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Interesting A-4

HeyJoe

Fly Navy! ...or USMC
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
@HJ -Yeah, I've seen your work in the Anytime, Baby! Tomcat book and on here. Some real good stuff. You have quite an eye for a good picture. Anyway I was just curious. Continue to be liberal with sharing your photos on here. Thanks.

p.s.- the Silhouette sun set shot is one of my favorite type of photos to take. Haven't had the chance to take one in the air yet. Hope someday I will. Cheers.

Here's one I shot just before sun went down on January 16, 1991. First iron on deck for Desert Storm with CAG in background checking out the ordnance with CAG OPS.

Firstironondeck.jpg
 

scoober78

(HCDAW)
pilot
Contributor
Thanks, but never got around to it. I always took a camera or two or three (loaded with E-6, C-41 and Kodachrome) with me on every hop regardless of weather unless it was a night hop. After I got some reasonable shots, the ship's photo lab kept me well stocked with film so I shot like a professional (bracketing shots) and had them critique my work nightly. Got quite a few in books I have written or in those of others as well as magazines (I am fairly liberal in sharing images as long as I have time to research them).

SunriseSidra.jpg


Probably my favorite shot; Sunrise in the Gulf of Sidra 1986 returning from CAP to USS America after raid on Libya


Great picture...Was the hook down just for effect?
 

A4sForever

BTDT OLD GUY
pilot
Contributor
The FLIP-SIDE:

Sunrise .... TRANSPAC .... 8 hours into the flight .... dead tired at the end of a 12 day trip .... eyes burning, 747-style ... goin' to HNL .... lookin' forward to some days off .... and a Mai'tai or two ... or three .... :)


temp112002022nw0.jpg
 

HeyJoe

Fly Navy! ...or USMC
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Great picture...Was the hook down just for effect?

Nope, ship was calling for us to buster back (we were last two jets on station) and we only joined for a few moments before getting CASE III vectors. SOP is to join up with wingman and check the hook (among other things) when returning to "mother".

Hawkcircle.jpg


Awaiting an open deck over USS John F Kennedy (HJ photo)
 

HeyJoe

Fly Navy! ...or USMC
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
The FLIP-SIDE:

Sunrise .... TRANSPAC .... 8 hours into the flight .... dead tired at the end of a 12 day trip .... eyes burning, 747-style ... goin' to HNL .... lookin' forward to some days off .... and a Mai'tai or two ... or three .... :)

At least you weren't strapped to an ejection seat all that time, didn't have to use a piddle pack AND didn't have to tank at night to make the 8 hours happen to enjoy seeing the sun rise. Oh yeah, no Mai'tais after landing either.

Nighttanking.jpg


HJ photo
 

gaijin6423

Ask me about ninjas!
Coming at this a little late to answer the original poster, but I've been down at Lejeune for the last couple days and busy with those pesky courts martial.

The 'Arctic Warrior' is an old traing A-4 that they used in the AE school prac-ap portion in Millington, TN, where students would troubleshoot gripes instructors inserted into the bird. (Kind of a shame when you think about it.) From my AE school days, I remember asking why it was painted like that (we'd had classes regarding corrosion control, proper painting, etc.), and the response was, "Because the Master Chief thought it would look cool." The school used to paint people's names where the plane captain would normally go if they exceeded the GPA on one of the jets. In fact, my name used to be on that A-4, followed by a 98.7%.
 

Intruder Driver

All Weather Attack
pilot
At least you weren't strapped to an ejection seat all that time, didn't have to use a piddle pack AND didn't have to tank at night to make the 8 hours happen to enjoy seeing the sun rise. Oh yeah, no Mai'tais after landing either.

Nighttanking.jpg


HJ photo

Mai Tai's always available in my bunkroom and stateroom!
 

KSUFLY

Active Member
pilot
Coming at this a little late to answer the original poster, but I've been down at Lejeune for the last couple days and busy with those pesky courts martial.

The 'Arctic Warrior' is an old traing A-4 that they used in the AE school prac-ap portion in Millington, TN, where students would troubleshoot gripes instructors inserted into the bird. (Kind of a shame when you think about it.) From my AE school days, I remember asking why it was painted like that (we'd had classes regarding corrosion control, proper painting, etc.), and the response was, "Because the Master Chief thought it would look cool." The school used to paint people's names where the plane captain would normally go if they exceeded the GPA on one of the jets. In fact, my name used to be on that A-4, followed by a 98.7%.

So you worked with that bird in Millington? I had got information that Millington gave it to NAATTC when the training moved to NASP. I figured it had something to do with gripes and practice preflights but wasn't for sure.
 

gaijin6423

Ask me about ninjas!
^Yep, and as of a few years ago, the AE schoolhouse still had a mini hangar full of them. Okay, maybe not exactly FULL, but at least 5-6. The one pictured is not, however, the one with which my classmates attempted to kill me by electrocution. I think that one had a more standard paint job.
 

A4sForever

BTDT OLD GUY
pilot
Contributor
.....The 'Arctic Warrior' is an old traing A-4 that they used in the AE school ... in Millington, TN.....I remember asking why it was painted like that ......"Because the Master Chief thought it would look cool." ....

Ahhhhhhhh .... a.k.a. ... a "vanity" paint scheme .... and from a bunch ofNavy/ Marine mechs in Millington, as well .... the horror ... THE HORROR !!! THE HUMANITY !!! THE HORROR !!!!:eek:
 

gaijin6423

Ask me about ninjas!
I remember looking up inside the (very empty) engine bay, seeing where a bunch of people had graffitied, and shaking my head. The Horror, indeed.
 

FastMover

NFO
None
Intruder Pictures

Here are a couple pics of an A-6 from VA-35 they had stashed out back for you ex-Intruder types. Some of their best airplanes were parked out side. Hopefully they'll all be restored to their former glory some day soon.
 

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phrogpilot73

Well-Known Member
Nope, it's not a sunset silhouette of an aircraft. It's also a photo that I can't claim credit to (combat camera guy). But - This is one of my favorite photos from Iraq. It's a sunrise not a sunset, and I couldn't take it 'cause I was in the cockpit starting up.

This is what I'm going to miss about the USMC - the young Marines.
 

Schnugg

It's gettin' a bit dramatic 'round here...
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Here's a unique A-4 shot. I wish I had the story behind this...anyone???

May not be a US jet. When I flew in the TA-4J, going off-roading was one of the few items that made me think about ejecting on deck due to the tall landing gear and chance of rolling over.
 

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