When the Navy’s TOPGUN program began teaching advanced air combat maneuvering (ACM) at Naval Air Station (NAS) Miramar in 1969 the sweeping changes introduced there eventually touched nearly every part of Naval Air in one way or another. The Naval Air Training Command (NATC) needed to play catch up. Teaching student Naval Aviators the basics of tactical formations and basic fighter maneuvering (BFM) became a part of the training syllabus at places like NAS Pensacola in Florida, NAS Corpus Christi and NAS Kingsville in South Texas, and NAS Meridian in Mississippi as well as at air stations where fleet squadrons were based like NAS Oceana in Virginia and NAS Miramar in California.
The training film “Air Combat Maneuvering: Tactical Formation” was produced for the Navy by Bray Studios during the mid-1970s and was intended to familiarize Naval Aviators with standard tactical formations and US Navy air combat tactics. Shot primarily using VT-21 Redhawks Douglas TA-4J Skyhawks in non-specular paint schemes for demonstration purposes, the film goes through such basics as the combat spread formation and different types of coordinated turns. It’s an entertaining look at some material that may not be common knowledge to the public. There is an issue with sound tracking on the film for the first couple of minutes but it clears up. The HD visuals are priceless. Thank goodness the film is UNCLASSIFIED! And thanks to PeriscopeFilm for uploading another nostalgic aviation film!
A Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk assigned to VT-21 Redhawks. Official US Navy Photograph
For many avgeeks, a visit to tour the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, AZ, is a must do at some point in their lives. Known as the boneyard, it’s where it’s where all excess military and government aircraft go at the end of their lives.
Operation Fire Fly was a 1962 test of the Ryan (later Teledyne-Ryan) 147D Lightning Bug drone aircraft modified to perform photographic reconnaissance. This film, produced by Ryan in conjunction with the Air Force, explains how each aspect and phase of the entire operation was prosecuted and how the Lightning Bug performed as a photo-recon platform. Two 147D drones, developed from Ryan’s hugely successful Firebee target drone, were utilized to fly a total of five missions flown from MacDill Air Force Base (AFB) in Florida over the Caribbean Sea and from the test ranges near Eglin and Tyndall AFBs over the Gulf of Mexico. These 147Ds were unarmed but Ryan had already successfully used drones for remote weapon release.
The Lightning Bug was a stealthier version of the Firebee, with longer wings for higher altitude flight and longer range with radar absorbing material (RAM) incorporated into its design. Air Force Douglas C-124 Globemaster II transports were used to fly the drones and test equipment to MacDill AFB for the initial tests. Lockheed DC-130A Hercules drone controller aircraft were used to control the drones during the test flights. Sikorsky CH-37 Mojave helicopters were used to recover the drones post-flight and return them for re-conditioning and re-use. Thanks to YouTuber sdasmarchives for uploading this comprehensive look at some of the early tech that was eventually developed into the UAVs of today.
This video of the United States Navy Precision Flight Demonstration Team, otherwise known as the Blue Angels, was shot during the team’s first full show performance at EAA AirVenture 2017 on Saturday 7/29/2017. The visuals are in awesome HD and the producers chose some super-smooth music to accompany the visuals where sound wasn’t clean. There’s plenty of jet noise too, but what sets this video apart (and makes it simply sublime) is the slow motion sequences in the clip.
Slow motion really brings out the precision component of precision flight demonstration. It’ll make you appreciate the finer points of separation so minute that distances between the jets can be measured in inches. Five abreast and diamond formations reveal themselves to be much more precise than they look in real time. Opposing passes appear to be even closer than they are when seen live and in a blur. Enjoy this unique perspective on the Blues and their craft uploaded by YouTuber airailimages.
On June 18, a U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet from the carrier air wing aboard the USSGeorge H.W. Bush (CVN-77) shot down a Syrian SU-22 fighter jet, after it dropped bombs on part of a U.S.-led coalition dedicated to defeating ISIS.
The film “Saga of the Skyraider” was produced by McDonnell Douglas Aircraft in 1969 to celebrate one of their most successful designs- the A-1 Skyraider. The film opens and concludes with footage shot during the Navy retirement ceremony for the Skyraider and subsequent fly-off of VA-25 Fist of the Fleet A-1H BuNo 135300 to the National Naval Aviation Museum. The retirement ceremony took place at Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore in California during April of 1968. In between the retirement footage the film looks back at the development of the Skyraider and its 22 years of service with the United States Navy (USN).
