Military Aviation

[CALinSC]

It’s been a very popular topic in other forums where I have started it.

My more than 40 years aviation career was almost exclusively in support of Naval Aviation. I did 31 years active duty with the Navy and another 10 Years as a Navy civilian employee at The Naval Aviation Depot, Jacksonville, FL. I also worked for Eastern Airlines as their ramp manager at Jacksonville, FL until they folded.

I’ll kick this off with aircraft I worked on and move on from there to my extensive picture files.

I graduated out of Navy boot camp at Great Lakes, IL in March of 1957 as an Airman Apprentice (AA). I did that because I started flying with my father at age 8 and knew enough about theory of flight to bypass initial Naval Aviation training.

My first duty station was at the Naval Air Station, Barbers Point, Oahu, TH. Hawaii was not yet a state.

The squadron was AIRBARSRON2 which would become one of the largest squadrons in the Navy.

The squadron operated three types of aircraft. There were two versions of the Super Constellation. Their Navy designations were WV-2 & R-7V. The other was an older two engine conventional landing gear Beech Craft, Navy designation, SNB.

Airbarsron2 - 1957.jpg WV-2.jpg

R7V.jpg SNB.jpg

[CALinSC]

My tour of duty in Hawaii was limited to two years because it was charged as overseas sea duty and I would have to transfer to a deploying squadron to complete my sea tour.

In April of 1959 I transferred to Patrol Squadron 9 at NAS Alameda. They had recently transitioned to the P2V-7 aircraft. I changed my PRM striker designation to AME and was advanced to 3rd class petty officer (E4).

In the first tattered picture I’m seated on the far left. The picture was of the personnel of the Aircraft Division. I was assigned to the oxygen shop where I tested and repaired gaseous oxygen regulators. The Navy had not yet developed liquid oxygen systems/regulators for large aircraft.

The next picture is of a P2V-7 aircraft on display at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, FL. The F-14 in the same picture has the VF-84 color scheme used on their aircraft for the movie; “The Final Countdown”, filmed in part, on the (USS Nimitz). I was working for the Commander of Carrier Air Wing 8 as a flight deck maintenance coordinator during the filming of that movie.


Alameda - 1959 - VP-9.jpg NAS JAX - P2.JPG

[CALinSC]

After some shore duty and than almost a year as ships’ company on the US Boxer (LPH-4), I got to my first tail-hook squadron. It was Fighter Squadron 41 out of Naval Air Station Oceana at Virginia Beach, VA.

The squadron was in the final stage of transitioning from the F3H Demon to the F4 Phantom II.

For my first year I was assigned to the aircraft check crew where I would learn all about the major systems I would work on and some others like engine and liquid oxygen servicing.

In early 1965 we were doing qualifications aboard the USS Independence (CVA-62) in Cuban waters. The word came that we would deploy with the Indy to the Pacific Fleet in support of USA actions in Vietnam. I was then assigned to the Line Division as a squadron Airframes flight deck troubleshooter. I would stay in that billet until I transferred to shore duty.

Here are some great USN photos of our squadron’s activity aboard the INDY. The first one was taken right after completion of our first combat line period. We were heading to Yokosuka, Japan for a much needed 2 week R&R pit stop.


VF-41- 1965.jpg Aircraft_launching_for_strike_from_USS_Independence_(CVA-62)_1965[1].jpg

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[GTM]

Very cool career. I have a Niece that is a Naval aviator flying Sub hunters she is stationed in Washington. My Nephew has just started flight school and is in Pensacola. They are having the time of their lives.

[CALinSC]

Soon after returning to Norfolk from a 7 month deployment I got my shore duty orders. I was going to TX for 4 months advance cadre training on the Navy’s newest attack aircraft; the A7A Corsair II. Once that was completed I reported to Attack Squadron 174 (a training squadron) at Naval Air Station, Cecil field, FL. At VA-174 I was on the maintenance team that accepted the first A7A into a fleet squadron. My off and on 12 years with that aircraft had just begun.

Here is a factory pix, a LTV pretty pix and one of the VA-174 hangar at Cecil Field.


