Maintainers and handlers; the men and women who keep them flying.

[wlawr005]

A little Wizard love here... And FWIW, LCDR Kelly Richards is a "he", not a "she"... And I think I was in that jet...

120212-N-VO377-089 ARABIAN GULF (Feb. 12, 2012) Sailors assigned to the Lancers of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 131 prepare an EA-6B Prowler for flight operations aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Abraham Lincoln is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jonathan P. Idle/Released)

Shouldn't the caption read VAQ-133? And how many jets does LCDR Richards have his name on anyway?

 

[Recovering LSO]

^ look at the dates of the two pictures (from two squadrons) with his name on jets. different tours.

 

[Brett327]

He's in 131 now. Them's my boys out there.

Brett

 

[wlawr005]

Sweet, I was keeding. Popular dude...or lucky.

 

[Alpha_Echo_606]

120302-N-ZI635-130 ARABIAN GULF (March 2, 2012) Airman Patrick Clary cleans inside of an F414 turbofan prior to testing on the fantail aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). Carl Vinson and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 are deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman George M. Bell/Released)

 

[Alpha_Echo_606]

09/12/2012
FUNCTION CHECK
U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Shawn M. Smith performs a function check on an AV-8B Harrier aircraft on Camp Bastion in Afghanistan's Helmand province, Sept. 3, 2012. Smith, a power line mechanic, is assigned to Marine Attack Squadron 211, Marine Aircraft Group 13, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Paulo Keonaona

 

[Alpha_Echo_606]

Sailor assists AV-8B pilot.
PHILIPPINE SEA (Sept. 12, 2012) Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) Airman Apprentice Dania Gallardo holds up a tote board to communicate with the pilot of an AV-8B Harrier assigned to Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 542, during flight operations aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6). The Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU) are participating in a certification exercise. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Lacordrick Wilson/Released) 120912-N-WX580-010

 

[Alpha_Echo_606]

Marines secure weapons on flight deck.
PHILIPPINE SEA (Sept. 13, 2012) Sgt. Charles Wasson, left, Lance Cpl. Gregory Pressley, and Cpl. Cameron Babashopp from the Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 542 secure an MK 76 laser guided training round on the flight deck of the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6). The Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU), is participating in a certification exercise. The evaluated event determines if the 31st MEU is capable of doing certain missions such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations or non-combatant evacuation operations with the ARG. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Lacordrick Wilson/Released) 120913-N-WX580-067

 

[Alpha_Echo_606]

Sailors set up landing system.
PACIFIC OCEAN (Sept. 13, 2012) Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) set up a back-up mobile landing aid system on the flight deck during flight operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class William Pittman/Released) 120913-N-SF704-052

 

[MasterBates]

Green Machine!

Sent from my PH44100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[BigBadBoJenkins]

I saw an older post in a different thread about maintainers getting backseat rides. Does that happen often/ever?

 

[Flugelman]

I saw an older post in a different thread about maintainers getting backseat rides. Does that happen often/ever?

Heh. This old maintainer got a FRONT seat flight in a T-28 once. Of course it helped that the pilot (from the VT IUT unit)was a close friend and neighbor and the VT OpsO was a neighbor on the other side. Also that I had a couple hundred T-34B hours and 1K+ fixed wing hours. Different times, I don't see that happening today.

 

[e6bflyer]

Sailors set up landing system.
PACIFIC OCEAN (Sept. 13, 2012) Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) set up a back-up mobile landing aid system on the flight deck during flight operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class William Pittman/Released) 120913-N-SF704-052

Good old MOVLAS station 3. Has anyone ever actually landed with this thing? I can't imagine it is too pilot friendly being on the complete other side of the LA.

 

[Gatordev]

Heh. This old maintainer got a FRONT seat flight in a T-28 once. Of course it helped that the pilot (from the VT IUT unit)was a close friend and neighbor and the VT OpsO was a neighbor on the other side. Also that I had a couple hundred T-34B hours and 1K+ fixed wing hours. Different times, I don't see that happening today.

You'd be surprised. The T-6 guys can chime in on what goes on now, but with the T-34, every so often one of the QARs would have to fly somewhere to go fix something. Sometimes the maintenance pilots would take them, sometimes an IP on a rescue mission. When I was a stud, Super Ken (for those that know him at Whiting) flew with an IP all the way out to Colorado to get our engine healthy again (it was just a bad P3 air filter, but we didn't know that).