Military Aircraft Pictures & Stories

[zipmart]

The A-7C was actually the first 67 a/c in the A-7E production line, with the TF30-P-8 engine. All succeeding A-7E's had the TF41. The TA-7C was indeed a two-seater that utilized converted A-7B or A-7C airframes, upgraded to A-7E standards.

[Traildust]

The good old days, A7-A with the Pratt&Whitney P6, the A7-B PW P408 and the good old TA7-C had the P408 also. The fuel control on the P6 was as big as the entire gearbox on a F404-400/402.
Bill

[FastEagle]

I was at the LTV factory at Grand Prairie, TX in 1969. I was a member of the A7-E maintenance manual verification & validation team. All team members were allowed to wear civilian clothing at work. We lived two to a room at a nearby apartment complex.

At work a completed aircraft was placed in a circular building they called a rotunda. That allowed each maintenance specialty team to be of equal distance to the aircraft. Each team had a navy rep from each rating working with a counterpart from the other RAG squadron. Each rating had a team of at least 5 factory works familiar with their area of responsibility.

Our badges gave us free access to nearly all activities at the factory. The USAF A7-D aircraft were being built on another assembly line and we often went and looked at some of the maintenance differences between the two models.

Here is a picture of the Navy members from both participating squadrons (VA-125 and VA-174). I’m first left in the 2nd row. The next picture is a glimpse of a 1969 production line.

[garry1p]

For me shock and awe was setting just off the side at the end of the active runway in a crash truck when 10 or 12 of the fully loaded alert B52's would be scrambling. During taking off (I think it was 10 second intervals) they would be airborne almost directly overhead number 2 would be rolling before number 1 was airborne. By the time the 4th one was airborne you could no longer see down the runway due to exhaust smoke. B 52's don't take off like any other aircraft when they start out the outriggers at the end of the wings are on the ground the wings actually bend up with speed and the aircraft just lifts off the ground and never noses up just gains altitude while the aircraft is in horizontal flight. Really a sight to behold.

[YC1]

That Rotax engine in the Predator is about bullet proof I suspect. Amazing what that little four cylinder engine can do.

[Traildust]

FastEagle - When I was with the F/A-18 Fleet Introduction Team aka FIT Team, we did much the same thing. Tech. Pubs mainly at the factory in St.Louis was MacAir then. Also traveled to Phoenix for the APU and good old Lynn, Mass for the GE engines. Spent a lot of time away from home on that tour of duty but it was one of the most challenging and rewarding tours I had. The flight attendants on the flight from Fresno to St.Louis knew us all by first names, got a lot of free little bottles of Jack.
Bill

[Traildust]

Sure hope I did not kill this thread, I won't post anymore on here promise. I can see my Navy career wasn't as stellar as some on here.
Adios

[FL420]

Originally Posted by Traildust

Sure hope I did not kill this thread, I won't post anymore on here promise. I can see my Navy career wasn't as stellar as some on here.
Adios

Adios my a$$! Quit talking like that sailor.
It was guys like you who did your jobs and did them well for little money and little thanks who made it possible for me to have some interesting stories to tell. Some of my best memories of my time in the Navy were in the squadron Maintenance Department as an Av/Weps Division Officer, Quality Assurance Officer and Safety Officer hanging out with you guys and learning everything I could from you.
I feel lucky to be able to hear your stories on this thread. I'm still learning from you guys and enjoying it immensely. Please keep them coming.
In case you haven't heard it before, Bravo Zulu for all you guys did to keep those of us who depended on you to keep us flying and keeping us safe.

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by Traildust

Sure hope I did not kill this thread, I won't post anymore on here promise. I can see my Navy career wasn't as stellar as some on here.
Adios

Hang in here! I enjoy reading of past experiences from everyone. I don't say anything because all I know of is mud, water, sweat, sweltering heat and hearing the zoomies overhead. Now I get to read what some of what others experienced. My BIL was in the brown water navy in Nam. While he was on R&R in Hawaii with my sister, his boat was sank(mine) losing all aboard including his replacement. He never got over that and felt guilty for not being there.

[PbFoot]

Originally Posted by YC1

That Rotax engine in the Predator is about bullet proof I suspect. Amazing what that little four cylinder engine can do.

