The Great, Constantly Changing Picture Gallery

[Alpha_Echo_606]

03/24/2010
LIGHT LANGUAGE
Light trails used to signal aircraft surround a U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft from Strike Fighter Squadron 122 as the aircraft prepares to launch from catapult one aboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis in the Pacific Ocean, March 17, 2010. The Stennis is under way off the coast of Southern California for squadron carrier qualifications. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Walter M. Wayman

 

[Alpha_Echo_606]

03/26/2010
READY TO REFUEL
The first of two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters prepares to refuel near Moody Air Force Base, Ga., March 16, 2010. The helicopter crews are assigned to the 41st Rescue Squadron. A HC-130P/N Combat King from the 71st Rescue Squadron refueled the helicopters during a training mission. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Benjamin Wiseman

 

[Alpha_Echo_606]

03/26/2010
57TH SEASON
The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds perform during the Aerospace and Arizona Days air show on Davis Monthan Air Force Base, March 20, 2010. This air show kicked off the team's 57th season. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Jerilyn Quintanilla

 

[Alpha_Echo_606]

JET WAY
A U.S. Navy sailor guides a French Navy Rafale jet to one of the catapults on the flight deck aboard the USS Harry S. Truman, May 21, 2008, in the Mediterranean Sea.
U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Ricardo J. Reyes

 

[Alpha_Echo_606]

100321-N-8936G-022 U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (March 21, 2010) An AV-8B Harrier assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor (VMM) 162 (Reinforced) participates in a hover exercise off the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Nassau (LHA 4). Nassau is the command platform for the Nassau Amphibious Ready Group, supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Patrick Gordon/Released)

HARRIER AT SUNRISE
An AV-8B Harrier of Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron Reinforced 166 sits on the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa at sunrise, March 12, 2008.
U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Bryan Niegel

 

[Alpha_Echo_606]

PASS OVER
U.S. Navy Cmdr. David J. Bryson performs a salute pass over the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt at the conclusion of his in-air change of command ceremony in the Gulf of Oman, Dec. 17, 2008. Theodore Roosevelt and Carrier Air Wing 8 are conducting operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility.
U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Snyder

PACIFIC PROWLER
A U.S. Navy EA-6B Prowler aircraft from Electronic Attack Squadron 129 prepares to launch aboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis in the Pacific Ocean, Sept. 19, 2009. The Stennis is under way conducting fleet replacement squadron carrier qualifications off the coast of Southern California.
U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Walter M. Wayman

 

[Alpha_Echo_606]

Ten helicopters from Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 467 approach the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point tower, April 1, on the return of the squdron to the air station. HMLA-467 was attached to the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit to aid and support the people of Haiti following the Jan. 12 earthquake that ravaged the island nation. Byline Pfc. Tyler J. Bulken

 

[Alpha_Echo_606]

CAMP TAJI, Iraq - An MI-17 HIP helicopter from the Iraqi Air Force and a UH-60 Black Hawk from 3rd Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, U.S. Division-Center, land on a simulated battlefield March 29 during an air assault demonstration. The leadership of 1st ACB, along with Lt. Gen. Ali Hamadi Tahir, the Karkh Area commander for western Baghdad and Brig. Gen. Kevin Mangum, deputy commanding general of 1st Armored Division, USD-C, observed the capabilities of the Iraqi Air Force and KAC Strike Team soldiers from a nearby tower. Photo Credit: US ARMY

 

[SynixMan]

From the Blues show last week:

 

[Catmando]

Unexpended ordinance. Since it's symmetrical, a boat recovery is OK. Otherwise, asymmetrical unexpended ordinance would dictate a bingo to Da Nang to download said ordinance... and if lucky, to spend the night and do things that would be illegal, 'bock-sheep'.

 

[PhrogLoop]

Unexpended ordinance. Since it's symmetrical, a boat recovery is OK. Otherwise, asymmetrical unexpended ordinance would dictate a bingo to Da Nang to download said ordinance... and if lucky, to spend the night and do things that would be illegal, 'bock-sheep'.

+1 for the best non-recent pic on this thread in ages!!!

I might be as blind as I am deaf, but I don't see any MK-82s on the port bomb rack. Could it be he had fuel trapped in his left wing and that made him symmetrical?

 

[Lovebug201]

Great shot Cat.

Down south we would have just safed the bombs and dumped them in the South China Sea. The only time we brought back iron bombs is if they wouldn't come off when we attempted to deliver them to Uncle Charlie and his friends.

 

[Catmando]

+1 for the best non-recent pic on this thread in ages!!!

I might be as blind as I am deaf, but I don't see any MK-82s on the port bomb rack. Could it be he had fuel trapped in his left wing and that made him symmetrical?

Upon closer inspection, I don't see any MK-82s on the port side either. Which means I am either a big BS'er, or much more blinder than you.

Since the falsehood of what I wrote about asymmetrical recoveries is now exposed for all to see, there must be a long-forgotten story behind this picture (which is probably why I shot it in the 1st place). Since they are apparently "hung" bombs, I wonder why he didn't divert?

If we couldn't get bombs on the target for whatever reason, we sometimes recovered with symmetrical ordinance. We also sometimes jettisoned them in the water on "safe". Had one guy who wanted to make a big splash and purposely jettisoned his 6 MK-82s in the water "armed". Poor sonar guys on their headsets! CAG chewed him a new one. But he gained the callsign Yossarian, after the guy in Catch-22 who did the same thing.

 

[PhrogLoop]

Upon closer inspection, I don't see any MK-82s on the port side either. Which means I am either a big BS'er, or much more blinder than you.

We'll chalk it up to all of us going deaf and blind sometime after the end of our nugget tour! But yes, looks like a damn good story...

 

[A4sForever]

No -- as a Fighter Puke, you'd be deaf and dumb AND a liar -- the latter becoming more prominent and egregious as we move down the passageway and on into the debriefing room ...

But, seriously, if memory serves, we had certain specifics as to what constituted an 'asymmetric' loads for bring-back & arrestment. They were either in the back of the PCL or under the care & feeding of the 'Tower Flower', or both ... that I can't remember.

Perhaps in ol' Smokey depicted -- the 3 X Mk82's on that particular wing pylon was 'O.K.' ... whereas a heavier load somewhere else would have been a jettison answer to the question. Beefy, wide apart main gear always helps ...

The A-6 could take some things aboard better than others -- again it depended on the station, the particular item (a.k.a. things that go 'BOOM'), and the total 'asymmetric' weight ... I know a drop tank failing to XFER (2000# +) on either stations 2 or 4 was a jettison.