The Great, Constantly Changing Picture Gallery

[xj220]

Awesome sideburns.

 

[Catmando]

Awesome sideburns.

Apropos the controversial, CNO Zumwalt era. He got dem sideburns, too.

 

[A4sForever]

ALL God's chillin's got dem sideburns ..... a soup-strainer, too ...

p.s. .... as you can see ... I collected shades.

 

[Catmando]

ALL God's chillin's got dem sideburns ..... a soup-strainer, too ...

p.s. .... as you can see ... I collected shades.

Yikes!

 

[Mumbles]

Old school, tightly knit and great fighter squadron R/R photo........ after many months at sea and many combat missions, shortly before the most important event of every day/night – the much anticipated and extremely important, nightly "roll-'em".

IIRC, the object of this revelry was the poor and lowly movie officer behind the camera probably making a fool of himself. (Otherwise a great guy and pilot, and who sent me this to-date, unseen photo, recently.) But the Maintenance Officer in the photo doesn't look too happy, does he? (Another great guy and superb officer whom I still maintain contact with, 37 yrs later.)

[If the upheld flying dubious digits pictured are too un-PC for this forum, delete as necessary. Or better yet, I can Photoshop it so the XO and others are holding a bouquet of pretty little multi-colored posies instead of the f'n bird! Ya think? ]
​

Good times........... No, Great times!!!!! And great guys and great memories!!!!!
We did have an awful lot of fun while still doing an important, difficult, and serious job.... and we all did it extremely well, together!

Sir,
was this on Coral Maru or Midway??

 

[A4sForever]

Sir,
was this on Coral Maru or Midway??

Not my place to speak for CAT, but in the interest of expediency in answering your question, I think he was in VF-151, which would be indicated by the patches on the flight suits and the black/yellow stripes on the RR seat backs ... all of which = CAG 5 on the MIDWAY ....

I know he cruised w/ the VA-115 ARABs (tail code 'NF') ... which also = USS MIDWAY.

 

[Catmando]

Sir,
was this on Coral Maru or Midway??

A4s is correct. It was VF-151 ("Vigilantes") aboard Midway, CV-41 with CVW-5 embarked flying F-4Bs, circa 1972. The airwing had moved from the Coral Maru to the Midway when she came out of major overhaul (anticipating McNamara's folly, F-111B) in 1970.

New Museum VFA-151 Ready Room photos.

 

[A4sForever]

New Museum VFA-151 Ready Room photos.

I forgot to ask you: did she finally get rid of her 'permanent' port list ... ???

 

[Catmando]

I forgot to ask you: did she finally get rid of her 'permanent' port list ... ???

Some of it... thanks to adding thousands of pounds of concrete ballast in her bilge...but not all of the port list.

Also, her fantail usually did a crazy figure 8, even in relatively smooth seas. :bigeyes_1

Over 4 acres of new flightdeck and a 13 degree rather than 10 degree angle-deck sitting on an old keel laid in 1944 made for an unstable and challenging, but nevertheless great boat.

 

[A4sForever]

Some of it... thanks to adding thousands of pounds of concrete ballast in her bilge...but not all of the port list. ....

That's what I suspected -- I never saw her from the blunt end @ sea ... but I saw her sitting across the harbor in SUBIC and the list was apparent & amazing ... tied to ALAVA Pier w/ the WX hot & dusty and the water calm ... and still listing a few degrees. And I was totally sober ...

A great ol' girl, though ... without a doubt.

 

[BusyBee604]

Shipmates...

A4s is correct. It was VF-151 ("Vigilantes") aboard Midway, CV-41 with CVW-5 embarked flying F-4Bs, circa 1972.

CatMan, I guess we were Shipmates! I was Av. Ordnance Off. on the 1971 MIDWAY cruise & Weps DH on the 1972 cruise. Also flew the ships COD on both cruises. Left in Jul '72 on PCS, relieved by CDR Al Dundon.
I'm sure we have crossed paths on the ship or scarfin' Cubi Dogs & San Magoo at the Cubi club or BOQ??arty_125
I'm here in Sandy Eggo & have visited the Ol' Girl several times. She looks lots better now than she did then. It was a great ship's Company tour for me.

P.S. Remember "Joe Cool" (Snoopy) & the "HumminGator" on the daily Air Plan? lol
BzB

 

[Catmando]

CatMan, I guess we were Shipmates! I was Av. Ordnance Off. on the 1971 MIDWAY cruise & Weps DH on the 1972 cruise. Also flew the ships COD on both cruises. Left in Jul '72 on PCS, relieved by CDR Al Dundon.
I'm sure we have crossed paths on the ship or scarfin' Cubi Dogs & San Magoo at the Cubi club or BOQ??arty_125
I'm here in Sandy Eggo & have visited the Ol' Girl several times. She looks lots better now than she did then. It was a great ship's Company tour for me.


BzB

Yes I realized we were shipmates. And from you photo, you look very familiar. I'm sure we crossed paths many times, onboard or in Cubi, or on the COD. Thanks for the rides.
It is kind of eerie going back aboard the Ol' Girl. She still smells the same. Lots of memories. I enjoy giving tours onboard for my wife's elementary school kids. They really get into it.

P.S. Remember "Joe Cool" (Snoopy) & the "HumminGator" on the daily Air Plan? lol

Joe Cool (Snoopy) on the daily Air Plan? You bet!

[Note for others: The highlight of every day of our 11 month cruise was to see what Snoopy the Dog – JO Lt Girard – would draw on the daily airplan from strike ops. It was a huge deal!]

With an h/t to then strike ops' Lt. Girard, and 151 RO, "Yossarian". below are some random Strike Ops Snoopy samples.....

 

[NozeMan]

Man, I guess the concept of the airplan cartoon hasn't change much over the years!

 

[Dawgfan]

The "Big Picture" photo blog has a new entry devoted to aviation.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/08/in_flight.html

 

[Birdog8585]

The "Big Picture" photo blog has a new entry devoted to aviation.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/08/in_flight.html

Hey there's a couple of airplanes in pic 31!