LTV Factory.jpg ltv file photo.jpg

VA-174 - Cecil Field.jpg

[CALinSC]

When my tour of duty was completed with VA-174 I was sent west to Naval Air Station Miramar. I was once again going to sea with the F4 Phantom II. The squadron was VF-151. I would be there a little over three years and make 2 long combat deployments (7 & 11 months) with them aboard the USS Midway (CVA-41).

When I reported in I was assigned to the Line Division as their supervisor. That was short lived. With just 3 years as an E6 I was relatively junior to more than two thirds of the 21 1st class Petty Officers in the squadron. The Line Division supervisor gets hazardous duty flight deck pay. Once we left port on our first deployment, a more senior 1st class asked for my job and replaced me. I was reassigned to the check crew as their supervisor. I would stay in that position until I transferred to shore duty.

VF-151 Line Div Super - .jpg VF-151 XC Super .jpg

VF-151 - USS Midway 1 .jpg VF-151 - USS Midway 2 .jpg

VF-151 formation .jpg

[CALinSC]

In mid 1973 The USS Midway and its air wing were scheduled to forward deploy to a new home at Yokosuka, Japan. My sea tour with VF-151 would not be completed until July 1974 which would require me to go to Japan. I had a close friend with the same rating and rate as me stationed at NAS Miramar. He wanted to go to Japan for personal reasons. The Navy allowed him to swap duty with me if he would agree to a four year sea tour. He did and the Navy just detailed me to shore duty early.

In Sept, 1973 I transferred to VA-125 (A7 aircraft) at Naval Air Station, Lemoore, CA. For those that don’t know, that’s just about in the middle of the San Joaquin valley. I moved my family to NAS Lemoore and then reported to Naval Training Command, Memphis for advanced Aviation Structural Mechanic schooling. My training was completed in Jan 1974 and I reported back to VA-125. The following month they sent me to the Marine Corp Recruit Depot (MCRD), San Diego, to attend Navy instructor training where I earned a 9501 enlisted classification code for stand-up instructors. Upon returning to VA-125 I was assigned to the training department as an instructor supervisor. I spent my entire shore tour in that position and was advanced to E7 (chief petty officer) and became my division’s supervisor.

What VA-125 was doing with me was take advantage of my knowledge and experience with the A7 aircraft.

The picture of me was taken right after I returned home from the Chief’s initiation where I got my anchors.

VA-125 pictures.


I make Chief - 1975.JPG

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[ARaustiff]

Though not an RV topic, I enjoyed your story. When did you retire and what are you doing now? Hope to see you in a campground!

[CALinSC]

Originally Posted by ARaustiff

Though not an RV topic, I enjoyed your story. When did you retire and what are you doing now? Hope to see you in a campground!

I'll take my stories and aircraft to 1988 when I retired from the Navy. I retired from DOD in 2002 and went on SS in 2003.

Linda and I have been married 62 years and are still active physically and mentally. We enjoy our retirement community here in the SC foot hills and still travel to visit family and friends. We have not been west of the Mississippi since 2010.

Together we have visited all of the lower 48 states. I was stationed in HI and flew to Alaska regularly on Navy Super Conny aircraft. I also visited most of the Caribbean islands including Puerto Rico, Cuba, St. Thomas and the Bahamas.

This picture was taken on our 61st wedding anniversary. Needless to say, we were just kids when we married in 1958.

Princess cruise 2019.jpg

[CALinSC]

NAS Oceana, Virginia Beach, VA

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When my shore duty ended with VA-125 in 1977, guess what? It was back to the Atlantic Fleet and VF-41, once again. This time they were in the process of transitioning to the F-14 Tom Cat. For me it was back to school. This time it was familiarization with the aircraft and preparations for increased responsibilities as an aviation maintenance manager.

Once I finished schooling I was assigned to the maintenance control branch of the maintenance department. While there I got certified to sign aircraft safe for flight. Shortly after that I was assigned to flight deck duty as the squadron’s flight deck maintenance coordinator.

