAGE Below.

WATCH: Heroic World Airlines Pilots Flew Overloaded 727 on the Last Flight Out of Da Nang

Bill Walton
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WATCH: Heroic World Airlines Pilots Flew Overloaded 727 on the Last Flight Out of Da Nang

They Landed Without Clearance, Then Took Off From a Taxiway While Under Fire- But They Evacuated Hundreds.

This video, titled “Last Flight Out of Da Nang”, recounts the heroic efforts of World Airways to fly refugees out of the besieged South Vietnamese city of Da Nang and take them to comparatively safe Saigon. First aired on the CBS Evening News on March 30th 1975, the story is told through news broadcast footage, interviews with World Airways chairman Edward Daly, and pilots and airline officials involved in the effort. This is truly eye-opening stuff. Other broadcasts relating to World’s involvement in the rescue effort that aired on subsequent broadcasts are also included in the video.

[youtube id=”0pKdXEw4d_A” width=”800″ height=”454″ position=”left”]

Why World Airways?

World Airways became a key military contractor during the Vietnam War. For the majority of America’s involvement in Vietnam they flew troops and equipment back and forth between World’s base at Oakland International Airport and Southeast Asia. Flying a mix of Boeing 707, 727, and Douglas DC-8 aircraft, World would be thrust into a maelstrom of humanity and nearly lose several hundred lives while attempting to help refugee women and children get out of Da Nang.

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727 via Boeing

Against All the Rules and Most Odds

World and Daly were chartered by the United States Government to make 20 evacuation flights out of Da Nang. When the United States Embassy cancelled contract after only three flights, Daly took matters into his own hands. On March 29th 1975 Daly took two World Airways 727-100s into Da Nang without clearance or permission. One of the 727s was unable to land. The other 727 was carrying Daly. Forced to lift off from a taxiway when the runways were blocked by abandoned vehicles and humanity, the airliner was fired upon and sustained severe damage to the fuel tanks and flaps. The 727 had used its under-tail air stair to load the passengers. Daly was forced to stand his ground at the air stair so the aircraft would not be too overloaded to take off at all. As it was, 268 people were crammed into the cabin and another 60 or so jammed themselves into the cargo holds which had been left open on the ground.

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727 via Boeing

Masterful Indeed

In a masterful piece of flying, the World Airways pilots landed the overloaded aircraft, nearly out of fuel, with the damage to the wings and flaps causing controllability problems, main landing gear unable to retract due to human beings in the gear wells, and the aft air stair stuck in the open position, some 90 minutes after leaving Da Nang. The human side of this tragedy is that World and Daly had flown into Da Nang to rescue refugee women and children. Instead, aside from the five women and two or three children aboard, the flight carried nearly all South Vietnamese military personnel- about 300 of them.

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727 via Boeing

Continued Support for the South Vietnamese

World Airways and Daly flew a DC-8 freighter into Saigon a few days later and rescued 58 Vietnamese orphans. Dubbed “Operation Baby Lift” by President Ford, this flight was the impetus for the continuing effort to bring nearly 3,000 orphans to the United States. Footage of the aftermath of this flight (a much more joyous occasion) is included in the video as well.

Before “Hot Shots”, There was This Crazy Gag Comedy Made By Carrier Air Group 12 Sailors

Bill Walton
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Before “Hot Shots”, There was This Crazy Gag Comedy Made By Carrier Air Group 12 Sailors

Warning: You Are Likely to Lose All Track of Time Watching This Film!

Today’s look back at aviation history is a real knee slapper that would probably never get made in this day and age. The film, “Launch ‘Em”, was made by Carrier Air Group 12 while returning to the United States after their 1955-1956 Far East deployment aboard the carrier USS Hancock (CV-19). A gag film in the finest traditions of Naval Aviation, this one will make you laugh out loud even if you’re not familiar with the goings on aboard an aircraft carrier. It is said that the film was made scarce during the 1960s because it was “politically incorrect” (they had that back then?) but I think the viewing public these days is sophisticated enough to realize the flick is a comedy from beginning to end- entirely unlike some of our more recently highlighted films such as Ready on Arrival.

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AD-5 Skyraider of VA-125 Rough Raiders pictured on the flight deck of USS Hancock in 1955.