135300 was accepted by the Navy in June of 1954 and flew its last combat mission after 14 years in Navy service from the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) in 1968. The mission was rescue combat air patrol (ResCAP) and close air support (CAS) of the besieged Marines at Khe Sanh. Lieutenant Junior Grade Theodore D. Hill Jr. flew that final mission and also flew 135300 to Pensacola and the museum, where it can still be viewed today. The Skyraider was replaced in Navy service by the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk and the Vought A-7 Corsair II, although some would say the A-1 was never really replaced. Thanks to YouTuber sdasmarchives for uploading this Skyraider retrospective.
A-1H Skyraider 135300 depicted at the National Naval Aviation Museum. Photograph by the author.
By now most of us have seen the videos of the incredible B-1 flyby last week at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI, with the bird from Dyess AFB in Texas going full burners and creating a thick vapor cloud which wowed everyone in attendance.
Now, here’s some new footage from our friends at AirshowStuff, showing the B-1B Lancer bombers and a B-52 Stratofortress departing Oshkosh on Monday, July 31.
The film Air Power at Sea was created by Grumman in 1982 as a promotional film for the Intrepid Museum Foundation using aerial footage shot by the legendary Clay Lacy and scored with music from the 1980 United Artists film “Final Countdown.” Air Power at Sea is narrated by actor and pilot Cliff Robertson and was shot aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68).
Remember When the Nimitz Was Young And Air Wing 8 Was Famous?
The film features Carrier Air Wing EIGHT (CVW-8) consisting at the time of VF-41 Black Aces and VF-84 Jolly Rogers Grumman F-14A Tomcats, VA-82 Marauders and VA-86 Sidewinders Vought A-7E Corsair IIs, VA-35 Black Panthers Grumman A-6E and KA-6D Intruders, VS-24 Scouts Lockheed S-3A Vikings, VAQ-134 Garudas Grumman EA-6B Prowlers, VAW-124 Bear Aces Lockheed E-2C Hawkeyes, VFP-63 Eyes of the Fleet Vought RF-8G Crusaders, VRC-40 Rawhides Grumman C-1A Trader CODs, and HS-9 Sea Griffins Sikorsky SH-3H Sea Kings.
Official US Navy photograph
Appearing in the film is previously shot footage of VA-52 Knightriders A-6Es, escorts ships cruiser USS Texas (CGN-39), destroyer USS Briscoe (DD-977), frigate USS Bowen (FF-1079), an unidentified Los Angeles-class SSN, and some auxiliaries seen during an underway replenishment (UNREP) event. The footage was shot during a workup cycle prior to Nimitz and her Battle Group deploying to the Mediterranean in 1982.
Official US Navy photograph
Also featured are Nimitz officers and crew going about their work aboard the carrier. Nimitz made port calls at Naples and Livorno in Italy, Tunis in Tunisia, Haifa in Israel, and Palma de Mallorca in Spain during her 1981-1982 Med deployment. Thanks to YouTuber PeriscopeFilm for uploading this entertaining video.
Want to Fly Skyhawks and Crusaders From a 2,000 Foot Runway? Here’s How You Do It
In the film “CE-2 Trackless Aircraft Launcher” produced by the Naval Air Engineering Center in 1966, the concept of Short Airfield for Tactical Support (SATS) is explained. SATS consisted of a 2,000 foot aluminum planked runway with a trackless aircraft launcher and field arresting gear. A Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (Seabees) and Marine Corps Air Group Twelve (MAG-12) installed a test version of SATS at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Chu Lai in South Vietnam during early 1965. Get an eyeful (and an earful) of Douglas A-4 Skyhawks and Vought F-8 Crusaders using the SATS system in this time-capsule video. If you’ve ever wanted to build an airfield in your backyard, this is how you would do it! Thanks to YouTuber PeriscopeFilm for uploading this look back at an idea that never really took off…
Although the geography of the area and the soft sand under the aluminum planked runway made the installation of the SATS troublesome, it didn’t stop the Marine aviators from using Chu Lai as a major base supporting fellow Marines and troops in the bush. A Marine Corps VMA-225 A-4C Skyhawk flown by none other than the Commander of MAG-12 made the first landing on the Chu Lai SATS on June 1st 1965. A Marine Corps F-8 Crusader landed there later the same day. The Marines began flying combat missions off the SATS not long after that, using jet-assisted takeoff (JATO) bottles to enhance thrust in order to operate off from the as-yet uncompleted runway. By the end of Octotober 1965 there were more than 80 Scooters based at Chu Lai. Eventually more conventional runways were built at Chu Lai, but not far from the original SATS.
