The Great, Constantly Changing Picture Gallery

[Alpha_Echo_606]

^Sharp looking Super Connie!

I hope to see the New School Blues today, weather permitting.
Maybe I’ll have some fresh pictures to post when I get home.

 

[The Chief]

Call the Ball

Lightning strike above the mast head of the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) while steaming through the gulf of Thailand. Taken by MC3 Walter M. Wayman/ Released

Lightning strikes near the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) as she steams through the gulf of Thailand. Taken by MC3 Jon Husman/Released)

 

[scoolbubba]

Old School Blues........

The super connie is one of my all time favorite aircraft. I want to get a retirement gig flying the Breitling Super Constellation...

 

[Flugelman]

Old School Blues........

Loved the Connie. My first Navy squadron (VR-7 Det A) flew the last 4 C-121C models in the Air Force inventory. We had a couple of ex AP LDO's (at least I don't think they were URL officers) who really had their stuff in one one sock. I wound up with about 300 hours flying as loadmaster out of Tachikawa before we took them to the boneyard. We kicked ass when compared to the AF squadrons in the wing.

 

[Catmando]

When I worked at the Naval Air Development Center, they had a couple of old Connies they used as test-bed aircraft. In fact one of our C-121 pilots had previously been the Blue Angels MO and flew the Blue Angels Connie pictured ^.

Since any NADC pilot could be checked out concurrently in 3 different aircraft, the sign-up waiting list for the Connie was even longer than the one for our C-47 (DC-3). Besides being fun and historical, these were also nice type ratings on your ticket ( I suppose, but I wasn't into that. I just wanted to fly it once to say I did).

I didn't have a chance for various reasons, but a JO JG friend of mine did get checked out in it. (Mostly because his father was a Chief Pilot for TWA who had many hours in the aircraft.... which BTW I certainly didn't have a problem with... especially since I never did well with mixtures and props and rudders.... of course and unless it was ACM-slamming rudders.)

Pictured below are the Connies, although I think I can find a better pic later . Anyway, regardless of background, fighter, attack, helo, ASW, or whatever, everyone wanted just to fly the Connie.

 

[Pags]

When I worked at the Naval Air Development Center,

The one that used to be in Warminster, PA?

 

[Catmando]

The one that used to be in Warminster, PA?

That would be the one - although it went by other names too... NADC Johnsville, NAWC, etc. It was originally a Brewster Buffalo factory in WW-II - about 5 miles from NAS Willow Grove in Bucks County, PA.
Link

It's primary mission when I was there was ASW Research and Development. But they did many, many other R&D projects there from the very weird if not bizarre, to outstanding cutting edge for the time and ultimately sucessful: TARPS, Deep Difar, TCAS, HUDS, VTAS, etc. Many other successful projects got their start there also, as well as many that are still I believe classified, decades later. Unfortunately, both the center and airfield have now been closed for many years.

For you airline types, it was by the Yardley VORTAC that many had to cross over for arrivals/departures of JFK, LGA, NWK, etc.

 

[Pags]

That would be the one - although it went by other names too... NADC Johnsville, NAWC, etc. It was originally a Brewster Buffalo factory in WW-II - about 5 miles from NAS Willow Grove in Bucks County, PA.
Link

It's primary mission when I was there was ASW Research and Development. But they did many, many other R&D projects there from the very weird if not bizarre, to outstanding cutting edge for the time and ultimately sucessful: TARPS, Deep Difar, TCAS, HUDS, VTAS, etc. Many other successful projects got their start there also, as well as many that are still I believe classified, decades later. Unfortunately, both the center and airfield have now been closed for many years.

For you airline types, it was by the Yardley VORTAC that many had to cross over for arrivals/departures of JFK, LGA, NWK, etc.

Not too familiar with the work they did, but am familiar with the area, I grew up about 20min away from there and remember always staring at the aircraft (and the upside down static birds on the radar range) as we'd drive by. I went to numerous airshows at Willow Grove as a kid and would always run outside to watch the A-4s, A-10s, CH-53s, and P-3s fly over.

I remember when they changed the name from NADC to NAWC and a lot of people got their panties in a bunch over the word "warfare" in the new title. Once they moved to Pax and before they had decided what they wanted to do with the facilities, I remember they were looking for local folks to spin in the centrifuge.

 

[Alpha_Echo_606]

Old School Blues........

I see your Old School and raise to Old School in flight over New School! I give you 3 F8F Bearcat fighters. The scond plane the Blue Angels flew.

 

[markkyle66]

Awesomeshot of the Bearcats in action!

Here's a one I took of a EA-1E during Cecil Airfest out at the former master jet base. I'm always amazed a what a monster the skyraiders are in terms of size and power.

 

[Alpha_Echo_606]

Here is another picture I took yesterday.

I still have more to edit and upload to Photobucket, maybe I will do it tonight.

 

[RyanF]

I see your Old School and raise to Old School in flight over New School! I give you 3 F8F Bearcat fighters. The scond plane the Blue Angels flew.

Your three of a kind is no match for my straight (wildcat, hellcat, and bearcat in flight)

...on the ground ready to go....

some more...

 

[RyanF]

...and here's some non-Navy from that weekend...

For those interested, all the above pictures were taken at the Goodwood Revival in the UK, which is actually all about this:

 

[xj220]

You went to Goodwood? That's awesome! I've always wanted to go to the "Festival of Speed."

 

[Alpha_Echo_606]

A couple more.

AE 606 photos