VF-41 (The Black Aces) was part of Air Wing 8 operating off the USS Nimitz, my first and only nuke.

Here are some flight deck operations.



2 - Scanned 10-21-15 (8).jpg 4 - Scanned 10-21-15 (7).jpg

5 - Scanned 10-21-15 (13).jpg 6 - Scanned 10-21-15 (9).jpg

[CALinSC]

During my 1977 – 1980 tour with VF-41 I had to go to the Air Wing and work the desk for them because their maintenance CPOs didn’t have any flight deck experience.

Respotting aircraft on the flight & hangar decks is a very intensive tasking during flight ops. The job requires constant communications with all squadron maintenance departments while constantly updating the ships aircraft handler of all operational aircraft status.

During my time with CVW8 the Iran hostage situation was playing out and the huge H-53 helicopters were aboard the Nimitz. They were constantly being moved up and down elevators to hide them from satellite detection. Cloud cover and rain squalls would bring them to the flight deck for maintenance, engine turns, or short flights.

The helos were flown to Diego Garcia in C5 aircraft. Then the Nimitz made a night run for the island to pick them up and hide them in the hangar bays.

Here are a couple of pictures of their movement between decks.

Note: Yellow shirts are aircraft movement handlers. The reason for so many is their getting familiar with the dimensions of the helos and their turning radius. We never had H-53s stay aboard before this operation.


USS Nimitz - 1980 - 1.jpg USS Nimitz - 1980 - .jpg

Cag 8.gif

[CALinSC]

In early January 1980 I received orders to report to the Commander in Chief US Atlantic Fleet (CINLANTFLT) Norfolk, VA.

I was working in a high profile flight deck job for the Commander of Carrier Air Wing 8. The wing commander and my squadron commander had told me I would stay with the USS Nimitz until it returned to NS Norfolk. No one, especially me, expected to get priority 2 orders to an Admirals’ staff. Another surprising factor was I was ordered there as a manpower analyst for the entire Naval aircraft shore forces of the Atlantic Fleet. My COs on the Nimitz hands were tied. They could not justify requesting a modification of PRI 2 orders to a fleet commander. My orders also included a one month stop at the Naval Training command for Manpower Analyst training.

The long journey home began. None of the air wing or other supporting aircraft had the range to fly me to Diego Garcia from the Nimitz operating waters. An oiler/supply ship, the USS Roanoke was going to Diego Garcia after it serviced the Nimitz. I got a ride on an H-46 to the Roanoke. It took them 7 days to get to Diego Garcia. I was unwound when I got there. Getting off Diego Garcia was pretty easy with my high priority orders. I got a hop on a C-141 to Clark AFB in the Philippians. I spent one night there and got a hop on a Tigre flight to San Francesco via stops at Guam, Tokyo, Anchorage and flight destination, San Francisco. I took a two day rest at San Francisco and then got another C-141 to Fort Worth and then a DC-9 to Andrews AFB. At that time CINCLANTFLT had an H-53 milk run between the Pentagon and the CINCLNTFLT compound in Norfolk. Five days later I reported to my analyst training classes.

Here are some pictures of how I got home from the Indian Ocean (Arabian Sea). They are from USN or Wikipedia files.


DG-1a.jpg DG-1b.jpeg

DG-2.jpg DG-3.jpg

DG3-a.jpg

[CALinSC]

In early 1983 my tour of shore duty with CINCLANTFLT at Norfolk, VA came to an end. I was getting real close to retirement and wanted to go to FL. After working closely with my detailer – whom I personally knew from our days together on the Midway – I got orders to VA-46 (A7-E aircraft) at Naval Air Station, Cecil Field, FL (Jacksonville). After a few weeks of familiarization with the squadron I got the position I had always coveted, department maintenance chief of an operating squadron. As such, I was the enlisted manager of the entire maintenance department.

I had more than 8 years experience with the A7 aircraft and had been on the team that verified and validated the A7-E maintenance manuals.