Marine Corps A-4E at Chu Lai. Official US Marine Corps Photograph
San Francisco’s annual Fleet Week air show wouldn’t be the same without Sean Tucker, a living legend in the airshow and aerobatic flying communities. He’s been flying airshows worldwide since the mid 1970’s, has won numerous aerobatic competitions, and has flown more than 1,275 performances at more than 525 airshows in front of more than 135 million fans (and counting).
Vlado Lenoch will always be remembered as a great pilot, airshow performer, and loyal friend. During EAA AirVenture 2017 in Oshkosh, Heritage Flights and warbirds paid many a tribute to Vlado.
Remembering his precision and skill…
This awesome video was shot during a Heritage Flight performance at America’s Freedom Fest at Goshen Municipal Airport in Goshen, Indiana on July 1st 2017. Vlado was flying the P-51D-25-NA Mustang, CN 122-31945 and AF serial number 44-72086, Baby Duck. Painted to resemble Captain Herbert G. Kolb’s 44-13157, a 353rd Fighter Squadron, 350th Fighter Group Mustang flown out of Raydon in England with the 8th Air Force, both Baby Duck and Vlado performed Heritage Flights with a variety of other warbirds and current Air Force combat aircraft.
Thanks as always to our good friends at AirshowStuffVideos for uploading this awesome example of Vlado’s showmanship and the raw power of the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor.
The service might be minimalist but clothing is still mandatory.
Spirit Airlines is known for cheap fares and pay-as-you-go pricing in an effort to allow more people to fly at a price point that they can afford. They are also home of the self-proclaimed “Bare Fare”. It’s a slogan that they might want to think about changing after yesterday. Spirit flight 359 from Las Vegas McCarran to Oakland International Airport was delayed on Saturday, July 29th for a pretty, uhh…unique reason.
Spirit Airlines touts their Bare Fares on their marketing. They probably didn’t actually want passengers to strip naked. (Image from Spirit’s Website)
According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, the delay was due to a rather unique reason. A passenger decided to take off his clothes and then approach a flight attendant. Once the incident was taken care of by airport personnel, the passengers continued on their way. FlightRadar24.com shows that the departure was only delayed for about 40 minutes. Light winds aloft led the flight to arrive just about 15 minutes late. No word on whether passengers received any compensation for the peep show. Spirit Airlines has not mentioned the incident on social media either.
Spirit airlines has a fleet of modern Airbus A319, A320, and A321 aircraft. They were also the launch customer for Airbus’s new A320NEO aircraft in the United States.
Now that there are two operational B-29 Superfortresses in the world again, any opportunity to see them both flying together is a special event. The first time it happened was this week at EAA AirVenture 2017 in Oshkosh. The two rare warbirds flew together several times during the week, and all who witnessed it said it was not only awesome but emotional for many of them. Doc is Boeing Wichita-built B-29A-70-BW Doc (CN 10804, AF serial number 44-69972). Fifi is B-29A-60-BN Fifi (CN 11547, AF serial number 44-62070). The two aircraft were both recovered from Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake but returned to flight decades apart. The wait was worth it! Enjoy these two fantastic videos uploaded by DocsFriends.
As an aviation photographer, sometimes I get to do some pretty cool assignments. As an avgeek, I’ve always wanted to fly the mighty P-51 Mustang, and last fall I was given the chance on a unique photo shoot over South Florida that was, different, from the “normal” P-51 experience.
It was a textbook day at the 2017 AirVenture in Oshkosh on the second to last day of the show. The weather was beautiful, the crowds were plentiful and the flying was spectacular. One of the most impressive flyovers of the day was a super-rare three ship formation of all three of America’s strategic bombers. The Boeing B-52 BUFF, Rockwell B-1 Bone, and Northrup B-2 Spirit dominated the skies in a single pass. The formation was led by the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber. After the ‘modern’ pass of our nation’s current bombers, the only actively flying B-29s flew in a tight formation followed by the B-25.
While the primary purpose of the formation was not propaganda, world events made it impossible to ignore the fact that three of America’s most powerful weapons were on display just 24 hours after Kim Jong Un launched his most powerful nuclear-capable missile yet from North Korea. Un launched and ICBM technically capable of striking almost anywhere in the United States, including Oshkosh, Wisconsin at 6,308 statute miles from Pyongyang.
