Test Your Aircraft Recognition Skills With This 1970 Navy Film
“Flight: The Romance of Naval Aviation” is a film produced by the United States Navy (USN) and distributed in 1970. With no narration but a fusion jazz music accompaniment, the film’s footage was shot aboard the Midway-class aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea (CVA-43), the Forrestal-class aircraft carriers USS Forrestal (CVA-59), USS Constellation (CVA-64), and USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63), the Essex-class carrier USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14) and the training carrier USS Lexington (CVT-16) as well as during what appears to have been many hours of air-to-air shooting from at least one F9F-8T Cougar. Some of the footage was shot during Western Pacific (WestPac) deployments of these carriers. Also included is some footage of the Blue Angels flying their F-4J Phantom IIs.
Included in the film is footage of front-line carrier aircraft operating from the boat featuring McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom IIs, Vought F-8 and RF-8 Crusaders along with A-7 Corsair IIs, Douglas A-3B and KA-3B Skywarriors, A-4 Skyhawks, and A-1 Skyraiders, and North American A-5 Vigilantes. Grumman A-6 Intruders, North American FJ Furies, Grumman S-2 Trackers, Lockheed P-3 Orions, McDonnell F3H Demons, and Sikorsky SH-34 Seabat and SH-3 Sea King helicopters are all included. Naval Air Training Command (NATC) aircraft are also well represented, with Lockheed T-1A Seastars, Grumman F-11F Tigers, North American T-28 Trojans and T-2 Buckeyes, Grumman F9F-8T Cougars, Beechcraft T-34 Mentors, and Bell TH-13L helicopters all there. In fact, counting the single glimpses of an E-2 Hawkeye, a Kaman SH-2 Seasprite, and a C-1 Trader on deck, there are 26 types of aircraft in the film. Did I miss any? Let me know.
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