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Aviator Kind of Stuff
- Thread starter skidkid
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A4sForever said:
How about a hard one? F-4 with nose gear extended for the cat launch.
And now for the Intruder vs Prowler answer.
Both the Intruder and Prowler had/have lights on the back of the outboard pylons. You could see the glow of these lights from the platform. The lights on the Prowler were red and green like normal wingtip lights. On the Intruder, both lights were amber. FYI, nowadays, a lot of Prowler guys don't even turn the pylon lights on anymore.
McDonnell-Douglas F-4J Phantom II, you unwashed, disgraced, slovenly offenders .....
ea6bflyr said:
Don't know about the IR lights. Only took VAQWINGPAC 10 years to get caught up to the Intruder communoty.
The KA-6D did have a green strobe to differentiate from bombers overhead. When the A-6E went to NVG's, we refitted the airplanes with green anti-smash lights. The Intruder never had strobes like the Prowler and Hornet but has mechanically swivelling anti-smash lights (i.e. twirlies).
Didn't see it answered yet...Rhino vs Hornet...number of flashes on the anti-smash differentiates between the two.
C/D is flash flash...pause...flash flash...repeat
E/F is flash flash flash...pause...flash flash flash..pause.
Budding LSOs correct me if I erred, it's been a while since I waved off the PLAT. It may only be one flash for older models, etc...
E/F has a strobe light in the nosewheel well for daytime differentiation. Broke nose wheel strobe = down jet for an E/F. Very easy to see the strobe in daytime. Really can't see the intake difference at the start.
r/
G
C/D is flash flash...pause...flash flash...repeat
E/F is flash flash flash...pause...flash flash flash..pause.
Budding LSOs correct me if I erred, it's been a while since I waved off the PLAT. It may only be one flash for older models, etc...
E/F has a strobe light in the nosewheel well for daytime differentiation. Broke nose wheel strobe = down jet for an E/F. Very easy to see the strobe in daytime. Really can't see the intake difference at the start.
r/
G
Return of the Jedi?? Or the A4 ???
I don't know whether or not to put this on the Star Wars thread or here --- where the "real" stuff goes.
I think I've been doing this too long --- I even have a "Star Wars" sea-story, of sorts. No sea, actually. Just desert --- as in Yuma. 1982?? '83?? Can't remember, but it was when they were filming ... Return of the Jedi (?) --- the one with the big hole in the desert just outside of Yuma???
We were on a 2-3 plane rotating ACM det out of MCAS Yuma and launched one bright, clear, still AM on the DAWN PATROL --- 2 A4's looking for USMC F4 bear. The only catch was --- 2 of the Marine F-4's went down in the chocks and the sissy wingmen did not launch. We did not get this word until we were almost into the MOA, so we figured "what the heck" and went at each other for a couple of quick engagements -- mainly to try a couple of things -- then did a little tail-chase and then ..... boredom set in, the WX was perfect and we had gas to burn.
"Now what"? my wingman said ---- "Follow me" I replied. We dropped from 20K-something feet down onto the desert floor and started chasing coyotes, rabbits, and cactus across the dunes. Cutting back and forth across each other's "6" --- barrel-rolls up and over each other --- we were having a great time. (p.s. A man has got to know his limitations --- and we did
). But when we popped-up in preparation to re-enter the field --- there it was @ 12 O'clock: the production set of the "desert palace", for lack of a better term, of the blob --- Jabba the Hut (sp?).
I signaled straight ahead, follow me, keyed the mic and said " Break away from me" ... and my wingy nodded in acknowledgement. Stick forward, unload, PCL full forward, and the two "lightened" A4s leapt ahead pushing their way to 500 KIAS across the desert. We had heard the production cast and crew of the movie was "somewhere" out there, but this was just too good ....
We hit Jabba's palace @ about 500 knots and 50 feet, pitched up and rolled away from each other, joining back up in cruise at the end of the 360 roll. Beautiful !!! Pulled up, called approach, then tower, then hit the break, landed and taxied in ....... a couple of flashing lights on the parking ramp ---- MP's ???
The MP's "requested" we accompany them to the base C.O.'s office where the duty officer jumped up and down (literally -- the CO wasn't there) while screaming at us. We were going to get kicked off the base, sent home, lose our Wings, and then --- they were REALLY going to get mad. It seems some "wheel" from the set had called up and ratted us out for our fly-over. We tore up some of the canvas on the set, knocked over some other stuff (I doubt it) and shut down production for some indeterminate "considerable" amount of time.
We went back to the Q and said "should we pack our bags" ... or go to the pool ?? We got breakfast and went to the pool. Later that night, we went to dinner @ Cretin's (sp? pronounced Kray-teens) Mex restaurant and what did we behold --- but Billy Dee Williams and Princess Leia (Lay-uh? --- Carrie Fisher in any case) in the flesh .....
