Fight's On! The origins of TOPGUN and dogfights back in the day/future prospects

[usmarinemike]

AND ... I'm experienced.

Good job -- Patterson & Johansson -- I think it was 1959, I'll deduct 1/3 point ---but either way, it's close enough for GOVT work --- those guys were two of the REAL gentlemen of the sport -- they made most of their successors look like pygmies, by comparison ... including some of the "biggest" names. They remained fast friends and visited each other every year until Patterson died of complication of Alzheimer's in 2006.

Johansson appears to be napping in this picture ....

I like to call that position "The horizontal time accelerator." It works best between 1130 and 1300.

I never did find the picture you posted, but I did find other photos of the same fight. I learned about these guys today. Knowledge is power.

 

[brownshoe]

..... aaa-a-a-a-and .... this worthwhile History Channel series brings a whole new, updated meaning to the term "Friday Night Fights" from my days ...

... rep for any "fight fans" who identify both boxers and the year (left photo) ... ???

Gillette… “You look sharp.” (dah dah dah da dee.) “You feel sharp.” (dah dah dah da dee.) My God A4’s we’re getting older. If you bring up Geritol or Serutan in a post, I’m gonna hunt you down and steal the keys to your old Triumph.

Steve

 

[A4sForever]

Gillette… “You look sharp.” (dah dah dah da dee.) “You feel sharp.” (dah dah dah da dee.) My God A4’s we’re getting older. If you bring up Geritol or Serutan in a post, I’m gonna hunt you down and steal the keys to your old Triumph.

Steve

That was probably the first "jingle" that stayed in my head. Except for Santa's jingles, of course .... .... and some of the Chiefs used to SWEAR by Geritol, pineapple juice, and rum .... so who was I to argue??

BUT: are we getting "older" (I don't care WHAT my driver's license says) ... or is everyone else getting .... well .... "dumber"???

The world wonders ..... but I don't.

 

[brownshoe]

BUT: are we getting "older" (I don't care WHAT my driver's license says) ... or is everyone else getting .... well .... "dumber"???

The world wonders ..... but I don't.

I agree... Should have been in the meetings with me this week at Detrick... Our government hard at work... (Nuf said.)

Steve

 

[Fetter]

Fighter Weapons School

Of marine aviators, are hornet pilots the only ones who attend?

Also, who goes to NAS Fallon? A couple from every squadron/yr? Do the pilots apply to the program or does everyone go eventually?

Thanks, just curious...

 

[A4sForever]

Of marine aviators, are hornet pilots the only ones who attend?

Also, who goes to NAS Fallon? A couple from every squadron/yr? Do the pilots apply to the program or does everyone go eventually?

Thanks, just curious...

Since you're "just curious", I suggest you do a search on "adversary squadrons" and/or try the "Adversary Squadrons" thread of a couple years ago --- if you still have more direct questions after that, come back and ask.

Initiative and "self-help" is seen as a good quality in Officers and Adversary Pilots ...

 

[FlyMikeFly]

My old CO (Harrier pilot) went to Fighter Weapons School. So, no it's not all FA-18 pilots.

 

[HeyJoe]

Of marine aviators, are hornet pilots the only ones who attend?

Also, who goes to NAS Fallon? A couple from every squadron/yr? Do the pilots apply to the program or does everyone go eventually?

Thanks, just curious...

Going to NAS Fallon and going to attend Navy Fighter Weapons School (aka TOPGUN or NSAWC N7) are not necessarily the same thing. As a Hornet pilot, you will likely go to Fallon more than once as part of squadron and air wing turn around cycle. Going to TOPGUN is an individual thing and based selection by CO (you take "your" airplane with you). Not everyone gets to go.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Also, every community has their own Weapons School. Some of them are in Fallon.

 

[Gatordev]

Going to TOPGUN is an individual thing and based selection by CO (you take "your" airplane with you). Not everyone gets to go.

I had always wondered about this. How does maintenance work? Do you take your NALCOMIS tape w/ you along w/ your ADB? Or does your ADB come along and everything is on paper? It's been a while, so I don't really remember the general rules about another command regularly working on your bird. I'm sure it's just something that "gets done," but curious how.

 

[phrogpilot73]

I had always wondered about this. How does maintenance work? Do you take your NALCOMIS tape w/ you along w/ your ADB? Or does your ADB come along and everything is on paper? It's been a while, so I don't really remember the general rules about another command regularly working on your bird. I'm sure it's just something that "gets done," but curious how.

If it's anything like WTI, the bird, ADB, engine & airframe logbooks all get transferred to MAWTS-1. So for the period of WTI, MAWTS-1 owns the aircraft, not the parent squadron. All of our paperwork was done on yellow sheets, and then input into NALCOMIS when we returned.

 

[Gatordev]

If it's anything like WTI, the bird, ADB, engine & airframe logbooks all get transferred to MAWTS-1. So for the period of WTI, MAWTS-1 owns the aircraft, not the parent squadron. All of our paperwork was done on yellow sheets, and then input into NALCOMIS when we returned.

Did that require an "A" profile to do that? Seems like a waste of time, if they did.

 

[FastMover]

@A4s...did the Dallas Adversary unit have a VF/VA designation? i.e. VF-126 Seahawks, VF-127 Desert Bogies, etc. I Googled but it seems there's not a lot of info about them out there.

 

[Nose]

Also, who goes to NAS Fallon? A couple from every squadron/yr? Do the pilots apply to the program or does everyone go eventually?

If you are USN or USMC and attached to a CVW, you WILL go to Fallon. With the whole air-wing, some seals, a bunch of intelers, and other various cats and dogs.

 

[phrogpilot73]

Did that require an "A" profile to do that? Seems like a waste of time, if they did.

If I remember correctly, the CO of the receiving squadron can waive the A profile. We didn't fly A profiles for the acceptance at MAWTS-1 or back at the squadron, for what it's worth...