Best Naval Aviation movies

[rondebmar]

How'd that guy on the left ever fit in an A-4? Bottoming out the ejection seat only gains you so much.

Thread jack continues:

Pic (l-r): LCDR Don Hall, (junior) Lt Phil Gubbins, (junior) Lt "Yours Truly"; (senior) Lt J C Kessler..."Wetback Flight"...VA-95 in Intrepid, 1966...Yankee Station. Wetback lead, 2,4,3 in that order.

Pic is deceiving, in that Don & JC (on the outside) were of average (or a bit over) height...whereas Gubby and I (in the center) were somewhat "vertically challanged"...hence my "Banty" appelation...and Phil was known occasionally as "The Gnome"...LOL!!

Don was later killed during a Case 3 recovery when his A7 impacted the water...JC died after a year long struggle with brain cancer. BTW, Gubby was our squadron LSO...was the one who talked me down (glideslope & line-up) to an OK-3 when I lost all forward visibilty out of cockpit (in monsoon rain - no divert available - no tanker - and damn near no fuel) with no windscreen wiper (A4B)...posted previously.

When it comes to big guys punching out of small airplanes, note the humor in this brief story...knew a Spad driver (A1 RAG IP) in the early sixties who was really big...(forgot his name)...was ordered to an A4 unit, and was quite convinced he'd lose his legs upon ejecting! After considerable study, Medical Corps convinced him he'd be okay...now flash forward to 05/13/68...

My very last flight in a USN tactical jet before separation...maintenance test hop an A7 with VA-122 at NLC...beautiful day, go out, wring out the jet, have a ball...on final to NLC, tower reports an A4 just about to eject about ten NM west of the tower...I wave off, scoot over there, and join the fur ball over the downed AC...can see the pilot's ok...then suddenly burst out laughing...just what I need, a midair in the fur ball to screw up all my plans...just before leaving USN for the "Friendly Skies" of UAL...

And you guessed it...pilot involved in the A4 eject (unharmed) was the former East Coast Spad Driver.

 

[SynixMan]

Not sure if it was mentioned above, but the first 25 minutes or so of Rules of Engagement (with Samuel L. M'Fing Jackson) was pretty awesome from an Air Assault standpoint. Yut Yut. The rest of the movie was pretty eh, but worth a watch I suppose.

 

[Sonog]

Not sure if it was mentioned above, but the first 25 minutes or so of Rules of Engagement (with Samuel L. M'Fing Jackson) was pretty awesome from an Air Assault standpoint. Yut Yut. The rest of the movie was pretty eh, but worth a watch I suppose.

For some reason I remember them using CH-47's in most of the shots.

 

[blackbart22]

I've heard about the civies under the flight suit story also. Figured that he could impersonate a Dutch planter.

 

[phrogdriver]

For some reason I remember them using CH-47's in most of the shots.

That's because they were renting them from the Moroccan Air Force. Then the spliced -46s back in at some points from stock footage, so it seems as if they are magically transforming back and forth.

 

[Kaman]

Speed and Angels was an embarrassment.

 

[navyao]

Coming soon to an NAS that you may be stationed at...

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertai...star_tom_cruise_reportedly_set_to_return.html

 

[BarrettRC8]

Speed and Angels was an embarrassment.

How is that? I thought it was decent, not to mention there was some excellent air-to-air footage in there.

 

[MIDNJAC]

Speed and Angels was an embarrassment.

I could have done without the dramatization of the storyline, but the footage was freaking awesome.

 

[m26]

The Caine Mutiny

Well, kind of. Jose Ferrer wore AWGs, so that counts, right?

 

[Homer J]

I know it's not Navy but we need to give props to our green brothers. ropeller

 

[Coota0]

Fire Birds is awful, but most -64 pilots I know do fit that special mold theat the movie brought out.

 

[Homer J]

Fire Birds is awful,

Agreed, I just couldn't find the sarcasm smiley.

Actually, it's one of those movies that is so bad, it's almost funny.

 

[Kaman]

I could have done without the dramatization of the storyline, but the footage was freaking awesome.

Yes, I agree and there was some really good air-to-air...I guess the "putty on a catapult" did me in. I also admire the young man that overcame the accident in his youth to be a fighter pilot, but some aspects were way too over-dramatized for my taste. I guess it would have boring to some otherwise.

 

[Mumbles]

Those are all good movies (vice Iron Eagle, of course), but my personal favorite is that movie, and for the life of me the name escapes me right now, but you all remember it....it's that one with all the P-3s in it and they kill all those subs......you all know the one I'm talking about. Best. Movie. Ever!