At the time of the making of this comedy film, Carrier Air Group 12 consisted of VF-121 Pacemakers flying Grumman F9F-8 Cougars, VF-124 Gunfighters flying Vought F7U-3 Cutlasses, VA-125 Rough Raiders flying Douglas AD-5 and AD-6 Skyraiders, VMJ-1 Detachment G flying McDonnell F2H-2P (photo) Banshees, VC-3 Blue Nemesis Detachment G flying McDonnell F2H-3 Banshees, VC-6 Firebees Detachment G flying North American AJ-2 Savages, VC-61 Eyes of the Fleet Detachment G flying Grumman F9F-6P (photo) Panthers, VC-35 Night Hecklers Detachment G flying Douglas AD-5N (night attack) Skyraiders, VC-11 Early Eleven Detachment G flying Douglas AD-5W (early warning) Skyraiders, and HU-1 Pacific Fleet Angels Detachment G flying Piasecki HUP helos.

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USS Hancock (CV-19) pictured during her 1955-1956 Far East deployment with Carrier Air Group 12 embarked.

VF-121 receives top billing in the film but it’s obvious many of the air group personnel and ship’s company were also involved in this celluloid caper. Thankfully the CAG wakes up from his exceedingly bad dream at the end of the film. Literally a laugh a minute, “Launch ‘Em” is the forefather of Fighter Fling, Rhino Ball, and other gag / cruise videos still being produced (and thoroughly enjoyed) today.

Thanks to Periscope Film for uploading a watchable copy of the film and to our Facebook followers for suggesting it.

[youtube id=”_KVqb94Vja8″ width=”800″ height=”454″ position=”left”]

Popular Wings Over the Golden Isles Airshow Draws Top Attendance Numbers

Charles Atkeison
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Popular Wings Over the Golden Isles Airshow Draws Top Attendance Numbers

Great weather and top military and civilian aerobatic performers drew better than expected crowds as coastal Georgia’s Wings Over the Golden Isles launched its inaugural airshow event during the three-day weekend.

Headline performers included the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels, the Air Force F-22 Raptor, and AeroShell Aerobatic Team to the Peach State’s first coastal airshow in two decades. Air show management estimated by Sunday afternoon 55,000 visitors attended during the entire weekend.

airshow3“JLC AirShow Management is very appreciative of the support from the local community and hopes to make this an annual event for the Golden Isles area,” JLC AirShow Management president John L. Cowman said on Sunday. Organizers did hint that Brunswick would love to have the airshow back again next Spring.

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“Local law enforcement, Fire officials, and the Brunswick-Golden Isles Airport were in place, and were tremendous and encouraging for a possible 2018 show,” Airshow spokesperson Brenda Little said at the close of Sunday’s final events. “We had expected 50,000 to attend, and so the extra 5% was a warm welcome for us and the entire airshow community.”

The airshow officially opened Friday night with the power of the F-22 and several civilian performers lighting up the darkening sky brief show. As night fell upon the airport, the patriotic music of Ladies for Liberty kicked-off a concert special headlined by the southern rock band .38 Special.

It wasn’t just the flying which attracted extra visitors to the Golden Isles air show. Saturday’s Parade of Veterans offered a unique tribute to those men and women who had served and are currently serving in the United States Armed Forces.

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Bob Braack’s Smoke-n-Thunder JetCar, Michael Goulian piloting his Extra 330SC; Scott Yoak and his Quicksilver P-51D; and Buck Roetman and his yellow Christen Eagle also performed over the Golden Isles airfield. Several aircraft on static display attracted crowds of photographers each day as the rarely seen Navy’s F-35C Lightning II, and Donald Trump’s own Trump One stood poised near the airport’s flight line.

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As April arrives, so will the 75th anniversary of the Doolitle Raiders flight to Tokyo. That mission occurred just four months following Pearl Harbor, and gave needed boost to the Allies fighting in the Pacific theater. On hand, a similar B-25 Mitchell Bomber performed during the show, and was later moved closer to the crowd for an upclose look at the historic aircraft.

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(Charles Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his live updates on social media via @Military_Flight.)

Mach Loop Never Ceases To Amaze…Watch Both The Pilot and Avgeek’s Viewpoints

Bill Walton
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Mach Loop Never Ceases To Amaze…Watch Both The Pilot and Avgeek’s Viewpoints

The Mach Loop is on the Short List of Best Places to Avgeek

In the United Kingdom, in west-central Wales, there are a series of valleys known as the Machynlleth Loop. Named for the town of Machynlleth (don’t ask me how to pronounce it) at the south end of the area, there’s not really all that much to see there unless you’re looking for picturesque green valleys, hills perfect for climbing about, and cold-water lakes that reflect the perfect blue of the skies above- when of course it isn’t cloudy.

