Carrier Airborne Early Warning squadron ONE TWO FOUR (VAW-124) Bear Aces deployed with the rest of Carrier Air Wing EIGHT (CVW-8) aboard the Nimitz-class carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) between 21 January 2017 and 21 August 2017. The Bear Aces put together a cruise video from footage shot during their 2017 deployment. It’s a great look at not only the VAW community but carrier aviation in general. The images are crisp and super-sharp. Great slow-motion effects too. The video was uploaded to YouTube by A.J. N. Enjoy!
VAW-124 was originally named the Bullseye Hummers. The squadron, equipped with Grumman E-2 Hawkeyes of one variant or another since their establishment in 1967, picked up the nickname Bear Aces when VAW-124 deployed to Naval Air Station (NAS) Keflavik in Iceland for Christmas 1980. Oh joy! But the Bullseye Hummers ran so many intercepts of Soviet Tu-95 Bear bombers while enjoying the Holidays at Kef that the Bear Aces moniker just stuck to them. That’s the way to get a call sign! The Bear Aces are shore based at NAS Norfolk when not deployed.
VAW-124 Hawkeye. Image via USN
During their deployment aboard the Bush in 2017, CVW-8 consisted of VFA-37 Bulls flying what might be their last deployment in McDonnell Douglas (Boeing) F/A-18C Hornets, VFA-31 Tomcatters and VFA-87 Golden Warriors flying the single seat Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet, VFA-213 Fighting Blacklions flying the Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet, VAW-124 Bear Aces flying the Grumman E-2C Hawkeye, VAQ-131 Lancers flying the Boeing EA-18G Growler, HSC-9 Tridents flying the Sikorsky MH-60S Seahawk, HSM-70 Spartans flying the Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk, and VRC-40 Rawhides Detachment 2 flying the Grumman C-2A Greyhound COD.
C-17A Globemaster III AF serial number 04-4135 (CN F142/P135) is assigned to the 97th Air Mobility Wing (AMW) and based at Altus Air Force Base (AFB) in Oklahoma. The 97th AMW is part of the 19th Air Force of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). 04-4135 was first flown on 29 April 2005 and was delivered to the US Air Force in May of 2005. The jet was previously assigned to the 6th Airlift Squadron/305th AMW/514th AMW and based at McGuire AFB in New Jersey and the 16th AS/437th AMW/315th AMW out of Charleston AFB in South Carolina. This footage of this workhorse airlifter performing for the Oshkosh crowd was uploaded to YouTube by our good friends at AirshowStuffVideos.
The Boeing C-17A Globemaster III was actually developed primarily from the McDonnell Douglas YC-15 prototype. When Boeing and McDonnell Douglas merged in 1997, Boeing bought into the YC-15. However, some design elements from Boeing’s own forward-thinking airlifter prototype, the YC-14, were incorporated into the C-17A. The Globemaster III pays homage to two previous Douglas airlifter designs, the C-74 Globemaster and the C-124 Globemaster II. C-17As perform primarily tactical and some strategic airlift missions. C-17As transport troops and trash the world over.
C-17A. Image via USAF
The airlifter has picked up some notable nicknames, Buddha, Mighty Mouse, Moose, and Barney among them. When required, C-17As are capable of performing medical evacuation and air dropping missions. The C-17A was designed and built to replace the Lockheed C-141 Starlifter transport and to lighten the load on the ultimate USAF hauler- the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy strategic airlifter. The C-17A is also operated by Australia, Canada, Qatar, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, India, Kuwait, and the NATO Heavy Airlift Wing. Production of C-17As ceased on 29 November 2015.
EAA AirVenture 2018 is but a fond memory, but the impressive aerial sights and sounds from the Fly-In are still available to us. The B-29 Doc and the B-17 Yankee Lady participated in the daily warbird show on Friday July 27th. Our friends at AirshowStuff were there and captured this awesome footage of the two heavy bombers as they thundered over Wisconsin. The clip was uploaded to You Tube by AirshowStuffVideos. Enjoy!
The B-29 in the clip is Doc, a Boeing Wichita-built B-29A-70-BW (CN 10804, AF serial number 44-69972). Doc served briefly during World War II and was retained after the war as one of a group of seven radar calibration-tasked B-29s named after the Dwarves from the Disney movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. The B-29 towed aerial targets for a time during 1955. In March of 1956 Doc was flown to the Naval Air Weapons Station at China Lake in California and, along with about 100 other veteran B-29s, was deposited on one of the complex’s many bombing and gunnery ranges for use as a target. There she sat for the next 42 years until she was recently restored.
B-17G Yankee Lady. Image via AirshowStuff
The B-17 in the clip is Yankee Lady, a Lockheed-Vega-built B-17G-110-VE (CN 8738-VE, AF serial number 44-85829). This B-17G was accepted by the Army Air Force on 16 July 1945. The bomber spent time at Love Field in Dallas, South Plains in Texas, and Rome Air Force Base (AFB) in New York before being transferred to the US Coast Guard and converted to the PB-1G air-sea rescue configuration at NAS Johnsville in Pennsylvania. The USCG based her in San Francisco before putting her up for disposal in 1959. Bought for the princely sum of $5,887.93 in 1959, the aircraft did aerial survey and photography work until becoming a sprayer in 1965. Between 1966 and 1986 the B-17 was aerial firefighting tanker 34, though she took time off to star in the movie Tora Tora Tora during 1969. Between 1986 and 1995 the B-17 went through an extensive restoration, emerging as the Yankee Lady. Lockheed-Vega built 2,750 B-17 bombers during the war.
PENSACOLA, Fla. — The U.S. Navy Blue Angels announced the selection of new pilots and support officers on Thursday poised to join the elite flight demonstration squadron for the 2019 air show season.
The announcement occured as the Blue Angels prepared for their performances this week at the Boeing Seafair Air show near Seattle.
Three new F/A-18 Hornet pilots along with several new support officers and enlisted men and women will begin a two to three year tour with the Blue Angels. Nearly 130 sailors and Marines embody a select discipline and character to be selected to join the Navy’s flight demonstration squadron.
LT James Haley (left) pilots the F/A 18E Super Hornet from USS Abraham Lincoln in April. (USN)
Led by Commander Eric C. Doyle in Angel 1, the 2019 Blue Angels diamond pilots will include returning left wing Major Jeff Mullins, LCDR Brandon Hempler who will move up as lead solo pilot, current narrator LT Andre Webb who will graduate up to opposing solo, and new pilots LT James Cox, LT James Haley, and LT Cary Rickoff. Of the three new pilots, two will be selected for the diamond and one will become the new advance pilot/narrator.
LT Cox, from Chesapeake, Virginia, is serving with Strike Fighter Weapons School Atlantic at NAS Oceana, Virginia.
LT Haley, a native of Canadian, Texas, has served as an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet pilot with the Gladiators of Strike Fighter Squadron ONE ZERO SIX (VFA-106). Prior to that he served with VFA-32 as a pilot aboard the USS Harry S Truman (CVN-75).
LT Rickoff of Atlanta is currently serving with the “Golden Eagles” of Training Squadron TWO TWO (VT-22) at NAS Kingsville, Texas — a strike training squadron.
