-
Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?
Go here:
Edit Account Details and Profile
Biplane Ride!!
- Thread starter ea6bflyr
- Start date
MPH
Well-Known Member
"Lites" Leenhouts
"Lites" classic self portraits before retirement
In a VA-72 A-7E over Saudi Arabia during Desert Shield circa 1990
In a VA-46 A-7E circa 1988
"Lites" classic self portraits before retirement
In a VA-72 A-7E over Saudi Arabia during Desert Shield circa 1990
In a VA-46 A-7E circa 1988
I have always loved that VA-46 picture. The first time I saw it was on the cover of a book called "Top Guns" that my Mom bought me from the local Sams Club back in '89 or '90. I was talking with Lites about it a while back and he told me that on later versions of the cover they airbrushed out the A-7s in the background because it didn't make sense to have attack jets on the cover of a book called "Top Guns." I still have the book but the jacket with the neat picture was trashed long ago. Oh well...
I never could understand why the Navy axed VA-46 and -72...they shoulda had them transition to F/A-18s but I digress.
I never could understand why the Navy axed VA-46 and -72...they shoulda had them transition to F/A-18s but I digress.
They weren't supposed to go away. They were scheduled to transition to the Hornet, but when they deployed for Desert Shield, it appeared they weren't coming back for awhile. AIRLANT then selected two squadrons that were scheduled to be disestablished to get a new lease on life (The VA-83 Bulls and the VA-105 Gunslingers). VA-46 and VA-72 got their last hurrah as only A-7 Squadrons in Desert Storm, but were disestablished upon their return. Since "Lites" was the XO of VA-72, he laterally transferred to a F/A-18 squadron as XO and continued to bag traps.
Joe, did you mean the VA-83 Rampagers were supposed to go away or the VA-37 Bulls?