Interesting A-4

[nittany03]

OK, gotta hand it to you pointy nosed guys. If those sexy jets (A4s and A6s) were still around, I MIGHT want to fly them, and not helos. But then again, being a helo pioneer would be cool too.

Possible threadjack:
City of Oak Harbor gave us an A-6 back to be repainted (used to be in Beach Park for former Whidbeyites). It's going on a stick on the turnoff to Ault Field road from SR20. Apparently they're going to find a Prowler to go next to it eventually.

But at any rate, it's currently sitting in our hangar getting the last few touches (Mavericks, bombs, etc.). I've stopped by a couple times to drool. Probably the last time Hangar 5 will see an Intruder . . .

 

[HeyJoe]

Possible threadjack:
City of Oak Harbor gave us an A-6 back to be repainted (used to be in Beach Park for former Whidbeyites). It's going on a stick on the turnoff to Ault Field road from SR20. Apparently they're going to find a Prowler to go next to it eventually.

But at any rate, it's currently sitting in our hangar getting the last few touches (Mavericks, bombs, etc.). I've stopped by a couple times to drool. Probably the last time Hangar 5 will see an Intruder . . .

I'll go along with the threadjack....here's my favorite view of the Intruder

Photo by HJ

 

[A4sForever]

^^ Actually yeah I think you're right... top wing area would have that hump-looking thing... anyone have time in A-7s?

No time in F-8's ... just waved 'em ....

Less than 10 hours in A-7's .... LSO X-training .... and waved 'em ....

HEYJOE !!!! I think I've flown the A-4 in the VF-43 "last line-up" ..... a.k.a. 'Spike' #21 ..... ???? ..... I saw her again in NQX in 1992 (?) after we transfered her when some of the East Coast Adversary guys brought her in there. As a matter of fact, 'Bandit' was there, too. I've got a pix of me standing in front of her at Boca Chica --- I'll see if I can find it sometime ....

Or ..... maybe it's just an East Coast legacy Adversary name .... ???

 

[A4sForever]

I'll go along with the threadjack....here's my favorite view of the Intruder .....

Here's mine ....

 

[HeyJoe]

No time in F-8's ... just waved 'em ....

Less than 10 hours in A-7's .... LSO X-training .... and waved 'em ....

HEYJOE !!!! I think I've flown the A-4 in the VF-43 "last line-up" ..... a.k.a. 'Spike' #21 ..... ???? ..... I saw her again in NQX in 1992 (?) after we transfered her when some of the East Coast Adversary guys brought her in there. As a matter of fact, 'Bandit' was there, too. I've got a pix of me standing in front of her at Boca Chica --- I'll see if I can find it sometime ....

Or ..... maybe it's just an East Coast legacy Adversary name .... ???

Nope, that was only when Okie Nance was CO and they started calling them by dog names in early 90s. Here's another shot of the lineup...

And here they are airborne (I was in F-16 with Okie and we took formation to overfly Annapolis)

Photos by HJ

 

[A4sForever]

^ Great shots ... what a great Adversary bird .... last of the breed. A pilot's airplane with NO frills ...

Now get that silly Fox-2 outta' there and close to guns ...

 

[HeyJoe]

^ Great shots ... what a great Adversary bird .... last of the breed. A pilot's airplane with NO frills ...

Now get that silly Fox-2 outta' there and close to guns ...

Well, why not one more sweet looking Scooter then?

VF-126 "Double Nuts" at Miramar (HJ photo)

 

[Tex_Hill]

Jeez HJ, your photo collection must be huge! How many HD's do you have to use to store all of it on?

 

[HeyJoe]

Jeez HJ, your photo collection must be huge! How many HD's do you have to use to store all of it on?

Actually, most of my images from the cockpit (over 20,000 I reckon) are still slides and prints. Most of my digital images are of my grandkids and only the occasional military aircraft. I have a couple of external hard drives for ackup and a dedicated PC to store digital images though.

 

[A4sForever]

Wow .... Bummer .... while searching for some A-4 stuff from NAS Dallas ... I came across this ... Ken was my "mentor" and the chief reason that I, an "attack puke" was able to get into the Adversary outfit in "Reserve Fightertown", a.k.a. NAS Dallas. He was the first OIC of the Adversary unit ... I followed him later.

A truly, truly good guy ... he now lies at rest in Arlington Cemetery.

Kenneth J. Fox, 59, a retired aircraft pilot and captain in the Navy Reserve, died of cancer June 13, 1999 at the Genesis Eldercare Spa Creek Center in Annapolis, Maryland.
Captain Fox, a 16-year resident of Annapolis, was born in Evanston, Illinois. He attended Rollins College and in 1961 joined the Navy, where he flew fighter aircraft from carriers.
In 1967 he left active duty in the Navy and became a pilot for Pan American Airlines, continuing in this capacity until 1986. In this period, he also flew aircraft in the Navy Reserve. He was a production test pilot for Vought Corp. in Dallas and helped train pilots in the Philippine Air Force. He was special assistant for Naval Reserve to the chief of Naval Materials in Washington.
From 1986 until retiring for medical reasons in 1988, he was a United Airlines captain. He received a bachelor's degree in professional aeronautics from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in 1991.
He was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Annapolis, the Annapolis Yacht Club, the Sailing Club of the Chesapeake, the Society of Air Safety Investigators, the Airline Pilots Association and the Association of Naval Aviators.


I don't mean to put a damper on this thread ...

....it just strikes you when you discover that a former Comrade-in-Arms has taken that last flight west ....

 

[HeyJoe]

A-4s over Annapolis

Kenneth J. Fox, 59, a retired aircraft pilot and captain in the Navy Reserve, died of cancer June 13, 1999 at the Genesis Eldercare Spa Creek Center in Annapolis, Maryland.

RIP...he probably saw this formation of A-4s as it overflew Annapolis in July 1993, the last mass active duty formation of its kind

(HJ photo)

Last days of VF-126 at Miramar..(HJ)

 

[A4sForever]

There's a TA-4J that's hangared next door to my office which has a interesting paint scheme applied to it.
A4s, does the name Victor Miller or Aerogroup sound familiar to you? They're the ones operating the TA-4J here at GYI.

Nope ... not familiar with either outfit .... GYI is Sherman/Dennison Airport (?). The bird next door to you is probably one of those we flew in the Dallas unit.

Here's one I flew out of Navy Dallas ... it's now residing at NAS Ft. Worth or whatever it's currently called .....

 

[HeyJoe]

Nope ... not familiar with either outfit .... GYI is Sherman/Dennison Airport (?). The bird next door to you is probably one of those we flew in the Dallas unit.

Here's one I flew out of Navy Dallas ... it's now residing at NAS Ft. Worth or whatever it's currently called .....

I left out the venerable TA-4J Adversaries that were the backbone of the original Adversary Squadrons as they transitioned from Instrument RAGs

VF-43 TA-4J and T-2C lineup (HJ photo)

 

[Top_Gun_101]

Here's mine ....

So ur a pilot during the vietnam war?

 

[FastMover]

I believe that's an RF-8 there on the left. Notice how the bottom of the fuselage is squared off. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.....