“It was an impressive slate of applicants this year,” CDR Eric Doyle said on Thursday. “Every officer that applied represented the high caliber of personnel serving in our Navy and Marine Corps. It was a hard decision, but one that will ultimately lead to an amazing 2019 show season.”
The three Marine Corps pilots of the Blues hulking C-130 transport aircraft nicknamed Fat Albert will remain on for 2019. Bert will fly with returning Marine Corps pilots Major Mark Montgomery, Major Kyle Maschner, and Captain Beau Mabery.
“Navy and Marine Corps pilot finalists are selected mid-season and interviewed at the Blue Angels’ squadron in Pensacola,” a Blue Angels spokesperson stated. “The new demonstration pilots and support officers are selected by unanimous vote.” According to recent pilots who have served with the Blues, when a pilot finalist is going through the selection process, every current pilot must approve them or they do not make it.
The Blue Angels will welcome a new Executive Officer as current XO Commander Matt Kaslik departs this November and Commander William Schomer takes over for the next two years. CDR Schomer is returning to the Blue Angels where he worked in airframes and paint shop between 1994-97 as an enlisted member. Those three years inspired Schomer to earn his wings of gold in 1998.
LT Aaron Hicks, shown in 2017, will join the Blue Angels as the team’s new flight surgeon. (USN)
The Blues also selected a new medical doctor to the team to replace outgoing flight surgeon LCDR Juan Guerra. Incoming “Doc” LT Aaron B. Hicks will be poised on the flight line during practices and air shows to provide routine check ups. He has been serving aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) as a member of Carrier Wing ONE SEVEN (CVW-17).
LT CDR Adam Kerrick was selected as the new events coordinator, and LTJG Kristin Toland will become the squadron’s new supply officer.
New officers were selected by the Blue Angels and will support the team for two years. (USN)
The newly selected pilots and support personnel will arrive in mid-September to the squadron’s home at Pensacola Naval Air Station to begin training. They will also travel with the current Blue Angels to air show sites to gain a great experience for life around the show site.
The Blue Angels will depart Pensacola the first week of January for their winter home at NAF El Centro in southern California for six weeks of intense flight and tactical training prior to their first air show of the 2019 show season.
For the pilots, they will perform three to four flight practices each day as they work on the timing and graceful style of each maneuver. Meanwhile, on the ground, the new narrator will learn the lines which will detail each flight maneuver, and later practice the timing of when he delivers each line.
The Blue Angels have performed for over 505 million fans since their first public air show in May 1946. The 2019 season schedule will begin at El Centro on March 16 and conclude 30 show sites later at their home base in Pensacola for the popular Homecoming Airshow in November.
(Charles A. Atkeison reports on aerospace and science. Follow his updates on social media via @Military_Flight.)
Lockheed Pulled Out All the Stops on the Way to Making the C-5 Galaxy a Reality
When Lockheed first flew the C-5A Galaxy strategic airlifter on 30 June 1968, the company had already overcome a myriad of engineering challenges to build the jet.
The film “C-5 Galaxy–World’s Largest Aircraft” was made to tell the story of how Lockheed designed, engineered, and built what was indeed (at the time) the world’s largest aircraft. FRED fans will appreciate this flashback to the time when excitement about the C-5A was at a fever pitch. The 1969 film was uploaded to YouTube by Classic Airliners & Vintage Pop Culture.
The C-5A was the world’s largest aircraft when this film was made. In the 1980s, the Antonov Design Bureau introduced the Antonov An-124 Ruslan, which narrowly surpassed the Galaxy in size. Then, in 1988, Antonov launched the even larger An-225 Mriya airlifter, finally eclipsing the C-5 with two massive airlifters that clearly borrowed heavily from the Galaxy’s design. (Editor’s Note: The An-225 Mriya was destroyed in 2022 during the first weeks of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.)
In terms of wingspan actually flown, nothing has beaten the Hughes H-4 Hercules – better known as the Spruce Goose – with its 320-foot wings. The Scaled Composites Stratolaunch carrier aircraft has longer wings at 385 feet but hasn’t flown. Yet.
C-5As. US Air Force photograph
Longevity and Flexibility: The C-5 Galaxy
The C-5A Galaxy first entered US Air Force service with the 437th Airlift Wing at Charleston Air Force Base (AFB) in South Carolina in June of 1970. The C-5As were replacing Douglas C-133 Cargomaster airlifters.
Today, Air Force, Air Force Reserve, and Air National Guard squadrons operate C-5 strategic airlifters from Dover AFB in Delaware, Travis AFB in California, Kelly/Lackland AFB in Texas, and Westover Air Reserve Base in Massachusetts. Upgrade programs have enabled the remaining C-5 Galaxy fleet to serve well in the 2040s- when the basic design will be more than 70 years old.
C-5B. US Air Force photograph
BONUS VIDEO
Enjoy this great color footage of the C-5A undergoing tests back in the day. It was uploaded to YouTube by PeriscopeFilm.
On Tuesday 31 July at approximately 1600 local time, an Aeromexico Airlines Embraer ERJ-190AR jetliner, XA-GAL (SN 190-173) and flying as flight AM2431, crashed while taking off from runway 03 at General Guadalupe Victoria International Airport in the northwest Mexican state of Durango. The flight was bound for Mexico City, roughly 550 miles southeast of Durango, with 99 passengers and four crew members on board. Reports coming from the crash site indicate 85 of the 103 souls on board were injured, two of them critically, but relatively few and minor burns and no deaths have been reported.
By redlegsfan21 from Vandalia, OH, United States (XA-ACC) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsThe airport was closed after the accident occurred. Aeromeico commented, “Our first priority is to ensure the security of our passengers and crew on board this aircraft. We deeply regret this accident and the families of all those affected are in our thoughts. We’re focused on dealing with the situation and are doing everything necessary to assist the families of our passengers and crew during this difficult time.” An investigation into the crash is ongoing.
By Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia (Aeroméxico Connect, XA-DAC, Embraer ERJ-190LR) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsA Durango Civil Protection spokesperson indicated that 49 of those onboard the plane have been sent to local hospitals. Some survivors were able to walk away from the crash to a nearby road; some made it back to the airport terminal. The jetliner came to rest just less than 400 yards from the end of runway 03. The aircraft attempted takeoff during a heavy thunderstorm with hail when what has been described as a probable microburst forced the jet to descend. The pilot, Captain Carlos Meyran, is being hailed as a hero because he avoided a total breakup of the aircraft when it contacted the ground in a nose down attitude. Meyran may have been the most seriously injured aboard the jetliner but his injuries are reportedly not life-threatening. The ERJ-190AR was delivered to Republic Airlines in 2008. Since 2014 the aircraft has flown with Aeromexico.