In addition to the flyover in Oshkosh, President Trump also ordered B-1 flyovers over the South Korean Peninsula as a show of force in response to the illegal missile launch. Two supersonic B-1 bombers were escorted by Korean fighter jets on Sunday.
Every day in the airshow schedule at EAA AirVenture 2017 in Oshkosh there is a slot for a “secret” arrival. On Friday 7/28/2017 the arrival was a section of Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor fighters. These particular Raptors made the trip from Tyndall Air Force Base (AFB) near Panama City in the Florida panhandle. Tyndall was one of the first places F-22s began prowling the skies, and the 325th Fighter Wing (FW) is tasked with training Raptor pilots to fly these air superiority fighters. The F-22s they sent to Oshkosh for static display (sigh) are assigned to the 43rd Fighter Squadron (FS). Enjoy the sights and sounds of Raptors over Oshkosh uploaded by our good friends at AirshowstuffVideos.
The Blue Angels are known for their fantastic stunts, precision flying, and professionalism. But they are also known for a sneaky, sneaky maneuver that always stuns the crowd.
Their performance typically includes a low pass near stage center by Blue Angels #5. In the pass, the F/A-18 conducts a powerful, yet graceful flyby in full view of the crowd. While the jet is loud, it is fully anticipated by the crowd. But just as the fighter completes the low pass, the real fun begins. In a sneak maneuver, the other solo flies from behind the crowd at a high rate of speed. So loud that the roar of the engines only becomes audible right as the jet zooms over the crowd and goes vertical to join the rest of the formation.
The crowd is usually stunned and this video is no different. Check out the video provided by AirShowStuff.com. We also invite you to see our other stories from Oshkosh’s AirVenture 2017:
At one time, the Boeing 747 was the epitome of luxury travel. With a two story cabin, an exclusive lounge, two-wide aisles and plenty of space to stretch out, the Queen of the Skies was far and away the most sought after jet to fly for transcontinental and intercontinental travel.
Times have changed. The Boeing 747 was once one of the few aircraft that could fly across the furthest points of the Pacific non-stop. Routes like Hong Kong to Chicago O’Hare would not have been possible without the Boeing 747-400. Airlines have fallen out of love with the four-engined jumbo jet in recent years though. Airlines have chosen to replace four engined aircraft with more efficient two engine aircraft like the Boeing 777, Airbus A350, and Boeing 787. The latest aircraft offer better economics both from a fuel efficiency standpoint as well as a right-sizing to match customer demand. About 15 years ago, the trend started towards more frequent flights to midsize markets. Passengers who used to have to connect in major hubs began to have direct access to domestic and international markets. This trend has continued and made large aircraft less desirable for all but a few trunk international routes. Customers have spoken and chosen frequency and convenience over size.
That’s actually an interesting question. The Boeing 747-400 and -8i are still flying with a number of international airlines across the globe. Many of these airlines have daily 747 flights to major US hubs like LAX, SFO, ORD, and JFK. Atlas Air also has a few passenger configured 747-400 aircraft the perform military and unscheduled charters. We’ll definitely continue to see the double-decker queen of the skies in the US for at least a few more years. Airlines across the globe are retiring their four-holers at a brisk pace though too. The days for seeing a US scheduled airline are numbered though. Delta and United Airlines are retiring their 747-400 fleets in the upcoming months. United recently subbed a 747-400 on a route between SFO and ORD. They dubbed it the final 747 domestic flight. They’ll continue to operate the Boeing 747-400 fleet to Asia out of the SFO hub for a few more months. Delta also has an upcoming domestic 747-400 flight between Atlanta and Detroit. While the date for the final United and Delta 747 flights haven’t been set, we’re expected them to be fully retired by the end of this year.
For the World War II warbird enthusiast, Duxford’s annual Flying Legends air show is a must see. Located in Cambridgeshire, England at the Imperial War Museum Duxford, this show is one of three the museum hosts each year. The Flying Legends Airshow is typically held in early July. While the museum itself boasts an impressive permanent collection of aircraft, it is the paved runway and especially grass landing strip that makes this location and air show unique. As a RAF base and later an Eighth Air Force facility during the war, Duxford also provides a historical setting.
