Stupid questions about Naval Aviation (Pt 2)

[brownshoe]

2. New guy.

Sorry... I was tough on the kid.

Steve

 

[Alpha_Echo_606]

Until you've had shitwater (and seriously, I mean little pieces of shit in the water) bubble up out of the drain on cruise, you haven't lived. I'd put the JFK against the Iwo any day...

That was every day life on the Forrestal. :crazy_125

 

[blackbart22]

Originally Nugget meant Ensign, referring to the gold bar. That was when there were a number of us that went through the program as NAVCADs and so reported to our first squadron as O-1s.

 

[MasterBates]

Some of us non NavCads have managed to make it to the fleet wearing gold.

I may do it twice if I don't get out of the RAG soon..

 

[Big Biff]

Here is a possibly real dumb question, but I have searched and cannot find anything.

Do Naval Aviators ever get assigned as a Forward Air Controller attached to Marine line companies or is that pretty much reserved for Marine aviators and Marines attached to Anglico? The entire thread that I was reading about FAC had to do with Marines so I am a little unclear.

 

[Birdog8585]

Do Naval Aviators ever get assigned as a Forward Air Controller attached to Marine line companies or is that pretty much reserved for Marine aviators and Marines attached to Anglico? The entire thread that I was reading about FAC had to do with Marines so I am a little unclear.

First, Marine Aviators are in fact Naval Aviators. So ratified, I think your question is: do USN pilots get attached to a Marine line company or a battalion as the air officer or company FAC?
Short answer, no.

You're a Marine anyway, what are you worried about - or are you off to accelerate your life?

 

[Uncle Fester]

Attached to Marine units? No. There used to be a fair smattering of Navy types (Air and SWO) in the ANGLICO's, but I understand that is no more.

It has been known to happen that aviators (almost always guys who were FAC(A) qual'ed in the Fleet) are assigned as FAC's with Navy units; NSW and I believe the RIVRON's have a few aviator billets. FAC tours aren't a regular career thing, though, like it is for Marines.

 

[Big Biff]

Ok, thanks for the input, and yes, I am trying to go blue side wanting to see how the other half lives.
I would think that the operators in NSW would already be quallified, but I guess it never hurts to have extra help.

 

[HeyJoe]

Originally Nugget meant Ensign, referring to the gold bar. That was when there were a number of us that went through the program as NAVCADs and so reported to our first squadron as O-1s.

You can easily be a "Nugget" as an 0-2, 0-3 and even 0-4. It means you don't have a deployment under your belt. An NFO that completes gradutes from Nugget status, but returns to flight school to become a pilot will be considered a Nugget upon returning to the flight (likely as an )-3 or 0-4). Even MB will be a Nugget when he hits the fleet as an E-2 pilot.

 

[jmcquate]

This month's NASM Air & Space has an article about A-6 Intruders. The article begins with a story about a strike mission against North Vietnam and an encounter with a MiG-17. The article states that the A-6 crew armed their AIM-9s but could not get into a position to fire a heat shot. My question is, did an A-6 ever carry Sidewinders.

 

[ea6bflyr]

AIM-9 == Sidewinder. Yes, A-6's could carry sidewinders. A quick google search would have clarified that.

-ea6bflyr

 

[eddie]

My question is, did an A-6 ever carry Sidewinders.

There is a picture (with a good story) A4's puts up now and again. Search Taiwan Straits and it might come up.

 

[A4sForever]

This month's NASM Air & Space has an article about A-6 Intruders. The article begins with a story about a strike mission against North Vietnam and an encounter with a MiG-17. The article states that the A-6 crew armed their AIM-9s but could not get into a position to fire a heat shot. My question is, did an A-6 ever carry Sidewinders.

I think what you're referring to is CAG "Blinky" Sheets' ("blinky" = he slightly resembled Don Knotts -- but was a tiger through & through) habit of strapping 'Winders on the A-6 when the former fighter-driver became CVW-15 CAG on the CORAL MARU ... funny how all/most of the Vietnam-era CAGs wanted to fly the A-6 when it came time to pick the horse they were going to ride. In this case, he was riding/driving w/ VMA(AW) 224 which made a habit of deploying on the MARU and made 5-6 wartime line periods as part of the Air Wing.

While the A-6 "could" carry 'Winders -- it seldom did as the mission dictated maximun air-ground ordnance on target and "dueling" w/ MiGs was generally a bad idea in the ATTACK Communities, unless it became absolutely necessary.

A few years after the war -- when operating further north -- we strapped 'Winders onto our A-6 pylons w/murderous intent in our collective hearts of taking out a BEAR/BADGER should it ever become neccessary -- as the Rooskies were literally running us out of F-4's by overflying the TF during 24-hour ops in the Sea of Japan. So the ATTACK community ponied up and the A-6's and A-7's launched as BARCAP/MiGCAP when we were hurtin' for Phantoms ...

 

[Mumbles]

Sheets was also flying with the USMC A-6 Squadron.

 

[jmcquate]

Spot on. The article states the pilot was Robert Sheets and the B/N was Charlie Carr.