As usual, the USAF F-16C Viper Demonstration Team put on one impressive aerial display after another this airshow season. They were at their very best during EAA AirVenture 2018 at Oshkosh this year. One particular video of an early-week demo flight has been breaking the internet. The clip was shot using a cockpit cam mounted on a free-swiveling universal that turns what are usually awesome perspectives into unforgettable, how-did-they-do-that, so-that’s-what-it’s-like views of a high-G Viper Demo flight! We scoured the interweb and found them (because that’s what we do), so here they are. These full HD clips were uploaded to YouTube by Josh M. The first one is the full clip from which the shorter teases have been pulled and includes a Heritage Flight pass. Check that virtual G meter! Enjoy!
Viper Demo Team pilot Major John “Rain” Waters. Image via US Air Force
This second clip is a longer cockpit cam video with selectable viewpoint shot during a different demo flight (also including a Heritage Flight pass) by the same Viper Team demonstration pilot- Major John “Rain” Waters. Nice vapes!
The Air Combat Command (ACC) F-16 Viper Demonstration Team is based at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina. The Team exists to perform precision aerial maneuvers, thereby demonstrating the unique capabilities of one of the Air Force’s premier multi-role fighters, the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon. The team also works with the Air Force Heritage flight, thereby exhibiting the professional qualities the Air Force develops in the people who fly, maintain and support these aircraft. Airshow crowd pleasers for many years- the F-16 Viper Demonstration Team.
EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh has always been a showcase for military aircraft. In recent years there have been more aerial demonstrations by military aircraft than in days gone by and that’s generally considered to be a good thing. Whether bombers, tankers, fighters, or airlifters, the crowd loves to see the military iron thunder past. This video, uploaded to YouTube by Nigel Woolley, is a smorgasbord of military might. Turn those speakers up to 11 because the sound in this clip is awesome. There are two more videos ready to sneak pass you below the text. Enjoy!
The sights and sounds begin with US Air Force Lockheed F-35A Lighting II from the 62nd Fighter Squadron (FS) out of Luke Air Force Base (AFB) in Arizona. Then a C-17 Globemaster III airlifter from the 97th Air Mobility Wing (AMW), Air Education and Training Command (AETC) at Altus AFB in Oklahoma demonstrates what short field landing really means. Then a couple of Carrier Air Wing THREE (CVW-3) US Navy Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets from VFA-32 Fighting Swordsmen out of Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana in Virginia sneak in. They’re followed by a Boeing EA-18G Growler with VX-9 Vampires out of Naval Air Weapons Station (NASW) China Lake joins them in the military aircraft parking area.
EA-18G. Image via US Navy
After that we see a colorful tanker-configured F/A-18F Super Hornet from VX-23 Salty Dogs out of NAS Patuxent River in Virginia take off. Then a Lockheed Martin C-5M Super Galaxy from the 60th Air Mobility Wing out of Travis AFB in California mikes its presence felt. A piercing takeoff by a General Dynamics F-16C Viper with the Viper Demo team from Shaw AFB is seen and felt by the crowd. We then see a Rockwell B-1B Lancer with the 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron Thunderbirds put on an evening burner clinic.
107th FS A-10. Image via US Air Force
A Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II with the 107th FS Red Devils from the 127th Wing of the Michigan Air National Guard (ANG) shows off its special D-Day commemorative paint job. After that a McDonnell Douglas KC-10A Extender tanker from the 32nd Air Refueling Squadron (ARS) out of McGuire AFB in New Jersey shows off its versatility. Next up is a Lockheed HC-130P/N Combat King variant of the Hercules fitted for long range search and Rescue (SAR). Lastly we see a Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor with the 895th FS Boneheads out of Tyndall AFB in Florida.
BONUS F-22 Raptor thunders over Oshkosh. Turn. It. Up!
DOUBLE BONUS F-15C Eagles from the from the 122nd FS of the 159th Fighter Wing (FW) Bayou Militia out of Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base (NASJRB) New Orleans thunder over Oshkosh. Uploaded to YouTube by our good friends at AirshowStuffVideos.
The Gamble Certainly Paid Off for the Premiere Jumbo Jet Builder
Boeing commissioned the film “The New Era: Flight Testing the 747 Superjet” for the company’s program management to document what was likely the company’s biggest gamble ever- the design, development, and manufacture of the Boeing 747. The sense of urgency associated with getting the first 5 examples of the 747 tested and delivered is palpable in the film. The footage is in great shape and it looks about as good as film transferred from that era can look. After you watch the film you will almost certainly know things about the 747 test effort you didn’t know before. The film was uploaded to YouTube by PeriscopeFilm.
When the 747 was conceived the airline travel industry was in turmoil. In 1964 Boeing had competed for the CX-Heavy Logistics System (CX-HLS) which was eventually won by Lockheed’s C-5A Galaxy. But the design and development effort invested in their CX-HLS entry pushed Boeing to create a new jumbo jetliner powered by the same engines as the company’s CX-HLS design. Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) president Juan Trippe had some influence because he had gone to Boeing and requested an airliner with double the everything of a 707. During the design and development of the 747, supersonic transports were still thought to be the airline travel solution of the future.
Image via Boeing
Convertible Out of the Gate
The 747 was designed from the outset to be a convertible. That is, to be configurable as a passenger jet or as a cargo hauler. Seating arrangements evolved from a full-length double-deck fuselage (seven-across seating above eight-across seating below) to the wider single deck. But the cockpit stayed up on what would have been the upper deck in order to facilitate a nose-mounted cargo door. Boeing looked at placing the cockpit below the main deck to clear the cargo door but the idea didn’t get out of the design stage. That aircraft would have looked more like the Airbus Beluga.
Image via Boeing
New-Tech Thrust Generators
One of the many new technologies in the 747 was those Pratt & Whitney JT9D high-bypass turbofan engines. These power plants were designed and built specifically for the 747. General Electric was working on the CF6 high-bypass turbofan engines for the C-5A Galaxy at the time. The high bypass turbofan concept was aimed at delivering double the power of a turbojet engine while consuming a third less fuel. By the time late 1966 rolled around, Boeing, Pratt & Whitney, and Pan Am had agreed to co-develop the JT9D– meaning Pan Am would be able to influence the design of the aircraft to a degree never seen before or since.
Safety Built-In From the Get-Go
Safety concerns, understandably a hot topic with what was to be the world’s largest airliner for years to come, were addressed in multiple ways. The designers built in structural redundancy, redundant hydraulic systems, quadruple main landing gear and dual control surfaces. In order to be able to operate the 747 from existing airports, the designers near-full length leading edge slats and a fairly complex three-part slotted trailing edge flaps. Those flaps would increase wing area by 21 percent and lift by 90 percent when fully extended.
Image via Boeing
A New Kind of Factory for a New Kind of Airliner
Another aspect of the design and development of the 747 was a facility in which to build them (or the lack thereof). Boeing had to build a new plant to house the 747’s manufacturing and assembly efforts. The company chose a site in Everett, Washington for the 747 plant. Building the plant turned out to be nearly as big a challenge as building the 747. The full-scale mockup of the 747 was built inside the new factory- before the roof was complete above it. In 1968 the 747 assembly plant was the largest building by volume ever built on the planet. Expanded several times over the years, it still is.