....and very nice flesh it was, may I add ....
THEY had been on the set, THEY thought it was GREAT, and as a result, THEY bought us dinner and drinks and laughed and scratched with us for the rest of the evening into the wee hours ..... no DAWN PATROL for us the next day. Never did hear another word about the fly-over, either .....
May the Force be with You ......
I don't know whether or not to put this on the Star Wars thread or here --- where the "real" stuff goes.
I think I've been doing this too long --- I even have a "Star Wars" sea-story, of sorts. No sea, actually. Just desert --- as in Yuma. 1982?? '83?? Can't remember, but it was when they were filming ... Return of the Jedi (?) --- the one with the big hole in the desert just outside of Yuma???
We were on a 2-3 plane rotating ACM det out of MCAS Yuma and launched one bright, clear, still AM on the DAWN PATROL --- 2 A4's looking for USMC F4 bear. The only catch was --- 2 of the Marine F-4's went down in the chocks and the sissy wingmen did not launch. We did not get this word until we were almost into the MOA, so we figured "what the heck" and went at each other for a couple of quick engagements -- mainly to try a couple of things -- then did a little tail-chase and then ..... boredom set in, the WX was perfect and we had gas to burn.
"Now what"? my wingman said ---- "Follow me" I replied. We dropped from 20K-something feet down onto the desert floor and started chasing coyotes, rabbits, and cactus across the dunes. Cutting back and forth across each other's "6" --- barrel-rolls up and over each other --- we were having a great time. (p.s. A man has got to know his limitations --- and we did
). But when we popped-up in preparation to re-enter the field --- there it was @ 12 O'clock: the production set of the "desert palace", for lack of a better term, of the blob --- Jabba the Hut (sp?).
I signaled straight ahead, follow me, keyed the mic and said " Break away from me" ... and my wingy nodded in acknowledgement. Stick forward, unload, PCL full forward, and the two "lightened" A4s leapt ahead pushing their way to 500 KIAS across the desert. We had heard the production cast and crew of the movie was "somewhere" out there, but this was just too good ....
We hit Jabba's palace @ about 500 knots and 50 feet, pitched up and rolled away from each other, joining back up in cruise at the end of the 360 roll. Beautiful !!! Pulled up, called approach, then tower, then hit the break, landed and taxied in ....... a couple of flashing lights on the parking ramp ---- MP's ???
The MP's "requested" we accompany them to the base C.O.'s office where the duty officer jumped up and down (literally -- the CO wasn't there) while screaming at us. We were going to get kicked off the base, sent home, lose our Wings, and then --- they were REALLY going to get mad. It seems some "wheel" from the set had called up and ratted us out for our fly-over. We tore up some of the canvas on the set, knocked over some other stuff (I doubt it) and shut down production for some indeterminate "considerable" amount of time.
We went back to the Q and said "should we pack our bags" ... or go to the pool ?? We got breakfast and went to the pool. Later that night, we went to dinner @ Cretin's (sp? pronounced Kray-teens) Mex restaurant and what did we behold --- but Billy Dee Williams and Princess Leia (Lay-uh? --- Carrie Fisher in any case) in the flesh .....
THEY had been on the set, THEY thought it was GREAT, and as a result, THEY bought us dinner and drinks and laughed and scratched with us for the rest of the evening into the wee hours ..... no DAWN PATROL for us the next day. Never did hear another word about the fly-over, either .....
May the Force be with You ......
Great story A4!! I got to meet Val Kilmer, Tom Cruise, Anthony Edwards and the dude that played Meat onboard the USS Enterprise during the filming of "Top Gun." I actually have a pic of me and Val (circa 1985...me as an Blueshirt Airman)....I'll see if I can dig it up and post it later. Ah, our brush with celebs. Too cool!
eea6bflyr
eea6bflyr
Super18Ordie
F/A-18 Ordnanceman
I got one with David Keith back when he came out to the TR to bring us the reel for Behind Enemy Lines (He was Master Chief O'Malley and the guy had hung him self in Officer and a Gentleman) Really nice down to earth guy. I was an E-3 at the time. Im the taller darkhaired guy.
met Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey that same cruise
met Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey that same cruise
Attachments
Super18Ordie
F/A-18 Ordnanceman
Ryoukai
The Chief doesn't like cheeky humor...at all
^ Interesting. Val Kilmer was supposed to have been all about not having anything to do with Top Gun and hated the film from the start but was forced into doing it through contractual shenanigans.
A-4: The spiky toothed vagina in the desert is the Sarlacc.
A-4: The spiky toothed vagina in the desert is the Sarlacc.
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