Here you go YC1.

[akeagle]

Originally Posted by garry1p

For me shock and awe was setting just off the side at the end of the active runway in a crash truck when 10 or 12 of the fully loaded alert B52's would be scrambling. During taking off (I think it was 10 second intervals) they would be airborne almost directly overhead number 2 would be rolling before number 1 was airborne. By the time the 4th one was airborne you could no longer see down the runway due to exhaust smoke. B 52's don't take off like any other aircraft when they start out the outriggers at the end of the wings are on the ground the wings actually bend up with speed and the aircraft just lifts off the ground and never noses up just gains altitude while the aircraft is in horizontal flight. Really a sight to behold.

As an air traffic controller "born and raised" at a SAC base (Castle AFB, CA) I can certainly vouch for the awesomeness of a mass launch of Buffs from the vantage point of the control tower. Your estimate of the takeoff interval timing is pretty close. There was typically three B-52s on the runway at any given time during the launch: The first one about 3/4 of the way down the runway and about to rotate, the second one about 1/3 down the runway and building speed, and the third one just starting takeoff roll, then the next one taxies onto the runways while starting his 10 second timer.

After the initial takeoff clearance is given to the lead aircraft, the tower controller's job was to listen intently to the tower and departure control frequencies in case one has a problem and calls an abort. Then the controller who already has those transmitters keyed up, including guard, quickly transmits "abort, abort, abort" so all succeeding aircraft stop their takeoff rolls.

In two years at that base I only saw that happen once.

After the first couple aircraft were airborne, it was obvious all the following aircraft were fighting significant wake turbulence.

[zipmart]

Originally Posted by FL420

Adios my a$$! Quit talking like that sailor.
It was guys like you who did your jobs and did them well for little money and little thanks who made it possible for me to have some interesting stories to tell. Some of my best memories of my time in the Navy were in the squadron Maintenance Department as an Av/Weps Division Officer, Quality Assurance Officer and Safety Officer hanging out with you guys and learning everything I could from you.
I feel lucky to be able to hear your stories on this thread. I'm still learning from you guys and enjoying it immensely. Please keep them coming.
In case you haven't heard it before, Bravo Zulu for all you guys did to keep those of us who depended on you to keep us flying and keeping us safe.

Absolutely 100% agree with this. Some of my fondest non-flying memories are from my tour as an ensign in my first fleet A-7 squadron as a line division officer. I learned so much from those young guys and had so much fun hanging out in the line shack, listening to their oft-times hilarious stories and tales about some of the ridiculous things we pilots did. Later, as the maintenance officer in a reserve A-4 squadron, I had the chance to interact with all of the various branches and divisions. The pilots got the credit, but the enlisted were the reason everything happened as efficiently and effectively as it did. As FL420 said, BRAVO ZULU!!!! And please, keep those stories coming!

[FastEagle]

This is a historical picture for me. The USS Boxer (LPH-4) was the first aircraft carrier I served in and the only one as part of Ships Company. I went aboard in 1963 and was assigned to the V6 division tool room in the hangar bay.

The USS America (CV-66) was the last carrier I served in. I was there with VA-46 serving as their maintenance chief from 1983 to 1985.

[RogueRV]

Originally Posted by FastEagle

This is a historical picture for me. The USS Boxer (LPH-4) was the first aircraft carrier I served in and the only one as part of Ships Company. I went aboard in 1963 and was assigned to the V6 division tool room in the hangar bay.

The USS America (CV-66) was the last carrier I served in. I was there with VA-46 serving as their maintenance chief from 1983 to 1985.

Attachment 309648

My uncle Captain Ike Dew was one of the skippers of the Boxer and the first Captain after it transitioned to a Marine Helicopter assault carrier. He graduated from the Naval Academy and got his wings in 1936. Everyone who has ever served aboard a ship knows that the Captain is the absolute authority about everything. After the Marines came aboard Ike told me about a "discussion" he had with the Marine Colonel in charge something like "this ship will go where I want and when I want". end of discussion. I have lots of official Navy photos from the Boxer that I hope to donate to the museum in Pensacola and also a beautiful plaque from the Boxer.