Rolling Out 747 #1
The first 747 was rolled out of the Everett assembly building on 30 September 1968. The press and representatives from the 26 pre-ordering airlines were there to greet it, along with justifiably proud Boeing employees who had delivered the jetliner. The 747, named City of Everett, first flew on 9 February 1969 and was unveiled to the public at the Paris Air Show in 1969. The film is about the test and evaluation effort that followed. The 747 received its airworthiness certificate in December of 1969. Boeing went on to build more than 1,500 Superjets. Their $1 billion-plus gamble paid off big time.
BONUS VIDEO
Enjoy “The Outer Limits” by Boeing, made to commemorate the rollout and initial flight testing of the 747. This film was also uploaded to YouTube by PeriscopeFilm.
Aircraft used to fight fire from the air have included old World War II bombers like the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, North American B-25 Mitchell, Douglas A-26 Invader, and others. Consolidated PBY Catalinas and the few huge Martin Mars flying boats have been pressed into service as tankers. Former Navy patrol aircraft like the Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer, Lockheed P-2 Neptune and P-3 Orion have been on the front lines. Airlifters like the Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar, the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, and old Douglas propliners like the DC-4, DC-6, and DC-7 have also been used as retardant delivery platforms. Veteran Grumman S-2 Trackers, some of them updated with turbine engines, have been or are in use. Even Grumman F7F Tigercats and TBF/TBM Avengers have gotten in on the action- among many more.
Douglas DC-7B in service as Tanker 66. Image via Erickson Air Tankers
Airliners like the Boeing 747, Douglas DC-10, and Bae 146 are working the wildfires. One of the newer aerial tanker solutions is the Erickson Aero Tanker MD-87. The company already owns seven aircraft with five of them converted for tanker duty (tankers 101, 102, 103, 105, and 107) and hopes to build a fleet of ten tanker-configured MD-87s. Standard retardant capacity for the MD-87 tanker is 4,000 gallons. That’s a far cry from the 19,000-plus gallon capacity of the 747 Global Super Tanker, but the MD-87 is much less expensive to operate and can utilize more austere fields with shorter runways.
Tanker 103 with gear down. Image via Erickson Air Tankers
The MD-87 tanker’s capacity is 1,920 gallons more than the capacity of the Lockheed P-2 Neptune tankers and 1,000 gallons more than Bae-146 tankers. Because the MD-87’s tail-mounted twin Pratt & Whitney JT8D engines could be affected by retardant released from the standard opening in the belly of the aircraft, Erickson has added an external ventral tank which creates an additional four feet of separation between the released retardant flow and the engines.
Tanker 103. Image via Erickson Air Tankers
Tanker drops with the gear down
One interesting aspect of the MD-87 tanker is under certain conditions, the aircraft is flown with the landing gear down during the retardant drop. This reduces airspeed while allowing higher engine RPMs, reducing lag on post-drop climb out- similar to a speed break. This is not unique to the MD-87 tankers though. Douglas DC-7s and some other large tanker-modified aircraft have done the same thing for many years. Occasionally only the main gear are extended with nose gear stowed. When pulling off or up after a retardant drop the pilots of these aircraft simply want as much performance available to them as possible. Here’s a video of a MD-87 dropping retardant uploaded to YouTube by wcolby.
The Ship Was Heavily Damaged and Air Wing 17 Was Decimated
July 29th 1967 dawned like many others aboard the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal (CVA-59) on Yankee Station in the northern Gulf of Tonkin. The carrier had begun her first Western Pacific (WestPac) deployment on June 6th after having deployed to the North Atlantic or the Mediterranean seven times- usually with Carrier Air Wing EIGHT (CVW-8) embarked. CVW-17 was embarked aboard Forrestal that fateful July day. The film “Trial By Fire- A Carrier Fights For Life” was made to expose some of the mistakes made by the crew as a training tool using footage shot largely by pilot’s landing air television (PLAT) cameras. The film was uploaded to YouTube by PeriscopeFilm.
The fire began when a Mark 32 five inch Zuni unguided folding fin aerial rocket (FFAR) was accidentally fired from a LAU-10 four shot rocket pod due to an electrical power surge during the switch from external to internal power. The LAU-10 was mounted to a pylon under the wing of VF-11 Red Rippers F-4B Phantom II side number 110. The Zuni punched a hole in a full drop tank hung on A-4E Skyhawk side number 405 from VA-46 Clansmen. The Zuni rocket motor ignited the spilled fuel. From there the combination of burning fuel on deck and live ordnance hanging on fully fueled jet aircraft fed a nightmarish fire punctuated by bombs cooking off.
US Navy photograph
20/20 Hindsight
Over the years since this tragedy much has been made of the type and age of the bombs hung from the Forrestal’s strike package that day. The ship was supposed to receive recently manufactured 1,000 pound bombs but received 1950’s-vintage ordnance instead. The bombs were in bad condition and were believed to be potentially unstable if handled improperly. When the Zuni hit 405 two of the old bombs were dislodged and fell into the burning jet fuel. The first bomb cooked off less than two minutes later. Training (or the lack thereof) was also an issue. The Forrestal had been on Yankee Station just four days before the fire erupted on her flight deck aft. By the time the fire was finally extinguished nearly 14 hours later, 132 crewmen were dead, two were missing, and 162 were injured.
US Navy photograph
CVW-17 Aboard the Forrestal
CVW-17 at the time of the fire consisted of VF-11 Red Rippers and VF-74 Bedevilers flying the McDonnell Douglas F-4B Phantom II, VA-46 Clansmen and VA-106 Gladiators flying the Douglas A-4E Skyhawk, VA-65 Tigers flying the Grumman A-6A Intruder, RVAH-11 Checkertails flying the North American RA-5C Vigilante, VAW-123 Screwtops flying the Grumman E-2A Hawkeye, VAH-10 Vikings Detachment 59 flying the Douglas KA-3B Skywarrior, VAP-61 World Recorders Detachment 59 flying the RA-3B variant of the Skywarrior, and HC-2 Fleet Angels Detachment 59 flying the Kaman UH-2A Seasprite helicopter.
US Navy photograph
Heavy Losses and a Year on the Sidelines
26 of CVW-17’s aircraft were destroyed or jettisoned, among them A-4E Bureau Numbers (BuNos) 149996, 150064, 150068, 150084, 150115, 150118, 150129, 152018, 152024, 152036, and 152040; F-4B BuNos 153046, 153054, 153060, 153061, 153066, 150069, and 150912; and RA-5C BuNos 148932, 149284, and 149305. As many as 40 additional CVW-17 aircraft were damaged. Forrestal put into Naval Air Station Cubi Point in the Philippines to make initial repairs and returned to the United State where the heavy damage to the carrier was repaired over 204 days in Norfolk. Forrestal made 14 more deployments (none to WestPac) before being retired in 1993.
Forrestal with what is left of CVW-17 on her patched deck. US Navy photograph
Bonus: Print Two of Trial By Fire
This version of the film was also uploaded to YouTube by PeriscopeFilm. There r enough subtle differences to make this version worth a look.