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IMAGE VIA US AIR FORCE/DVIDS

An International Favorite

Through these sparsely-populated valleys, at high speed and often very low level, fly Royal Air Force (RAF) Boeing CH-47 Chinooks and AH-64 Apaches, Eurofighter Typhoons, Panavia Tornados, BAE Hawks, Short Tucanos, and yes, even Lockheed C-130J Hercules transports. The RAF plays host to a number of other countries who also use the Mach Loop for low-level flight training.

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By Chris Lofting [GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html) or GFDL 1.2 (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

US Air Force Represents

United States Air Force Bell-Boeing CV-22 Ospreys, Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, Lockheed MC-130H Combat Talon and MC-130J Commando II transports, McDonnell-Douglas (Boeing) F-15C Eagles and F-15E Strike Eagles, and more recently Lockheed-Martin F-22 Raptors also fly the Mach Loop.

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IMAGE via US Air Force/DVIDS

An Actual Tourist Destination

Some of the finest photographs of tactical aircraft flying at low level have been captured by photographers and videographers peppered among these hills and valleys. The area, also referred to as RAF Tactical Training Area 7T, is situated under Low Flying Area 7. It all adds up to a bucket-list destination for aviation enthusiasts and photographers from all over the world. Many times observers actually look down at the aircraft as they fly by, and when humidity levels are up in the valleys the aircraft produce vapor trails when pulling Gs as they maneuver. Everyone loves a vapor trail. The RAF even publishes a timetable for Mach Loop flight activity. Vacation packages are available!

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Image via David Tanner

Practice Makes for Practical Mission Success

Nap-of-the-earth (NOE) flight is a critical skill for pilots of tactical aircraft. Hedgehopping, terrain-masking, ground-hugging, whatever you call it- the whole idea with NOE is to avoid detection in high-threat environments during approach to the target. When flying down in the weeds it is also less likely that the sound of the aircraft will give it away. These tactics have been proven to work time and time again. One example is the terrain masking used by the helicopters carrying SEAL Team 6 into Pakistan during Operation Neptune Spear– the mission to eliminate Osama bin Laden in May of 2011.

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Image via US Air Force/DVIDS

Once Upon a Time at High Altitude

Back in the heady days of the late 1950s and early 1960s, before the advent of effective Soviet radar and surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), attacks were planned and aircraft designed and built for high-altitude penetration. When Francis Gary Powers’ U-2 was shot out of the sky over Sverdlovsk by a Soviet SAM on May 1st 1960, everything changed.

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image via Dafydd phillips

Changing Times Changed the Formula

There are many military operations areas (MOAs) in the United States, but none of them are as accessible to civilian photographers and videographers or in use as often as the Mach Loop.

Videos of various and sundry aircraft negotiating the Mach Loop shot from the ground are, while awesome in many ways, still just airplanes flying by. But a video shot from the cockpit of an aircraft in flight through the Welsh valleys is an entirely awesome way to experience the Mach Loop. Enjoy.

Pilot’s View:

[youtube id=”nAKD_eeM5kU” width=”800″ height=”454″ position=”left”]

And another Pilot’s View:

(of a different aircraft flying the same Mach Loop)

[youtube id=”kT7qrYi8R_M” width=”800″ height=”454″ position=”left”]

Avgeek’s Viewpoint

( of F-15s in the Mach Loop– Video by Elwyn R on YouTube)

[youtube id=”JultKcPcKjk” width=”800″ height=”454″ position=”left”]

Title Photo by Peng Chen.

Aeroshell Aerobatic Team highlights Wings Over the Golden Isles Airshow

Charles Atkeison
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Aeroshell Aerobatic Team highlights Wings Over the Golden Isles Airshow

The aircraft used to train the top allied pilots during World War II broke through the clouds of generations past over the weekend to perform high above the inaugural Wings Over the Golden Isles Air show.

The four AT-6 Texans of the AeroShell Aerobatic Team demonstrated maneuvers over the airfield of Brunswick-Golden Isles airport on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. As the first airshow on Georgia’s coast in 20 years, the Golden Isles event gave the public a first-class military and civilian aerobatic show.

