VX Squadrons

[Thisguy]

I'm done being bitter about getting orders to China Lake...OK, that's a blatant lie, but anyway, in my mind the main reason this base exists is for the two VX squadrons here. I've been told that they're test squadrons, but I don't know much more than that.

Are the aviators who take orders here all hornet test pilot guys? How does it fit into someone's career? The skipper and XO of the base are O-6 AEDO types, which makes sense, because once they went AEDO, they weren't looking for command at sea. I'm just curious as to how a VX tour fits into someone's plans (obviously, not mine). One of the squadron's front office has two O-6s, the other two O-5s, how does that play into things?

(people who know what they're talking about please, no "my cousin's roommate in college was a test pilot...)

 

[Brett327]

Lots of different guys end up in the VX squadrons. VX-9 does OT&E for Hornet and Prowler/Shocker weapons systems, so they get lots of non-TPS operators from the fleet squadrons for their shore tours. NAWC is also where most of the weapons are developed and tested. The HARM lab is there and they are responsible for all things HARM, including testing on their range. I know quite a few Prowler Pilots and ECMOs at VX-9. It's a good shore billet that keeps you flying, plus Prowler guys get qualified on the SH which is a plus.

Brett

 

[Helo Guy]

I don’t know much about China Lake but at in general there are two types of VX squadrons Developmental (TPS grads) and Operational (Fleet Pilots). VX1 in Pax is an operational Test Squadron for P3s and H-60s. The guys that get orders there are J.O.s rolling off of the Fleet tours. We had a guy in my last squadron get orders there. From what I understand the orders are fairly competitive but probably not as tough to get as FRS orders. I’m sure you have to get an EP. He seemed happy with it, but I know there was not much flying involved. That’s all I know.

 

[Fly Navy]

So, China Lake as a pilot... shoot all sorts of warshots and practice shots? Sounds like a good deal!

 

[mules83]

Since vx squadrons are used to test/develop weapon systems, do they take tps type of guys (engineering major) from fleet squadrons to be the pilots?

Is it easier/harder/same to go to a vx squadron or tps?

 

[A4sForever]

......Are the aviators who take orders here all hornet test pilot guys? How does it fit into someone's career? ..

Depends ... are you going to be flying there ??? China Lake tours USED to be almost as "career enhancing" as a trip to TPS. It fell somewhere in between the RAG and the TRACOM for flying/future orders. It used to be an "alternative" to TPS .... again, it depends ....

 

[Thisguy]

Lots of different guys end up in the VX squadrons. VX-9 does OT&E for Hornet and Prowler/Shocker weapons systems, so they get lots of non-TPS operators from the fleet squadrons for their shore tours. NAWC is also where most of the weapons are developed and tested. The HARM lab is there and they are responsible for all things HARM, including testing on their range. I know quite a few Prowler Pilots and ECMOs at VX-9. It's a good shore billet that keeps you flying, plus Prowler guys get qualified on the SH which is a plus.

Brett

So if VX-9 is composed of fleet guys, is VX-31 the TPS component?

 

[Brett327]

So if VX-9 is composed of fleet guys, is VX-31 the TPS component?

Nope, they do more of the same - weapons systems operational testing. I know there's been some changes since the demise of the Tomcat, but VX-30/31 was more involved with the rage at Pt. Mugu and had historically done F-14 stuff, but I suspect that they'll be heavilly involved in the JSF FIT process and testing. All/most of the developmental testing (TPS stuff) goes on at Pax River.

Brett

 

[A4sForever]

Hmmmm ... lemme guess .... VX-4 and VX-5 are gone the way of the dinosaur?? Toast? Finis ?? H-I-S-T-O-R-Y ???

 

[HeyJoe]

Clarification

All/most of the developmental testing (TPS stuff) goes on at Pax River.