Crashed. Destroyed. But Never Out of the Running to Become Legendary
Boeing’s Model 299 was designed and built at the company’s expense to meet the specifications contained in a 1934 US Army Air Corps (USAAC) proposal for a multi-engine bomber to replace Martin’s B-10. The design was to be able to carry what the Air Corps referred to as a useful bomb load to an altitude of 10,000 feet for ten hours duration. The Air Corps also specified a top speed of no less than 200 miles per hour. The USAAC wanted the aircraft to be able to operate from such far-flung places as Alaska, Hawaii, and Panama.
Model 299. Image courtesy Boeing
A Hybrid Drawing
Boeing design engineers were led by E. Gifford Emery and Edward C. Wells. The design team drew what has been described as a cross between Boeing’s previous XB-15 four engine bomber prototype and the Model 247 commercial airliner. Armed with five .30 caliber machine guns and capable of lugging a 4,800 pound payload, the Model 299 was powered by four Pratt & Whitney R-1690 750 horsepower Hornet radial engines.
Model 299. US Air Force photograph
First Flight and a Legendary Moniker
The Model 299 first flew on July 28th 1935 under the controls of Boeing chief test pilot Leslie Tower. When the press got a look at the aircraft after the first flight it was dubbed “Flying Fortress.” The name stuck immediately- so much so that Boeing trademarked the moniker for the bomber. Boeing’s claim that the Model 299 would be able to continue its mission should the aircraft lose an engine would be put to the test countless times in the future, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Model 299. US Air Force photograph
Competition Winner
Pitted against the Douglas DB-1 and the Martin 146, both twin engine designs, the Model 299 flew from Seattle to Wright Field for the fly-off competition in just over nine hours at an average cruise speed of 252 miles per hour. Inevitably the Model 299 outpaced the competition at the fly-off, with the USAAC believing that the long range of the Model would better suited to the Air Corp’s planned mission requirements. The USAAC liked the Model 299 so much that even before the competition was over an order for 65 Model 299 aircraft was being considered. But the 299 was expensive. The Air Corps would get what it paid for, correct?
Model 299. Image courtesy Boeing
A Simple Mistake Leads to Tragic Loss
Development of the Model 299 continued. But on October 30th 1935, Boeing chief test pilot Leslie Tower and Army Air Corps test pilot Major Ployer Hill took the Model 299 on an evaluation flight. After takeoff the aircraft was seen to enter a steep climb and then stall, after which the aircraft nosed over and crashed, killing both Tower and Hill. Two observers were injured but survived the crash. It didn’t take long to determine the cause either: The crew forgot to remove the gust locks that immobilize the empennage control surfaces (elevators and rudder) on the ground. In neutral position the locked control surfaces allowed the Model to take off but not to maneuver.
Model 299 after crash. US Air Force photograph
Still in the Running
Of course the smoking hole in the ground that was now the Model 299 could not complete the evaluation. But the USAAC was not about to give up on the aircraft. After all, no issues had been found with aircraft itself. The accident was caused by pilot error. Though the Model was expensive compared to the twin engine designs from Douglas and Martin, it was also much more capable. That said, the USAAC went ahead and ordered the DB-1 instead of the model 299. You know the DB-1 as the Douglas B-18 Bolo (or Digby in Canadian service).
YB-17 in flight. US Air Force photograph
The Lasting Legacy of the Model 299
Boeing pondered the cause of the crash of the Model 299. They proposed a solution that is still in use today. In fact their solution can be found in just about every aircraft manufactured anywhere since World War II. You probably wouldn’t want to fly without one. Their solution? The checklist. Had the Model 299 pilots had one that day they would have removed the gust locks prior to takeoff. Checklists have evolved over the years since then to become the vitally important items to pilots everywhere they are today. Thanks to the Model 299. Oh, and one other thing. The Model was eventually redesignated Y1B-17, then YB-17, and even XB-17. But the extraordinary aircraft that was the model 299 became the deservedly legendary B-17…the Flying Fortress. But that’s another story.
B-17E Flying Fortresses in flight. US Air Force photograph
Our good friends at AirshowStuff are showing us the good stuff from Oshkosh, Wisconsin! In this first clip, a pair of US Air Force F-35A Lightning II jets arrive at EAA AirVenture 2018. These jets, assigned to the 62nd Fighter Squadron (FS) Spikes of the renowned 56th Operations Group (OG), are based at Luke Air Force Base (AFB) near Glendale in Arizona. F-35s are just plain loud, so be sure to turn your speakers up to 11 and bathe yourself in the sound of freedom! These videos were all uploaded to YouTube by AirshowStuffVideos.
Out second clip highlights jet warbird action as it looked and sounded at the Great Air Clinic at Sheboygan just before EAA AirVenture got off the ground. The clinic is an annual event that helps pilots prepare for the formation flybys they often perform at Oshkosh the following week. In this video, a pair of Aero L-39 Albatros jet trainers are seen doing some nice tight formation flying. Then a Gloster Meteor T7 trainer gets in on the action. The video is dedicated to the late Marty Tibbitts, who perished when his Venom jet crashed on July 20th.
This clip is definitely not to be missed by any Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engine fan. A pair of Grumman F7F Tigercat warbirds are seen and heard performing formation flybys for the crowd at EAA AirVenture. This one was uploaded a couple of days ago, but it looks and sounds so good we just couldn’t leave it out. After the video was shot, one of the Tigercats suffered a main landing gear tire separation after landing but no damage was done to the airframe. Enjoy these rare sights and sweet sounds!
USS Midway (CV-41) was the last US Navy aircraft carrier to operate the McDonnell Douglas F-4S Phantom II. On March 25th 1986 the Midway sent the Phantoms to the beach for good. She went back to sea in 1987 with McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornet strike fighters instead. The two squadrons assigned to Carrier Air Wing FIVE (CVW-5) for that final Phantom cruise were Fighter Squadron ONE FIVE ONE (VF-151) Vigilantes and VF-161 Chargers. This entertaining video of these two squadrons in action was uploaded to YouTube by iproducevideo. Enjoy!
The Vigilantes and Chargers flew their F-4S model Phantoms first to CVW-5’s home away from CONUS- Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi near Yokosuka in Japan. After their stop in Japan, VF-151 and VF-161 flew their jets across the Pacific to NAS North Island before being relocated to NAS Lemoore in California for transition to the F/A-18A. And so the carrier operations era for the Phantom II came to a close. VF-161 was also the last Navy squadron to operate the McDonnell F3 Demon, retiring them in September of 1964 and transitioning to the F-4B Phantom II.
VF-151 F-4S via US Navy
One Final Cruise
During that Phinal Phantom cruise, in addition to VF-151 and VF-161, CVW-5 included VA-93 Ravens and VA-56 Champions flying the Vought A-7E Corsair II, VA-115 Eagles flying the Grumman A-6E and KA-6D Intruder, VAW-115 Liberty Bells flying the Grumman E-2C Hawkeye, VAQ-136 Gauntlets flying the Grumman EA-6B Prowler, and HS-12 Golden Falcons flying the Sikorsky SH-3H Sea King. Today CVW-5 is still operating primarily in the WestPac, now based at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni in southern Honshu, Japan and deploying aboard the Nimitz-class carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-78). The Midway made ten more deployments with CVW-5 before being decommissioned…and eventually made into one of the best museums on the planet.
