I was a Surface/Ops/Deck guy in my Navy career but I served with Aviators most of my career. We had a DASH Det on my first ship, was an ASAC-er on my second ship controlling ASW aircraft, fourth ship was CVA-19 (A-4's, F-8's VAQ A-3's), fifth, sixth and seventh ships were two Frigates and an Aegis Cruiser with LAMPS helos embarked. At CincPacFlt my boss was a former VAQ CO who was an O-6 EA-6B NFO EWO and our department head was an O-6 A-4 Aviator . So, you get a bunch of sailors together and who is the smartest guy in the room? Almost always the Aviator, unless that room is full of Fast Attack SSN Navy Nukes & Forward Pukes. Even locally, here in Pensacola...who was the smartest guy at the Cryptology training base at Corry Station? It was a former ABFCM O-6 LDO born in East Germany. I used to pal around with some of the NFO EWO's at Corry Station. Smart guys. Me? I felt pretty good about myself in the Navy hierarchy after my daughter married a SeaBee. That picture of the A-4 doing a trap brought back memories. When off watch, we'd sit in the port ECM room beneath the angle deck and watch traps on CCTV...the ka-Thunk and the occasional afterburner bolter. What a good life. But I liked being on Frigates better.
When my dad was on the USS Hornet, although they were primarily an ASW carrier, they usually had a Marine A-4 squadron aboard, and on one WestPac cruise, the squadron was none other than the Black Sheep. Apparently they'd converted to a Light Attack squadron at some point between WW2 and Vietnam.
I was a Surface/Ops/Deck guy in my Navy career but I served with Aviators most of my career. We had a DASH Det on my first ship, was an ASAC-er on my second ship controlling ASW aircraft, fourth ship was CVA-19 (A-4's, F-8's VAQ A-3's), fifth, sixth and seventh ships were two Frigates and an Aegis Cruiser with LAMPS helos embarked. At CincPacFlt my boss was a former VAQ CO who was an O-6 EA-6B NFO EWO and our department head was an O-6 A-4 Aviator . So, you get a bunch of sailors together and who is the smartest guy in the room? Almost always the Aviator, unless that room is full of Fast Attack SSN Navy Nukes & Forward Pukes. Even locally, here in Pensacola...who was the smartest guy at the Cryptology training base at Corry Station? It was a former ABFCM O-6 LDO born in East Germany. I used to pal around with some of the NFO EWO's at Corry Station. Smart guys. Me? I felt pretty good about myself in the Navy hierarchy after my daughter married a SeaBee. That picture of the A-4 doing a trap brought back memories. When off watch, we'd sit in the port ECM room beneath the angle deck and watch traps on CCTV...the ka-Thunk and the occasional afterburner bolter. What a good life. But I liked being on Frigates better.
Thanks for your service and 'survival' as a SWO!
Cool. My dad worked airframes on A-4s with VA45
I was a plane captain on them at NAS Glynco. And got a few hops in the TA-4.
When my dad was on the USS Hornet, although they were primarily an ASW carrier, they usually had a Marine A-4 squadron aboard, and on one WestPac cruise, the squadron was none other than the Black Sheep. Apparently they'd converted to a Light Attack squadron at some point between WW2 and Vietnam.
Beautiful art, Jim, especially the F2F1s. 🙂