Top Gun - Aviation Enthusiasts - No Politics

[777 fixer]

Notice the ships name over the "NAVY" on the side of one of our F-8's.  

 
By the looks of it somewhere over So Cal.

 

[777 fixer]

Fixer, I spent seven months working the flight deck of CVA-31, the USS Bon Homme Richard, off of the coast of North Vietnam as a Plane Capt. of a F-8E Crusader in 1965. I realize the limitations this must put on the pilots of that ship.

 
Did you guys have air conditioned berthing?

 

[MCI transplant]

 
Did you guys have air conditioned berthing?

Ha!!! No! ------- The Bon Homm was an old boat, She was Commissioned 26 Nov. 1944. Decommissioned 2 July 1971.. She saw action in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. We slept in the cat walks, hanger deck, under my bird, where ever, when ever, we could. We flew 12 hours + a day, seven days a week, while on station. We went 56 days straight at on point. Our sleeping quarters were two desk down from the hanger deck, and only had fans to blow the hot air around. Off Vietnam the temperatures got into the high nineties, with what felt like 100% humidity!

 

[777 fixer]

Ha!!! No! ------- The Bon Homm was an old boat, She was Commissioned 26 Nov. 1944. Decommissioned 2 July 1971.. She saw action in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. We slept in the cat walks, hanger deck, under my bird, where ever, when ever, we could. We flew 12 hours + a day, seven days a week, while on station. We went 56 days straight at on point. Our sleeping quarters were two desk down from the hanger deck, and only had fans to blow the hot air around. Off Vietnam the temperatures got into the high nineties, with what felt like 100% humidity!

 
That's what I thought.  I remember reading that the Essex class had AC in the ready rooms but none for the berthing.  Just wasn't sure if they were ever fitted with AC latter on in life.
 
My dad was on an AF during the Korean War.  When they would go down to the Philippines he told me they would sleep out on deck because sleeping below was almost impossible due to the heat.  Kinda funny, the berthing on the Nimitz was like an ice box. 

 

[delldude]

30 mike mike fun.
 
Song has content warning.
 

 

 

[777 fixer]

One of Dad's first deployments as a carrier pilot flying the S-2.

From Wikipedia CVS-14...The USS Ticonderoga

"Ticonderoga's winter deployment of 1965 and 1966 was her first total combat tour of duty during American involvement in the Vietnam War. During her six months in the Far East, the carrier spent a total of 116 days in air operations off the coast of Vietnam dividing her time almost evenly between "Dixie" and "Yankee Stations", the carrier operating areas off South and North Vietnam, respectively. Her air group delivered over 8,000 tons (7,200 tonnes) of ordnance in more than 10,000 combat sorties, with a loss of 16 planes, but only five pilots. For the most part, her aircraft hit enemy installations in North Vietnam and interdicted supply routes into South Vietnam, including river-borne and coastwise junk and sampan traffic as well as roads, bridges, and trucks on land. Specifically, they claimed the destruction of 35 bridges as well as numerous warehouses, barracks, trucks, boats, and railroad cars and severe damage to a major North Vietnamese thermal power plant located at Uong Bi north of Haiphong. After a stop at Sasebo, Japan, from 25 April-3 May 1966, the warship put to sea to return to the United States. On 13 May, she pulled into port at San Diego to end the deployment."

 
The navies of Brazil and Argentina still operate turboprop powered S-2's off of carriers.  Goes to show Grumman built them to last.

 

[MCI transplant]

Sorry to hear that an S2T went down over Calif. fighting a forest fire. Pilot was killed.----------My Son is an AMT on a C415 "'Super Scupper" fighting fires in the same general area.

 

[777 fixer]

Sorry to hear that an S2T went down over Calif. fighting a forest fire. Pilot was killed.----------My Son is an AMT on a C415 "'Super Scupper" fighting fires in the same general area.

 
Don't know what happened with that crash but it's rather obvious that the air tanker fleet is a bit long in the tooth.  Remember this crash?
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bDNCac2N1o

 

[MCI transplant]

 
Don't know what happened with that crash but it's rather obvious that the air tanker fleet is a bit long in the tooth.  Remember this crash?
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bDNCac2N1o

Not all tankers are that old. My Son is one of a few qualified to work on this new C415, and is working this particular Aircraft. http://www.myfoxla.com/clip/10652410/red-flag-warning-fire-preps#.VC7Ld-mWka4.facebook

 

[MCI transplant]

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Pilot-killed-in-Yosemite-crash-was-veteran-at-5809564.php

 

[777 fixer]

ISIS Top Gun?
 
http://news.yahoo.com/jihadists-training-fly-syria-warplanes-monitor-115733078.html

 

[777 fixer]

Don't know how legit this video is.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa3giS38uMY

 

[MCI transplant]

I talked to an Air Force Friend know about this. He's a Major and fly's F-16's. Says It takes time to become, and stay, proficient at flying one of those and the Pilots he knows are itching to catch one over Iraq!

 

[delldude]

Encounter could go like this:
 

 

[777 fixer]

I talked to an Air Force Friend know about this. He's a Major and fly's F-16's. Says It takes time to become, and stay, proficient at flying one of those and the Pilots he knows are itching to catch one over Iraq!

 
Even if you learn to be proficient flying it it would take even more time learning how to effectively use it in combat.  You also have to wonder who is going to maintain the thing.  They could have the best fighter pilot in the world but if it's sitting on the ground broke it's of little use.