Today we’re taking a look at just some of the awesome sights and sounds at EAA AirVenture 2018 at Oskkosh. In our first clip, US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon Demonstration Team pilot Major John “Rain” Waters flies a short solo demonstration before forming up with a Douglas AD-1 Skyraider and a North American P-51D Mustang for a Heritage Flight formation. These videos were all uploaded to YouTube by our good friends at AirshowStuffVideos. Enjoy!
Next up, one of the most pleasant surprises at Oshkosh so far was the “unscheduled” visit by the US Navy flight demonstration team the Blue Angels at the conclusion of the national anthem on Wednesday 7/25. The Blues didn’t perform a full show as they’re in transit to their next scheduled performance at the Fargo Airshow up in North Dakota, but it’s always great to see them. Surprise!
EAA AirVenture has expanded the airshow schedule in recent years to include dusk and even night performances. This clip is a performance of sorts. A US Air Force Rockwell B-1B Lancer or Bone departs Oshkosh for points west. The departure occurs while a thunderstorm is visible on the northern horizon. Then it sounds like thunder as the Bone is in burner through several maneuvers before disappearing into the clouds. Impressive!
The sleeper pick of clips is a relatively benign but still impressive United Parcel Service (UPS) McDonnell Douglas MD-11 freighter departing runway 18 in a hurry. That jet might be empty but it’s still a huge aircraft. To see it take off like that is really something. Enjoy!
When Marine Corps Fighter Squadron ONE TWO TWO (VMF-122) became the first Marine Corps squadron to fly and carrier qualify the North American FJ-2 Fury the squadron was known as the Candystripers. But in 1958 the squadron relocated from Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point northeast of Camp Lejeune in North Carolina to MCAS Beaufort southwest of Charleston in South Carolina. VMF-122 was then redesignated VMF(AW)-122 because the squadron soon became the first in the Marine Corps to fly the new Vought F8U-1 Crusader. Leading VMF(AW)-122 through this transition was Lieutenant Colonel William H. Rankin.
VMF-122 FJ-2 via US Navy
The Pilot Had Some Experience…
LTCOL Rankin had been around. During World War II he had served as a garrison Marine on the island of Funafuti but wanted to get into action somehow. Rankin tried fleet gunnery school but was turned down. He then applied for flight training and was accepted. Though the war ended before he received his wings, receive them he did, in September of 1946. Rankin then became a Marine Corps Vought F4U-4 Corsair pilot. When the Korean War broke out, Rankin was flying a desk until July of 1951, when now-Major Rankin arrived at K-3 in Korea with the rest of VMF-212 Devil Cats. Rankin flew more than 50 close air support (CAS) missions and was lucky until September 5th, when he was forced to bail out of his Corsair.
VMF-212 F4U via US Navy
Small-Decks and SPADs
VMF-212 embarked aboard the escort carrier USS Rendova (CVE-114) about a month after Rankin was rescued and returned to the squadron. He was wounded in his legs during a strike against the infamous bridge/rail complex at Toko-Ri but made it back to the Rendova safely, though his Corsair was ventilated with more than 130 holes. Sidelined from Korea while recovering from his wounds, Rankin completed his recovery and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. After attending jet transition training he took command of VMA-121 Wolf Raiders in 1955. His first command tour went well, with Douglas AD-1 and AD-2 Skyraider-equipped VMA-121 earning awards and with Rankin next being ordered to take command of VMF-122 Candystripers.
VMF-122 F8U via US Navy
Cross-Country in a Crusader
After VMF(AW)-122 transitioned from their Furies to Crusaders under the leadership of LTCOL Rankin during 1958 (and they changed that cringeworthy nickname), Rankin’s ability to develop and implement the policies, procedures, and practices needed to transition to the F-8 earned him a tour as the standardization / evaluation inspector for Marine Air Group 32. For LTCOL Rankin, that meant he was tasked with doing things like cross-country high-altitude navigation check rides. Like most desk-bound pilots, Rankin relished any and every chance to strap on an F-8 and get into the blue. And so Rankin found himself scheduled for a two-ship check ride to NAS South Weymouth not too far from Boston in Massachusetts- about 1,000 miles each way. The outbound leg on July 25th went well with great weather. The return leg the next day…not so much.
Marine Corps F8U via US Navy
Shoulda Coulda Woulda
Things started with a radio malfunction, which caused LTCOL Rankin and his check-ee, Navy Lieutenant Herbert Nolan, to remain overnight at South Weymouth. The next day the two aviators did their pre-flight, which included a weather brief stating the two could expect thunderstorms and cumulonimbus clouds between 30,000 and 40,000 feet in tops in southern Virginia. Rankin figured he could get over the tops and asked about frontal conditions, receiving a negative reply; only local thunderstorms were expected. Rankin and Nolan filed VFR flight plans for an altitude of 44,000 feet and an airspeed of 540 mph- which would have put them back in Beaufort after about 70 minutes. I can hear old Grampaw Pettibone now!
USMC F8U via US Navy
Trouble Way Up Top
LTCOL Rankin was flying F8U-1 Crusader Bureau Number (BuNo) 143696 that day. Though Rankin was assigned to Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron 32 (H&MS-32), Rankin liked using his old Tiger One callsign. The two aviators sighted what Rankin called “dark, massive rolling clouds of a thunderstorm” looming on the horizon not far from Norfolk in Virginia. Still figuring to go up and over the storms, the two jets leveled off at 48,000 feet. Rankin’s jet indicated some minor power fluctuations and he lost a bit of altitude. Rankin initiated a climb back to FL 480. At 1758 local time the J57-P-12 turbojet engine in Rankin’s jet seized when he was flying at Mach 0.82. Rankin called Nolan in Tiger Two to notify him of the situation.
Marine Corps F-8s via US Navy
Time to Pull and Pray
Rankin began following emergency procedures. First was to deploy the ram air turbine (RAT) to get auxiliary power back. When Rankin pulled the release lever it broke off in his hand. This meant Rankin had no power, radio, instruments, or control over the jet. As his momentary zoom climb slowed down at its apex, Rankin figured he had to get out of the doomed Crusader quickly before too much speed built up during its dive back down from FL480. Rankin also knew that he could be pinned inside the aircraft by a spin during a free-fall from high altitude. After quickly weighing his options, Rankin pulled his upper ejection seat handles and punched out of 143696 at 1800 local time.
Thunderstorm via public domain
In His Own Words…
Rankin was immediately racked by decompression effects and he lost his left glove. Rankin was certainly not prepared for the decompression effects, saying, “I had a terrible feeling like my abdomen was bloated twice its size. My nose seemed to explode. For 30 seconds – I thought the decompression had me. It was a shocking cold all over. My ankles and wrists began to burn as though somebody had put Dry Ice on my skin. My left hand went numb. My eyes felt as though they were being ripped from their sockets, my head as if it were splitting into several parts, my ears bursting inside.” The combined effects of frostbite at high altitude and decompression were taking their toll on Rankin. And then he tumbled into the tops of the thunderstorm!