VA-46 was assigned to Carrier Air Wing 1, operating off the USS America (CV-66). Upon returning from a Med/Indian Ocean deployment in 1985 I got detached from VA-46 because of a medical condition. After a few months in limbo and a trip to a formal medical board at Great Lakes, IL I was ordered to a year of limited duty. It would be with Commander Light Attack Wing 1 based at NAS Cecil Field. The current commander at that time was the CO of VA-46 when I reported there in 1983. My position there would be; manpower analyst for CLAW-1. I got my own office and computer system and went to work establishing a manpower data base for the Wing.


NAS JAX - A7E.JPG 76184560_3759921600700219_2798070472065941504_o.jpg

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[CALinSC]

Early in 1986 I was informed I would be released from limited duty. I would have to go somewhere I could complete my sea duty as my time at CLAW1 was neutral duty. Of course I wanted to stay in the Jacksonville, FL area because we had built a new home and were going to live there after retirement. My detailer came-up empty handed and penciled me in for Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

Just before my orders for Cuba were issued I got a visit by the Maintenance Officer of VFA-132, a F/A-18 aircraft squadron at NAS Cecil Field, FL. His maintenance chief was being transferred for a family hardship. The CLAW1 commander had recommended me for the position and the maintenance officer had come to offer me the position.

In early 1988 my medical condition worsened and I retired at NAS Cecil Field, FL and was placed on the Permanent Disabled Retired List (PDRL).

Retirement day 3-88 = 1.jpg VFA-132 - 1.jpg

VFA-132-Privateers-017[1].jpg VFA-132-Privateers-018[1].jpg

[Notanlines]

Cal, even though I believe that photo is of you and your youngest daughter, DW and I want to thank both you and your DW for all those years service. We have many friends who are veterans and the wives/spouses suffered hard times also. When Brenda went to Camp Butler in Okinawa for a year (I had already been discharged) I was hard to be around sometimes. Those tours of duty are mighty hard on those left behind also!

[CALinSC]

Originally Posted by Notanlines

Cal, even though I believe that photo is of you and your youngest daughter, DW and I want to thank both you and your DW for all those years service. We have many friends who are veterans and the wives/spouses suffered hard times also. When Brenda went to Camp Butler in Okinawa for a year (I had already been discharged) I was hard to be around sometimes. Those tours of duty are mighty hard on those left behind also!

Thank You.

Due to great strides in medical sciences in our great country I’m still in the game.

Linda and I will celebrate our 62nd wedding anniversary on Oct 4th this year.


Our 5 years of full time RVing were exciting. I'll be posting aviation pictures from those years soon.

DSC00303.jpg

[CALinSC]

While RVing America, we used many different highways and byways. We never had a schedule or agenda. Just point the rig and go. For about 50% of the time we had long time Navy friends traveling with us.

On this particular occasion we were traveling west on US-2 from the MI UP all the way to Minot ND. Whenever our travels took us close to military RV Parks/CGs we would stop for a week to 10 days and catch-up on our shopping needs.

Almost all Military bases that have something to do with aviation will have an aircraft display area. At Grand Forks, ND AFB there was a large tanker aircraft right at the main gate.

ND - Grand Forks AFB - 1.jpg ND - Grand Forks AFB - 2 .jpg

[CALinSC]

During our full time years we wintered at Yuma twice. The Marine Corps Air Station is right down town. It was very convenient to use for shopping and medical prescriptions.

These pictures were taken of aircraft on display at the main gate to the base.


MCAS Yuma, AZ (1).JPG MCAS Yuma, AZ (2).JPG.JPG

MCAS Yuma, AZ (3).JPG.JPG

[CALinSC]

Once while parked at Dickinson, ND we were riding around exploring yard sales one weekend and found this aircraft on display out in a field near a smallish rural airport at Devils Lake, ND.


Devils Lake ND 104.jpg

[CALinSC]

We spent a couple months here in a 30 AMP FHU overflow site with a ball field out back and the mess hall, bowling alley and golf driving range across the street.

It's the Blue Angle winter home and they were there while we were there.

NAF El Centro8.JPG NAF El Centro10.JPG

NAF El Centro7.JPG NAF El Centro5.JPG

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