As a Yank visiting a strange land where many of the locals actually speak something close to English, this was my time attending an air show outside of the states. As such, while it had some similarities to American air shows, there was a different feel as well. First of all, there was the expected preponderance of British WWII aircraft. Previously, I have only seen one or two RAF planes at shows, namely the glorious Spitfire. On this occasion there were at least nine Spitfires, several Hurricanes as well as the world’s sole flying Blenheim. Additionally there were other era aircraft from the continent, such as: a Spanish built Me-109, a couple of C-47s, and the sole flying B-17 in Europe.
The weather cooperated, for the most part, as there was no rain during the show though it was often overcast. Still the sun would breakout offering some nice light for photographing the aircraft. The grass landing strip offered a great backdrop for the planes when on static display or coming in for a landing. Each morning, before the show, attendees were given access to the flight line for a closer look at the planes as well as photography. Additionally, reenactors, posing as WWII service personnel and civilians, stood with the aircraft offering a human element when photographing the scene.
Reenactors were common at Duxford.
The only non-WWII era planes to perform belonged to the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, aka the Red Arrows. Again, this was a first for me, as the Arrows flew nine ship formations with their BAE Hawks. One nice touch was the use of red, white and blue smoke during their show. These different colors provided a nice visual accent. It’s surprising the American Thunderbirds and Blue Angels don’t also use a similar red, white and blue smoke system.
Red Arrows performance.
Mustangs had a rough weekend, with two P-51s sustaining some damage. The P-51B “Berlin Express” had its Malcolm hood disintegrate during flight though the pilot was unhurt and able to land without further incident. During the final flight of the show, the P-51D “Miss Velma” was forced to make a wheels up landing in a nearby field due to engine failure. Fortunately the pilot was not injured, and the plane should be repairable.
Located just ten miles away from Duxford is the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial. Situated on land donated by Cambridge University, the cemetery contains the remains of 3,812 Americans who perished during the war plus 5,127 individuals who are memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing. The cemetery is a powerful reminder of the cost paid by these young men.
All in all, my experience at the show, museum and cemetery was a wonderful time. Should you get the chance to visit Duxford, I highly recommend it.
The film “Operation Top Gun” is not about the Navy’s Fighter Weapons School, or at least not the version of it that the big screen film dramatized during the 1980s. This film details the 4th Annual United States Navy Aerial Weapons Meet. Produced by Ryan Aeronautical Company (makers of the Firebee series of drones), the film is a look at the naval fighters and attack aircraft of the Pacific Fleet (PACFLT) back in 1959. The Fleet Air Gunnery Unit Pacific (FAGUPAC) hosted the competition at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma in Arizona. Other competition was centered on the Pacific Missile Test Range (PMTC) at NAS Point Mugu in California. Audio quality is lacking so turn it way up or off. Uploaded by San Diego Air and Space Museum. A link to a different version with better audio but blurry visuals is below.
The film stars the Douglas F4D / F-6A Skyrays (all weather fighters), McDonnell F3H / F-3 Demons (all weather fighters), Douglas A4D / A-4B Skyhawks (light attack jets), Douglas A3D / A-3B Skywarriors (heavy attack), Vought F8U / F-8 Crusaders (day fighters) and Douglas AD-7 / A-1J Skyraiders (light attack props). Also appearing in the film are North American FJ-4 Fury target tugs, Ryan KDA-1 / BQM-34 Firebee drones, Lockheed DP-2H Neptune drone controllers, and Douglas DB-26B Invader drone controllers.
Official US Navy Photograph
The A-4s appearing in the film are from VMA-224 Fighting Bengals, VA-46 Clansmen, VA-12 Flying Ubangis, and VA-56 Champions. The A-1s in the film are from VA-115 Arabs. A-3s appearing are from VAH-11 Checkertails, VAH-7 Peacemakers, and VAH-8 Fireballers. The F3Hs are from VF-121 Pacemakers. Skyrays in the film are from VFAW-3 Blue Nemesis, FAGU, and VMF(AW)-513 Flying Nightmares. The F-8 Crusaders are from FAGU, VF-84 Jolly Rogers, VF-121 Pacemakers, VMF(AW)-235 Death Angels, and VMFA-232 Red Devils. The FJ Furies are from VC-7 Tallyhoers and VA-126 Bandits. The DP-2H Neptune and DB-26B Invader drone controllers are from VC-3. And last but not least, Sikorsky SH-34 Sea Bat drone recovery helos make an appearance in the film.
Official US Navy Photograph
Bonus video: This is the same film with better audio quality but lower quality visuals. Unfortunately there isn’t a version that has both decent audio and visuals. Uploaded by Periscope Films.