Thunderhead detail via public domain
Absolutely Out of Control
Rankin was conscious but in severe pain. He reseated him oxygen mask but did not deploy his parachute in the belief that he would freeze or die of hypoxia while he floated down through 40,000-plus feet. The parachute deployed itself for him, meaning Rankin was at the mercy of the updrafts and downdrafts always present inside thunderstorms. As Rankin described it later, he “was in an angry ocean of boiling clouds, blacks and grays and whites, spilling over each other, into each other, digesting each other. I became a veritable molecule trapped in the thermal pattern of nature’s heat engine. I was buffeted in all directions—up, down, sideways, clockwise, counterclockwise, over and over; I tumbled, spun, and zoomed straight up, straight down, and I was rattled violently, as though a monstrous cat had caught me by the neck… Before long, I found out the storm had allies with whom I had to do battle, physically and mentally: thunder, lightning, hail, and rain. I was afraid I wouldn’t make it. It seemed like an eternity.”
Thunderhead via NASA
Like a Cork Floating on a Storm-Swept Sea
“I’d see lightning. Boy, do I remember that lightning. I never exactly heard the thunder; I felt it. I remember falling through hail, and that worried me; I was afraid the hail would tear the chute. Sometimes I was falling through heavy water—I’d take a breath and breathe in a mouthful of water. Sometimes I had the sensation I was looping the chute. I was blown up and down as much as 6,000 feet at a time. It went on for a long time, like being on a very fast elevator, with strong blasts of compressed air hitting you. At one point I got seasick and heaved. I went up and joined the chute. It draped over me like a sheet, and I was afraid that when I blossomed again, I’d be tangled in the shrouds and risers. But I wasn’t, thank God.”
Marine Corps F-8 via US Navy
How Long Does It Take to Descend 8 Miles in Thunderstorms?
The storm finally kicked Rankin free and he was able to descend normally. He finally landed in a stand of trees near North Carolina State Highway 305 at 1840 local time- forty minutes after he punched out of his stricken Crusader. When taken to a hospital, Rankin was treated for internal bleeding, broken bones, and frostbite. F8U-1 BuNo 143696 ended up about 20 miles south of where Rankin landed. The jet cratered (literally) in a pea field near Coleman’s sawmill on State Highway 258, about a half-mile from the town of Scotland Neck, not long after 1800 local time. When the wreckage of the jet was inspected it was confirmed that the engine had indeed seized. Given his options, Rankin made the correct, if harrowing, call. He recovered fully from his ordeal and remains the only pilot to ever survive such a harrowing ordeal. Rankin went on to write a book about the experience. Rankin retired from the Marine Corps in 1964 and passed away in 2009.
EAA AirVenture 2018 is going full blast right now in little Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Bet you didn’t see this one coming Avgeekery Nation! Most aerobatics aficionados are familiar with the Yakolev Yak-55. The airplane has been around since the early 1980s. Plenty of aerobatic pilots fly them these days. But what happens if you take two Yak-55s and glue them together? Well you get the Yak-110. That’s not new math…just some very creative thinking. First, a couple of EAA members named Dell Coller and Jeff Boerboon found a pair of Yak-55s and took them to their chamber (or is that hangar?) of horrors in Idaho. Then the fun really got started…
Image via AirshowStuff YouTube channel
They removed a wing from each of the Yaks and fabricated a center section with the same foil parameters. Then they joined the two fuselages to the center section at the normal wing attachment points and joined the two horizontal stabilizers together too. They left full controls (for the entire aircraft) in each cockpit but put the smoke controls and starters for both engines in the port side only. Cool, right? Unique certainly. Did somebody say more power? All indicators point to yes because they soon decided to bolt a General Electric CJ610-6 turbojet engine to the center wing section with a long exhaust port led to the tail. Two props AND a jet? No way! This video was uploaded to YouTube by AirshowStuffVideos. Listen to how that thing sounds! Now get your jaw up off your desk.
Also happening in Oshkosh, and pretty much anywhere there are British airplanes flying this year, are Royal Air Force (RAF) 100 tributes. The RAF turned 100 years old back on April 1st, but that’s not keeping anybody from firing up the odd Spit, Lancaster, or any other RAF classic and flying around the local airpatch in tribute to the RAF- and that’s good and cool thing! At Oshkosh they’re just doing it on a bigger scale. Here’s a look at a classic Supermarine Spitfire doing the honors, also uploaded to YouTube by AirshowStuffVideos. Turn those speakers up (and ignore that pesky PA guy!). More to come as EAA AirVenture 2018 rolls on.
C-130A Pilots Formed a Unique Flight Demonstration Team Just Because They Could
The Lockheed-Martin C-130 Hercules airlifter has done some incredible things. The Blue Angels and Fat Albert are prime examples. C-130s adapted for aerial firefighting have saved lives and property. The memorable demonstration of the LM-100J at RIAT 2018. But a long time ago, back when the venerable Herc was practically brand new, the Four Horsemen were the world’s only four-ship flight demonstration team to fly four engine aircraft. And they flew the C-130A Hercules. These guys might have been the first to coin the phrase “go big or go home.” This is their story.
C-130A via US Air Force
Green Weasels Hatch a BIG Idea
Formed by four pilots with the 774th Troop Carrier Squadron (TCS) Green Weasels, based at first at Ardmore Air Force Base (AFB) in Oklahoma and later Sewart AFB near Smyrna in Tennessee, the Four Horsemen flew 23 minute long performances in their Lockheed C-130A Hercules airlifters highlighted by the Horsemen Burst– a bomb burst maneuver similar to the sort of stunt for which the Air Force’s more prominent flight display team, the Thunderbirds, were justifiably famous. This video was uploaded to YouTube by jaglavaksoldier. Enjoy!
The film was produced in 1960. The story actually begins in September of 1956, when the 774th became the first squadron to be equipped with the new Lockheed C-130A Hercules. In early 1957 pilots Captain Gene Chaney, Captain Jim Aiken, Captain David Moore, and Captain Bill Hatfield figured they’d try some close formation flying after their paratrooper drop mission with the 101st Airborne out of Fort Campbell in Kentucky was cancelled due to high winds. The team dubbed themselves the Thunder Weasels as a conglomeration of Green Weasels and Thunderbirds, at first, but came up with the moniker Four Horsemen later.
Four Horsemen via US Air Force
Unique Tweaks
With prior approval from Tactical Air Command (TAC), the Four Horsemen first performed in front of the 314th Troop Carrier Wing at Sewart AFB in 1957. The 314th got an eyeful of what their own new C-130As could do, courtesy of the Four Horsemen, who were in fact delivering their first Hercules airlifters to them at the time. It didn’t take long for TAC to grant the team official status. The team didn’t have C-130As assigned to them, but they did their best to keep their crews, consisting of pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer, and observer, together. The team began their performances with a diamond formation short takeoff demonstration. Propeller propulsion necessitated that the slot aircraft fly above, rather than below, the lead aircraft. Their maneuvers were often flown with separations of ten feet or less. Landings were also performed in the diamond formation.