These planes are not the supersonic aircraft of today, but they were what gave America and Britian the upperhand as World War II, and later Korea, made the need for new, untrained military pilots so important.

Upon take-off, the pilots of AeroShell — Mark Henley, Steve Gustafson, Jimmy Fordham, and Bryan Regan — quickly move into their signature diamond formation to set up for the first routine of their demonstration. It is during this time that friendly but informative chatter fills each pilot’s headset to ensure the team is ready.

As the six red and white single-prop aircraft drop down for a low pass over the runway, aircraft 2, 3, and 4 switch to “smoke-on”. The rising cheer and applause from the crowd of nearly 40,000 seem to help give the aircraft an extra lift as they begin to dart skyward.

“People don’t understand that these airplanes are all veterans of the military — they served their country and trained our pilots to fly,” Steve Gustafson explained as we spoke on the Brunswick flightline on Friday. “The instructor sat in the back seat and the student in the front. They had machine guns and rocketry and you taught them. They left their training in these aircraft and graduated up to the fighters, and then went straight into battle.”

As the smoke trails of the AeroShell planes laid three white verticle contrails in the blue sky, the crowd’s attention stayed focus on the rare sight of four Texans flying in tight formation. Then suddenly, they began to fly inverted and then come down to form a clean loop over the airfield.

“They’re called the pilot maker, and when you got out of these a pilot was ready to go,” Gustafson added. “And, to fly these aircraft takes a little more expertiese than any other aircraft to fly. It’s alot of fun.”

His admiration for the advance trainer continues at an all time high as he just surpassed over 5,000 hours of flight time in his AeroShell plane alone.

For his teammate, Bryan Regan, their job was one of a childhood dream.

“This is the kind of thing I dreamed of as a kid,” Regan said as we stood near his Texan minutes after landing. Regan discussed after earning his pilots license and performing at airshows during the 1990’s, AeroShell hired him in 2009 to replace the team’s founding member, Allen Henley. “It was a fit right from the start, and I have been with AeroShell ever since.”
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Regan is looking forward to a busy 2017 airshow season which will take the AeroShell team to several international show sites, including the southern and central United States. Pausing to look over at his aircraft, a modest grin of appreciation for his job grew.

“I’ve done so much work at training to fly the Texan, and I enjoy doing the work to get good at it,” Regan added. “I’m not going to say I’m the best, but I’m pretty good.”

(Charles A Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates on social media via @Military_Flight.)

WATCH: This is What Carrier Aviation Looked Like When The Beatles Ruled the Airwaves

Bill Walton
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WATCH: This is What Carrier Aviation Looked Like When The Beatles Ruled the Airwaves

Aboard the Indy with CVW-7 Sailing with the Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club

Here’s another gem from days gone by. This film, entitled ‘Ready on Arrival”, is a look at life aboard the aircraft carrier USS Independence (CVA-62) during her May 1965 through December 1965 Western Pacific (WestPac) deployment to the South China Sea off the coast of Vietnam. Shot at the opposite end of the Vietnam War from our recent find highlighting flight ops aboard the Midway during her 1972 WestPac, the film was sponsored by Grumman in cooperation with the Navy and narrated by the voice of 20th century educational films Alexander Scourby (when you hear it you’ll know). There is some footage spliced in from other sources and the narration is just a little bit tedious at times, but for good-quality footage of mid-60s, orange flight suit, American carrier aviation flight deck action, and life while deployed, it’s worth every minute. The film was uploaded to YouTube by AIRBOYD. Enjoy!

[youtube id=”_xZXcnWTDhw” width=”800″ height=”454″ position=”left”]

It Takes a Carrier Air Wing

Carrier Air Wing Seven (CVW-7) plays a large part in the film. The Indy and CVW-7 were on their first (and last until 1990) WestPac when the footage was shot. The film features the McDonnell Douglas F-4B Phantom IIs of VF-41 Black Aces (call sign Fast Eagle) and VF-84 Jolly Rogers (call sign Victory), the Grumman A-6A Intruders of VA-75 Sunday Punchers (call sign Flying Ace), and the Douglas A-4E Skyhawks of VA-72 Blue Hawks (call sign Decoy) and VA-86 Sidewinders (call sign Winder).