Brett

Correction, developmental testing is conducted at Pax (VX-20, HX-21, VX-23), China Lake (VX-31)and Pt Mugu (VX-30) by the VX/HX Developmental Test squadrons (Pax is more oriented towards the platform and squadrons out west work the weapons). TPS provides graduates to them all, but not all aircrews have to be TPS graduates (there are some fleet pilots). The Operational Test Squadrons (VX-1 at Pax and VX-9 at China Lake as well as HMX-1 at Quantico and the V-22 OT squadron) are composed primarily of fleet aircrews, but can also include TPS grads in reverse proportion to the DT squadrons.

Note - Developmental Test aircraft are typically heavily instrumented for testing purposes whereas OT aircraft have to be representative of fleet configuration. The "front office" is run by a CO and dash 2 is called the Chief Test Pilot (like and XO) who fleets up to be CO.

 

[HeyJoe]

Hmmmm ... lemme guess .... VX-4 and VX-5 are gone the way of the dinosaur?? Toast? Finis ?? H-I-S-T-O-R-Y ???

Not quite...when Tomcats at VX-4 were about to be retired, VX-4 and VX-5 merged as VX-9 with a small det retained at Pt Mugu until Tomcats were retired there in Oct 04. The VX-9 patch retains elements of both squadron logos.

 

[SteveG75]

Hmmmm ... lemme guess .... VX-4 and VX-5 are gone the way of the dinosaur?? Toast? Finis ?? H-I-S-T-O-R-Y ???

VX-4 + VX-5 = VX-9

They combined the squadrons. Some of the old tradions remained. And, that lost a good man his job back in April 2005.

CAPT Wade Tallman is due to be relieved of his command of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 9 for "command climate" issues...and here's the main issue:

One example of that climate involved a June 2004 visit of squadron personnel to the infamous Playboy Mansion, home of Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner.

The sailors — members of an F-14 Tomcat flying VX-9 detachment which operated at Point Mugu, Calif. — made an hour-long visit with Hefner, touring the media mogul’s six-acre estate and posing for souvenir photographs, confirmed Bill Farley, vice president for marketing events for Playboy Enterprises.

The visit was made because of the detachment’s prior use of the rabbit head design associated with Playboy Enterprises. The distinctive design features a black and white silhouette of a bowtie-wearing, big-eared rabbit. That design was used on the tail of F-14 Tomcat aircraft once flown by the detachment, Farley said. The detachment disestablished in June 2004, around the time of the mansion visit.

Old Vandy 1:

New Vandy 1:

 

[A4sForever]

VX-4 + VX-5 = VX-9


Old Vandy 1:

The Rabbit looks more like the kinder, gentler, older VQ-1 ... "PR" tail code ...a.k.a. "Playboy" ... a.k.a. "Porterfield" ... they used to call the ball ... "Playboy ball" or "Peter Rabbit ball" or "Porterfield ball" when coming aboard in the Whale. Good stuff .... non-PC Navy .... :icon_rast.... I would not survive in the PC (and I don't mean Patrol Craft) Navy. Who could ???

Still lookin' for a VQ-1 tail with the rabbit ... buttkiss, so far.

 

[SteveG75]

Hey don't forget these guys:

Of course, that logo is gone now.

 

[Brett327]

Correction, developmental testing is conducted at Pax (VX-20, HX-21, VX-23), China Lake (VX-31)and Pt Mugu (VX-30) by the VX/HX Developmental Test squadrons (Pax is more oriented towards the platform and squadrons out west work the weapons). TPS provides graduates to them all, but not all aircrews have to be TPS graduates (there are some fleet pilots). The Operational Test Squadrons (VX-1 at Pax and VX-9 at China Lake as well as HMX-1 at Quantico and the V-22 OT squadron) are composed primarily of fleet aircrews, but can also include TPS grads in reverse proportion to the DT squadrons.

Note - Developmental Test aircraft are typically heavily instrumented for testing purposes whereas OT aircraft have to be representative of fleet configuration. The "front office" is run by a CO and dash 2 is called the Chief Test Pilot (like and XO) who fleets up to be CO.

What he said.

Brett