The Great, Constantly Changing Picture Gallery

[schwarti]

Some things from the 70s should be brought back into circulation. Those shoes?.... Not so much

No problems here with those shoes... it's the shorts I'm scared of. With a pair of those, I could use my lily-white thighs as running lights.

 

[A4sForever]

Some things from the 70s should be brought back into circulation. Those shoes?.... Not so much

HEY!!! Those shoes were GREAT !! Early soft leather Adidas purchased @ the CUBI Exchange for pennies on the dollar -- I think I still have them somewhere downstairs. The shorts = Navy issue blue.

 

[Xtndr50boom]

HEY!!! Those shoes were GREAT !! Early soft leather Adidas purchased @ the CUBI Exchange for pennies on the dollar -- I think I still have them somewhere downstairs. The shorts = Navy issue blue.

1970s PI: You guys LIVED the dream!

 

[Redux]

I always thought of A-7s as the crusader's chubby sister... but in no way an ugly duckling...

Compared to the F-8 they were, kinda like a pug. The Crusader was fuckin beautimus!

 

[nittany03]

Shorts, shoes, whatever . . . what I want to know is how the guy on the right avoided sliding off the rounddown . . .

 

[HeloBubba]

FLUFF = "Funny Little Ugly Fat Fucker" ... as opposed to the AF's version: S = "Short".

I larned it as:

Slow
Low
Ugly
Fat
Fucker

 

[A4sForever]

Shorts, shoes, whatever . . . what I want to know is how the guy on the right avoided sliding off the rounddown . . .

Well, see, it didn't really matter too much if he'd dropped off ... 'cause we'd sometimes hang him over the stern on a line to troll for dinner ....

Joe bought into the 'PO lifestyle really early and often -- hook, line, and sinker -- to continue our fishing analogy. After a few long nights in Olongapo, he announced that he preferred to be called "Joe Dizon" (close to his real name) ... so that became his Filipino alter-ego and he became our resident round-eye Filipino for the rest of his tour in the squadron.

 

[A4sForever]

I larned it as:

Slow
Low
Ugly
Fat
Fucker

And there's probably at least one or two other possibilities as well.

All I know is they had a GREAT visual dive-day bombing system, had "slow" engine response when they got lo/slo at the ship, they were "easy" to ACM against, and the A-6's and F-4's had to pull power for them to keep up w/ the pack when everyone was carrying a load of bombs.

 

[Catmando]

Well, we called them SLUF's, and "Flack-Magnets".

The entire Alpha-Strike ingress was limited by their painfully slow speed and maneuverability, laden with their heavy bomb loads and limited power. But they could and did put bombs on target with amazing accuracy, used their guns to great advantage – especially in providing ResCap for downed crews with Gomers closing in - and their Shrikes and HARM tactics were golden.

I can't remember if it was VA-56 or VA-93, but one of those squadrons lost every A-7 they initially started the 11-month cruise with – some to accidents but most to enemy fire. Fortunately, most all of their pilots were recovered… but not all.

Workhorse aircraft; gutsy pilots.

 

[East]

I can't remember if it was VA-56 or VA-93, but one of those squadrons lost every A-7 they initially started the 11-month cruise with – some to accidents but most to enemy fire. Fortunately, most all of their pilots were recovered… but not all.

Beside the personell loss ofcourse, it would have been very ackward for the Maint dept of this particular sqn to return home without one single airframe onboard...

 

[Single Seat]

The entire Alpha-Strike ingress was limited by their painfully slow speed and maneuverability, laden with their heavy bomb loads and limited power.

You think they're slow? Try doing one with A-10's!

 

[Schnugg]

Some helo shots:

080514-N-9689V-001 PACIFIC OCEAN (May 14, 2008) Hospital Corpsman Apprentice Stephanie Gomez and Hospital Corpsman Amanda Vasquez, working as flight deck handlers aboard the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), run clear after removing the chains from an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter. Mercy is deployed supporting Pacific Partnership 2008, a humanitarian and civil assistance mission building on friendship between partner nations and strengthening relationships of the past. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Joshua Valcarcel (Released)

080514-N-9689V-002 PACIFIC OCEAN (May 14, 2008) Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) 2nd Class Sabrina Bell gives the signal for take-off as an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter takes off from the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19). Mercy is deployed supporting Pacific Partnership 2008, a humanitarian and civil assistance mission building on friendship between partner nations and strengthening relationships of the past. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Joshua Valcarcel (Released)

 

[Catmando]

......... it would have been very ackward for the Maint dept of this particular sqn to return home without one single airframe onboard...

The airframes, as they were lost periodically during the long cruise were soon replaced by others. But I don't believe the squadron ever returned to their full initial complement of A-7's, as they always seemed to be short one or two.

 

[A4sForever]

I can't remember if it was VA-56 or VA-93, but one of those squadrons lost every A-7 they initially started the 11-month cruise with ....Workhorse aircraft; gutsy pilots.

There was a Mustang in my squadron who earlier was in VA-196 when they were on the CONNIE in August, 1967 -- during their longest day.

They launched 4 Intruders on a NV rail yard north of Hanoi -- one was shot down there w/ the crew becoming POW's -- on the return to the carrier in bad WX the remaining 3 of the division got separated and two flew into Red China where they were shot down, killing 3 of the 4 crew.

Bob Flynn was captured and released by the ChiComs when the rest of the Hanoi group came home in 1973. While in captivity he managed to obtain a trumpet (he played jazz trumpet) and kept himself entertained and his gaolers in wonderment as he played his music for years while in his cell. CDR ROBERT JAMES FLYNN, USN

My Mustang squadron mate, when relating the story to us, said it was ... " a very long day on the flight deck when 3 didn't come home" ...

 

[Fetus]

French CQ

Not unprecedented, but still pretty rare. The French CQ'd yesterday on Truman. I took this from vulture's row. They did pretty well for not having much (maybe any) experience landing on the boat.