F 4B Phantoms of VF 84 in flight in 1964

The Rest of the Cast

Also aboard are the North American RA-5C Vigilantes of RVAH-1 Smokin’ Tigers (call sign Comanche Trail), the Grumman E-1B Tracers of VAW-12 Bats Detachment 62, the Douglas A-3B Skywarriors of VAH-4 Fourrunners Detachment 62 (call sign Holly Green), the Douglas EA-1F Skyraiders of VAW-13 Zappers Detachment 1 (call sign Robinson), the Douglas EA-3B Skywarriors of VQ-1 World Watchers Detachment 62 (call sign Deep Sea), the Douglas RA-3B Skywarriors of VAP-61 World Recorders (call sign Quiz Show), and the Kaman UH-2A Seasprites of HC-2 Fleet Angels Detachment 62.

USS Independence, American aircraft carrier.

Youthly Puresome Bagging Those Traps…

Flying with the Sidewinders during this WestPac was none other than Youthly Puresome himself, also known as CDR Jack D. Woodul UNSR (ret). This was Youthly’s first deployment flying A-4E Skyhawks with CVW-7. He recently recalled a particularly hairy mission he flew during this WestPac against the Cao Nung bridge in an exclusive interview he did with me for Avgeekery.com which can be enjoyed right here.

Aircraft preparing to launch from an aircraft carrier.

 

The Crusader: History Making Fighter Set Records Over 32 Years of Service

Bill Walton
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The Crusader: History Making Fighter Set Records Over 32 Years of Service

When You’re Out of F-8s, You’re Out of Fighters!

On 25 March 1955 test pilot John Konrad lifted off for the first time (and went supersonic) in the prototype Vought F8U Crusader. Over the next 32 years in United States service (and an additional 13 years with the French), the “Last of the Gunfighters” would set speed records, shoot down MiGs using guns and missiles in Vietnam, provide critical photographic proof of Soviet missiles in Cuba, take off, fly, and land in one piece with its wings folded (on more than one occasion), control drones, perform an aerial toilet paper wrap job on at least one pesky Russian trawler, and become an almost mythical aircraft universally loved by all who flew it.

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Lofty Goals

In September of 1952, the United States Navy Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) generated a requirement for a new single-seat, jet-propelled, carrier-based fighter. The new jet was to be capable of Mach 1.2 speeds at 30,000 feet, climb rates of 25,000 feet per minute, landing speeds below 100 miles per hour, and was to be armed with four 20 millimeter cannon.

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A Strong Start

BuAer ordered three Vought XF8U-1 prototypes in June of 1953. After the first prototype flew on the 25 March 1955, Vought’s development of the Crusader went so smoothly that the second prototype and the first production F8U-1 both flew on the same day- 30 September 1955. Carrier qualifications were conducted aboard the USS Forrestal (CVA-59) in April of 1956. Next the Crusader prototypes were evaluated by Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 3 (VX-3) at the Naval Air Weapons Station at China Lake in California.

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Unmatched Performance

On 21 August 1956 a prototype Crusader flown by Navy Commander Robert W. Windsor set a new level flight speed record of 1,015.428 miles per hour. On 6 June 1957, a VX-3 Crusader was launched from the carrier USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31) off the west coast. After a flight covering 2,200 miles the aircraft trapped aboard the USS Saratoga (CVA-60) off the east coast. Flight time was a record-breaking three hours and 28 minutes.

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Faster Than a Speeding Astronaut

Marine Corps Major John H. Glenn completed the first supersonic transcontinental flight while flying a photo-reconnaissance F8U-1P on 16 July 1957. Glenn’s record flight, dubbed Project Bullet, took him from Naval Air Station Los Alamitos in California to Floyd Bennett Field just south of Manhattan in New York City in only three hours, 23 minutes, and 8 seconds.

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The Crusader: History Making Fighter Set Records Over 32 Years of Service 38

The “teeth” of the Crusader were the four fuselage-mounted 20 millimeter cannon as per the BuAer requirement. A retractable tray mounting up to 32 unguided Mighty Mouse folding fin aerial rockets (FFARs) was located in the bottom of the fuselage of F8U-1s but was sealed on subsequent variants. Also eventually present were fuselage-mounted pylons capable of mounting two, and later four, AIM-9 Sidewinder heat-seeking air-to-air missiles. Later variants of the Crusader would add two wing-mounted weapons pylons.

