Video tribute to the Navy's "Alpha Strike"

[dannavy85]

[firehawkordy]

IYAOYAS!!!

 

Loved this, unfortunately or fortunately, depending on which side of the bombs you're on, ALPHA strikes were done away with long ago as they are now called Stike Packages. That said, the last time I saw an Alpha was in 1980 as an ABF on the Sarartoga. The squadron AO's did the loading and I and my crew were busy doing the fueling part. I think it took eight fuel crews an hour and a half to top off every bird that was to be launched using two hoses per pump station. The last aircraft we serviced were hot fuels and it's not fun having an A-6 dumping it's exhaust on you in the catwalks. Did you know that the Intruder airframes had the exhaust ducts angled at a downward angle to improve short field take offs? It's not bad on shore but on the flight deck in summer? I think we all sweated off ten pounds from that afternoon.

 

Thanks for reviving some good memories and some of the hairier ones too.