To all old Prowler Bubbas....

[rare21]

I have a question for you prowler bubbas. I got an old framed picture of an EA-6B at a thrift store a while back. I just wanted to know if anyone knew the history of the picture of of the aircraft. The bottom says Phillipines, Westpac '90 and signed D. Chang. So thats the extent of what I know and any other info would be great.

 

[Brett327]

That's probably gonna be a tall order. I don't think any of the Prowler folks on AW were around then and there's not a whole lot to go on. It's hard to make out the paint job, but I think it might be VAQ-134. You might be able to find some squadron history somewhere then extrapolate some info about the cruise.

Brett

 

[rare21]

thanks Brett, i kinda was expecting as much it being from '90 and all. and it is VAQ-134 off the Carl Vinson (thats the small print)

 

[Pugs]

Hard to say much. It's an ICAP II jet belonging to VAQ-134 the Garuda's. That config makes it a mid eighties to mid nineties jet. I had a few hours in 162230 in VAQ-35 the jet roughly two behind it on the production line. Yea, I'm old Brett!

 

[Spike]

yup

I was in the Garudas from 86-89 and am pretty sure that D. Chang was LT David Chang.

Cheers,
~Eric

 

[jfulginiti]

Hard to say much. It's an ICAP II jet belonging to VAQ-134 the Garuda's. That config makes it a mid eighties to mid nineties jet. I had a few hours in 162230 in VAQ-35 the jet roughly two behind it on the production line. Yea, I'm old Brett!

Wow, 162xxx makes you old? I just left a Marine Prowler squadron about 9 months ago and 161xxx was the newest jet we had. Although, 158036 was the best jet we had on the line. It spent 12 straight months in Iraq but still flew great and hardly ever had any gripes.

 

[Pugs]

Yep,
Jet I flew my last flight in two years ago was 158029. One of the best jets we had. Not a real high time jet though as it spent a lot of it's life as a FRAMP bird at NUW. Picked up 163529 factory fresh from Calverton though which makes me trending towards old

 

[Brett327]

Yep,
Jet I flew my last flight in two years ago was 158029. One of the best jets we had. Not a real high time jet though as it spent a lot of it's life as a FRAMP bird at NUW. Picked up 163529 factory fresh from Calverton though which makes me trending towards old

Did the "new car smell" in the Prowler still smell like stale farts and burning Kapton?

Brett

 

[Pugs]

Did the "new car smell" in the Prowler still smell like stale farts and burning Kapton?

Brett

By the time we got home it did! They came clean wing without even pylons so we were all amazed at how far you could go on a bag of gas. It even came with four new sets of leg retraints and seat cushions that were actually cushiony! It was kind of like a new car.

 

[SteveG75]

If that is the D Chang I am thinking of, he is now an O-5 and doing what I am currently doing where I am.

 

[tailspin]

Really old Prowler

Take a look at http://tinyurl.com/yqnjfg.

First EA-6B delivered to the fleet 158029.

More '70s era pic at http://tinyurl.com/25qupc

 

[Pugs]

Take a look at http://tinyurl.com/yqnjfg.

First EA-6B delivered to the fleet 158029.

More '70s era pic at http://tinyurl.com/25qupc

And 158029 is still around with VAQ-209 configured as a block 89 (heck may be an 89A now). I flew my last flight in her two years ago. It spent much of it's life as a maint training plane so has surprisingly low hours

 

[Intruder Driver]

I'm proud to say I logged 19 hours and 8 traps in 158 Buno EA-6B's as a midshipman on Independence.