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F-8 has a rough landing
- Thread starter zpatman
- Start date
Some of the comments by that T.W. Davidson character make me wonder if he's the real deal....I'll defer to the older, wiser members around here.
T.W. Davidson sez:
"Once you acquire the ball, you make a call to the Boss and make a simple, brief report. Though for me its been about 20 years, the call goes something like this: "Ryno (sic) 31, meatball, on speed with the gear, hook down, harness locked, 3000 lbs."
I say: complete bullshit. There's many more 'glitches' in the narrative (i.e., flying the ball w/ 'trim', correcting for lineup w/ 'rudders' just for starters), but the above is enough for me. His nomenclature is all wrong.
Verdict: he's a faker ... or he's mental. Or he's Skeeterman, part deux.
The only thing I don't believe is that someone actually has the callsign "Cobra."
As long as we're talking F-8s, will someone please explain "Hud' n" for me?
As long as we're talking F-8s, will someone please explain "Hud' n" for me?
Well, he says the story was told him by a pilot by name of "Cobra" who was from that Air Wing aboard USS Coral Sea in 1972. I can confirm there was such a person* flying F-4 Phantoms in VF-111 as I worked for and with him upon retirement and he's not given to telling tall tales, but he relates true tales and that one sounds familiar. I can check with him as we still stay in touch (he retired to a beautiful waterfront compound on Chesapeake Bay a few years ago). He's rarely on email, but I know two of the MiG killers from the sister squadron who also worked in same company and can ask them.
VF-111 F-4B Phantom launching off USS Coral Sea
*If you look on the wall at TOPGUN at the pictures of instructors, he's number 2. He and Dan Pederson founded TOPGUN as VF-121 RAG instructors (it started as an abandoned trailer, 2 metal chairs and a typewriter). He left VF-111 and went to TPS and then was selected to command TOPGUN. He is a greater American among great Americans and figures prominently in Scream of Eagles.
One "Cobra" ... XO/CO of VF-114, early '70's ... mess w/ "Cobra" at your own peril ... and that's just one 'Cobra'.
As far as the rest of your question -- it's always 'two', i.e., "HUD'N - HUD'N" ...
Why don't you ask Catmando ... see what Cat' sez ... ??? :icon_lol::icon_lol::icon_lol::icon_lol::skull_125
One of my airlines was called 'COBRA' ... it would 'strike' at anything ...
The story is being related by someone who had not been there, done that and only heard it some time before from someone who had so I don't think you can debunk based on erroneous terms.
I'd *guess* faker with a decent working knowledge of Naval Air, but I'm no expert. The following sounded a little weird:
Not sure what he is trying to say here, but I'd say that you can stall the jet at any altitude, not just below 1000'.....that and the entire CV case 1 pattern is >1000', but whatever. That, his horrible recreation of a ball call, and the talk about locking your harness. Not sure how it is done in grey jets so I will defer to others, but I never once trapped with a locked harness in the clownjet. Maybe inertial reels weren't as good back then
Not sure what he is trying to say here, but I'd say that you can stall the jet at any altitude, not just below 1000'.....that and the entire CV case 1 pattern is >1000', but whatever. That, his horrible recreation of a ball call, and the talk about locking your harness. Not sure how it is done in grey jets so I will defer to others, but I never once trapped with a locked harness in the clownjet. Maybe inertial reels weren't as good back then
Think they were talking about the "expert" below in the comments section.
Roger that; I don't know who this particular "Cobra" is, but the guy I was referring to was their Skeeterman-esque "T.W. Davidson" who says, among other fantasies, that he 'grayed out on my very first catshot ...'
The narrative (his - Davidson's) was obviously written by a guy who's never seen the blunt end of the BOAT - and it's details and hype are patently ridiculous. Or, like we said: he's mental.
It's too late of an hour to answer this thread. But I was around back then, and do remember a callsign "Cobra".
But most of this sounds BS! I'll have to think about it tomorrow.
And if anyone ever posts "Hud'n, Hud'n" again on Air Warriors, I may have to resign my commission here. (You hear that, A4s?!!? :icon_rage ........
)
But most of this sounds BS! I'll have to think about it tomorrow.
And if anyone ever posts "Hud'n, Hud'n" again on Air Warriors, I may have to resign my commission here. (You hear that, A4s?!!? :icon_rage ........
)
Oh, that "Cobra"! No wonder the callsign sounded familiar! I see I should have read all of HJ's post. The guy was an admired legend at NKX at the time, and beyond.
Re T.W. Davidson: It proves a little knowledge in the wrong brain can be a dangerous thing.
Re T.W. Davidson: It proves a little knowledge in the wrong brain can be a dangerous thing.
Yeah, that ball call was the first thing that caught my eye...plus his talk of graying out on his first cat shot...and his mention of that being a common occurrence. And a bunch of other little and not-so-little things. But at this point I haven't even made a ball call to a real LSO (except for when they've been in my backseat) so I figured I'd let our resident experts take a look.