Four Horsemen via US Air Force
When is Overpowered Ever a Bad Thing?
Flying the Hercules the way the Four Horsemen did could provide for interesting challenges. It was said that the Hercules was overpowered when unburdened by cargo- so much so that the lead Four Horsemen C-130A once lost an engine at the beginning of a performance. After shutting down their #4 Allison T-56 engine, lead and the team flew the entire performance as they normally would. The Four Horsemen crews were squadron guys too, meaning they deployed with their squadrons wherever and whenever they went- wearing only a distinctive horse head with a superimposed IV patch on their standard flight suits.
Four Horsemen via US Air Force
A Short But Entertaining Chapter in Hercules History
By early 1960 the original Four Horsemen aircraft commanders, who had been some of the first in the Air Force to fly the C-130A and indeed had picked the first couple of them up from the Lockheed factory, were the most experienced guys in type- meaning it was time for the fun to end. When the new C-130B variant began replacing the C-130As and the C-130As were being transferred to squadrons overseas, David Moore retired back to his home state of Texas but the remaining three high-timer C-130A aircraft commanders went with them. By spring the Four Horsemen were but a memory. But an entirely unique and highly compelling memory.
The film “A-6E Intruder…Any Weather AnyTime” was made not long after the Vietnam debacle had ended and the Navy and Marine Corps were taking a close look at their force structures and figuring out what they could do without. Grumman’s A-6 Intruder attack bomber had entered service right about the same time Vietnam really became a war and had proven its capabilities in Southeast Asia over and over again. By the time the A-6E variant trapped aboard a carrier for its first deployment in 1971, the Navy and Marine Corps knew they had the finest attack aircraft ever taken to sea. Featuring VA-34 Blue Blasters with a host of other Intruder squadrons supporting, this film was uploaded to YouTube by PeriscopeFilm. Enjoy!
Grumman built a total of 445 A-6Es. More than half of them were previously manufactured variants that were reworked to bring them to A-6E specification. At first it was difficult for a casual observer to discern the differences between the variants of the Intruder. Later (after the film was produced- beginning in the early 1980’s) the A-6E received the Target Recognition and Attack Multisensor (TRAM) turret installed under the radome and just ahead of the forward landing gear. In addition to TRAM, the A-6E radar was upgraded to the new Norden AN/APQ-156 radar. By that point there were few other Intruder variants left in service.
A-6E via US Navy
Continuously upgraded throughout their service lives, Grumman A-6E Intruders were retired and replaced by the end of 1997. The Navy decommissioned most of their 24 Intruder-equipped squadrons during the 1990s, but today VA-34 Blue Blasters and VA-115 Eagles fly variants of the McDonnell Douglas (Boeing) F/A-18 Hornet. Originally the Intruders largely replaced the Navy’s Douglas A-1 Skyraider attack aircraft and were themselves eventually replaced, at least for a time, by Grumman F-14 Bombcats. The Marines traded their Intruders for F/A-18D Hornets. Five of the original six Marine Corps Intruder squadrons are still flying.
Authors’ Note: Soon after originally publishing a previous piece about the Mohawk vs MiG engagement I was able to get in touch with Army Mohawk pilot Ken Lee. I worked with him to bring the details of his Vietnam experiences to light. This expanded version of the original story includes Ken’s perspective. It has been reviewed and approved by Ken Lee.
Captain Lee Shares His Account of One of the Most Famous Mohawk Missions Ever
OV-1 73rd Aviation Company via US Army
The Grumman Light Attack Fighter?
The Grumman OV-1 Mohawk was developed for use as a battlefield surveillance, reconnaissance, and light strike aircraft beginning in 1956. The aircraft was first flown in 1959 and entered service with the US Army in 1960. Tangling with North Vietnamese MiGs was probably the last thing the designers ever thought the Mohawk would be required to do, but tangle with a MiG one did, and this is the story.
OV-1B via US Army
Nobody Was More Surprised Than the Pilot…
The US Army flew all kinds of aircraft in Vietnam. From light observation aircraft to transports and of course thousands of helicopters, the Army flew just about everywhere the Air Force, Navy, and Marines did and lots of places they couldn’t. Despite the aerial victories scored by the other armed services, the Army just didn’t get many opportunities to mix it up with MiGs. But an OV-1 Mohawk somehow achieved the only U.S. Army air-to-air victory during the Vietnam War.
OV-1 via US Army
Backstory Alert
Some background: Ken Lee began flying Mohawks with the Army in early 1964 and completed type transition training during September of that year. Ken’s first tour in Vietnam began during November of 1964. During that tour he flew with the 23rd Special Warfare Aviation Detachment (SWAD) and with the 73rd Surveillance Aviation Company (SAC) callsign Uptight. Ken returned home to CONUS at the end of his first tour during November of 1965.
OV-1 via US Army
Not His First Go-Round
27 year old Ken Lee began his second tour flying Mohawks in August of 1967. He was assigned to the 131st Aviation Company Nighthawks callsign Spud out of Phu Bai Air Base. Ken (whose personal callsign was Martini) and his fellow pilots flew a mix of OV-1A (visual and photo recon), OV-1B (side looking airborne radar [SLAR]), and OV-1C (Infrared [IR]) Mohawk variants. Their missions during this tour were focused on target acquisition in Laos and southern North Vietnam.
OV-1 via US Army
Out of Commission Then Back in the Saddle
Ken had been wounded before his encounter with the MiG. As he tells it, “I was wounded the first of October 1967 at the border between South Vietnam and Laos. A .51 caliber round came through the side skin of the aircraft and went through my flak jacket, damaged my .45 caliber side arm, through my survival radio and survival kit. I was next in the bullet’s path. I was not able to fly again for three weeks and the MiG incident came on about the second mission I flew after I began flying again.”
OV-1s via US Army
That Dreaded Valley Again
Ken and another Mohawk pilot were transiting to Laos above South Vietnam’s A Shau valley, located just south of the DMZ and close to the Laotian border. Air Force Major Bernie Fisher flew a heroic rescue mission in that valley, landing under heavy fire to pick up a downed pilot. A Shau was still and would remain a hotbed of North Vietnamese and Viet Cong activity. It was up to the two Mohawks, using their infrared (IR) and other sensors, to try and get the gouge on enemy activity west of the area.
73rd Aviation Company OV-1 via US Army
Instinct Takes Over
Flying just a couple of thousand feet above the valley floor with low ceiling and heavy clouds overhead, Captain Ken Lee’s Mohawk was suddenly “bounced” by a North Vietnamese MiG-17 Fresco jet fighter. The MiG scored hits on Lee’s empennage and rear fuselage but overshot the relatively slow Mohawks. As the MiG pilot turned to engage the Mohawks again he got in front of the two 19 shot M159 rocket pods with 2.75 inch unguided rockets and two XM14 .50 caliber gun pods mounted on Lee’s underwing racks. Lee realized his best chance to stay alive was to fire everything at the MiG while it was in front of him, and fire (almost) everything he did.
OV-1B via US Army
For the rest of Ken Lee’s incredible story bang NEXT PAGE below. You’ve gotta see this!