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Things That Go Boom

Crusaders were powered by an afterburning Pratt & Whitney J57 turbojet engine. The afterburner had two speeds- off or on. The on setting gave the pilot full afterburner and off…well, you get the idea. Unlike later designs, there were no zones or graduated afterburner power settings. It was all or nothing- and often a barely controlled explosion of thrust (and unwarned bystanders hitting the deck) when the burner was lit off. But when lightly loaded, the Crusader possessed nearly a 1 to 1 thrust to weight ratio.

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Wings of Gold

A unique aspect of the Crusader design was its variable-incidence wing. The wing was basically hinged at the rear attachment point and the leading edge could be hydraulically raised up to 7 degrees. The raised leading edge increased the angle of attack for the wing without reducing forward visibility. The wing was also equipped with maneuvering slats and dog-tooth notches at the wing fold joints. Coupled with the all-moving horizontal tail surfaces, these design innovations enabled the Crusader to maneuver effectively over a wider range of speeds.

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Skyknight: The F3D Had a 6:1 Kill Ratio But It’s Remembered More For Its Nicknames

Bill Walton
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Skyknight: The F3D Had a 6:1 Kill Ratio But It’s Remembered More For Its Nicknames

Douglas Built This Versatile Airframe to Work and Work it Surely Did

On March 23rd 1948, Douglas test pilot Russell Thaw took off in the prototype XF3D-1 Skyknight for the first time. The first purpose-designed and built jet-powered night fighter, the Skyknight was successful in that role during the Korean War, achieving a 6:1 kill ratio over the North Korean opposition. The Skyknight would go on to a 20 year service life in several roles for the United States Navy and Marine Corps.

F3D 1 Skyknight of VC 3 in flight c1950
Image via US Navy

One Huge and Heavy “Fighter”

The Skyknight began as Douglas’ design to fill a 1945 Navy Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) requirement for a jet-powered and radar equipped, carrier-based night fighter. Ed Heinemann and his Douglas team designed the aircraft around the large air intercept radar systems in use at the time with side-by-side seating for the pilot and radar operator. The aircraft’s fuselage was wide and deep with twin underslung engines.

F3D 2 NACA 1953
Image via NACA/NASA

Built to Fulfill a Specific Mission

Douglas interpreted the BuAer requirement for the Skyknight literally. This would be no dogfighter. The Skyknight would function exactly as required by the Navy. With its straight wings and large control surfaces it would be both a stable gun and radar platform, providing radar performance unseen in any previous night fighter design. The somewhat portly jet was quickly dubbed “Willie the Whale.”

F3D 2 Skyknight of VC 33 in flight 1952
Image via US Navy

Building a Better Skyknight

After the first flight of the prototype, testing continued through 1948. The first production Skyknight flew on February 13th 1950. Jet engines being as evolutionary as they were at the time, the Skyknight saw several changes to its engines, resulting in incremental performance improvements, during its early development which begat two distinct variants: The F3D-1 and the F3D-2 with improved engines. The Westinghouse AN/APQ-35 was the fire control system in both F3D variants. It in turn consisted of three vacuum-tube technology main components- a search radar, a tracking radar, and a tail-warning radar.

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Image via US Navy

They Got Theirs at Night

The initial F3D-1 aircraft were used primarily to train F3D crews and did not see combat in the Korean War. In September of 1952, the Marines began flying 12 of the F3D-2s in Korea. Skyknights shot down a total of six enemy aircraft- the record for any naval aircraft type in the war. When the United States Air Force found they required night fighter escorts for their B-29 Superfortresses flying night bombing raids, the Marine Skyknights of VMF(N)-513 Flying Nightmares filled the role. When in early 1953 their numbers increased to 24 in-theater, the Marine F3D-2s were even more effective as B-29 escorts.

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Image via USMC

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Blue Angels, F-22 Raptor to headline Golden Isles Airshow this weekend

Charles Atkeison
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Blue Angels, F-22 Raptor to headline Golden Isles Airshow this weekend

Coastal Georgia’s first air show in twenty years is poised for take-off over Brunswick this weekend as the Wings Over the Golden Isles hosts the Navy’s Blue Angels, F-22 Raptor, and many more military and civilian aircraft.

The two-day event actually begins with a twilight air show Friday evening featuring the F-22, civilian aircraft, and followed by a concert lineup headlined by the southern rock band .38 Special.

This air show’s star-studded lineup includes the Navy’s own flight demonstration team the Blue Angels, who is expected to draw in an estimated 70,000 attendees. The Blue’s six blue and yellow F/A-18C Hornets will take-off at around 3:00 p.m. each day to begin their flight demonstrations.

The Delta Team will split into a Diamond and two solos minutes later as they perform nearly 30 maneuvers demonstrating the handling characteristics of the Navy’s Hornet aircraft. Stay alert for the solos’ famous sneak pass from behind the crowd.

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The Air Force F-22 Raptor will perform over the Golden Isles as the popular 21st century stealth jet demonstrates many of its military maneuvers at low altitudes. Raptor pilot Major Dan “Rock” Dickinson will put the F-22 through many gravity defying air strike maneuvers, and will later soar wingtip to wingtip with a P-51 Mustang during the hugely popular Heritage Flight.

Golden Isles to welcome top civilian performers

Many top aerobatic performers immediately signed on for this inaugural Golden Isles airshow including pilots Mike Wiskus, Michael Goulian piloting his Extra 330SC; Scott Yoak and his Quicksilver P-51D; and Buck Roetman and his yellow Christen Eagle. On the ground, Bill Braack and his Smoke-n-Thunder Jet Car will scream down the airport’s runway powered by 7,500 pounds of thrust as it races a low flying aircraft.

“All of the Smoke-n-Thunder JetCar Team is excited to be performing at the inaugural Wings Over the Golden Isle Airshow,” exclaimed Bill as we stood near his popular jet car on Monday. “JLC Airshow Management has put together a first class airshow for the Brunswick community and we look forward to performing for the tens of thousands of airshow fans that will be turning out to see the show.”

Speaking with Bill Braack, you can feel his energy as the longtime air show veteran spoke about his performances, “Driving a car that is powered by a 12,000 horsepower turbine engine is the ultimate rush. When I light the afterburner I experience more G’s than an F-18 launching off of an aircraft carrier. It is the ultimate E-ticket ride.”

The jet car pilot then turned toward the flight line with a grin and said, “I can’t wait to race Buck in his high performance Pitts aircraft at this inaugural Golden Isles airshow.”

Originally constructed in 1942 by the U.S. Navy as a base for military blimps, NAS Glynco became Glynco Airport in 1975, and later Brunswick Golden Isles Airport in 2003. Today, the airport features a newly improved 8,000-foot, grooved asphalt runway used by both private, commercial, and military aircraft.

The historic flight of a squadron of World War II aircraft will come to life as Aeroshell Aerobatic Team performs each afternoon over the Brunswick airfield. The six pilots who make up this exciting demonstration team will put their AT-6 Texan through several close formation aerobatics.

“The AeroShell Aerobatic Team flies a routine similar to the modern jet teams, but we do it in World War II propeller driven advance trainers,” lead pilot of Aeroshell Mark Henley said on Monday. “We fly the North American Aviation AT-6 which was built during WWII.”

“Our airplanes are completely stock other than radio equipment and non military paint,” Henley continued as we walked past their six red and white aircraft, each sporting a checker board nose. “Most people watching our performance will notice that we keep it up close. The AT-6 will attain speeds up to 250 mph and it is nimble enough to keep the maneuvers in front of the crowd.”

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Top static aircraft and a Kidz Zone

On the ground, the Navy’s F-35C Lightning II is the fifth generation strike fighter will be on display during the air show. This F-35 is a carrier variant designed for take-off and landing from an aircraft carrier. It’s for that reason the C model has a larger wingspan and can carry more fuel than the Air Force’s A Model or the Marines B model. To witness an F-35 up close is a rare treat for the public.

Other popular static displays include the Air Force’s C-17 Globemaster will be poised among the many popular aircraft on static display. A C-130 Hercules, T-38 Talon, and an F/A-18 Hornet are only a few which will be on hand to offer guests an up close view.

The popular Kid Zone near the static aircraft will allow children a fun way to pass the time during the aerobatic performances. Aircraft themed air slides, jump houses and more will be available all day during both days, air show management confirmed on Friday.

Tickets for the airshow and parking remain available online at WingsOverGoldenIsles.com, and will be sold at the gate on Saturday and Sunday beginning at 8:00 a.m. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. on Friday evening, and 9:00 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.

(Charles A Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates on social media via @Military_Flight.)

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