navychief

I remember that the NAV Map display on the Corsair. It was a film that was spooled in front of the screen. Not digital, like today's instruments. Chief

Good luck, PC. Having someone you care for that deeply is rare. I wish you the best. Chief

Hey AD, You can bet I will enjoy all the hard work that you have put into the development of the A-7B addon, just as soon as it is available! All the screenshots thus far are amazing! You really have got me chomping at the bit for the Corsair to make its debut to SFP1. Time to load those MERS with some bombs. I have to relate a Corsair story. One night, while looking for FOD in the cockpit of one of my squadron's A-7s, there was a loud explosion from another VA-15 Valion A-7, parked further down the deck. The gun-gas purge valve for the aircraft's gatling gun had malfunctioned. The resulting temps caused two rounds in the belt to cook off. One round went through the cockpit, just missing the pilot; and the other went out the side of the access door for the gun. The incident caused an immediate action message to be sent, grounding all A-7s until inspected. Launch'em! AMEC(AW) Ward, USN Retired

I agree with you, Scout. The Tomcat certainly has had a proud career, and isn't over yet. I was somewhat surprised that the Intruder was retired when it was. Always felt it should have been retained in service. It sure could carry a load of bombs, eh? The bombmeister...hehehehe. I have often wondered if any of the F-4s or A-6s are owned by private individuals now. I know that A-4 Skyhawks are popular, but perhaps the Phantoms and Intruders are too expensive to maintain. Chief

Hey Fast Eagle, I was not able to access the two msgs you sent me on the squadron website. If you can, email me directly. Thanks, shipmate. Hope all is well at the Pentagon, and that school went ok. Chief W.

I didn't know the details about the C130 testing. It was definitely before my time in the Navy. I was in from 72-76, then 4 1/2 yrs broken service, and then I served from Dec. 80 to April 97, for a total of 20 yrs. Additionally, here are some pics of not only the C130, but a U2 landing. Chief W.

Oh yeah, I knew about the infamous C-130 on carriers tests, but didn't consider them, as they never became part of carrier assignment. Speaking for myself, there is no way I would have been on deck when a C-130 would have landed. Why? The wingspan of the Hercules (also called the "Flying Coffin") was so wide, it would have been too easy for a pilot to misjudge and hit the island. That would have made a most unsatisfactory trap, to say the least. The A-3D Skywarrior (or known by many as the "SkyWhale) had a history of crashes on carriers. When a "Whale" would come in for a landing, you would see everyone head for the catwalks! Another nickname for the A3D was: "All Three Dead". Chief W.

The COD might be close in size to the Hawkeye though. We called the E2 Hawkeyes "Hummers", because that is the sound they make when the engines are turning on deck. You can a distinctive humming sound of those engines throughout the ship. "Now launch the Hummers!" Navychief P.S. Hey MJ....for some reason the server is not allowing me to upload an attachment; i.e. jpgs, etc......

You might have a point, but he was asking about today's inventory. Chief

Ok folks I have a off-topic question about pdf files. I need to create writeable PDF files, so I can enter data into the forms, i.e. name, addresses, SSN, etc.... I need to know what program I would have to use to do this. Adobe has a program called Acrobat Approval 5, which, if I read things correctly, is a way for me to make such forms without spending a lot of money. If anyone out there can explain what I need in SIMPLE terms, please let me know! Thanks, Chief

Hey EXT Well, if you are talking actual size, I would have to say that the E-2 Hawkeye would be the largest carrier-based aircraft today. The Tomcat is larger than the Hornet, though, I am sure. It certainly has lasted the test of time. When I was at Pax River in 73, it was a new aircraft. navychief

I have a good one. The year was 1983, and I was onboard the USS Independence, with VA-15. One of our A-7es was in the hangar for maintenance, and we had just removed the ejection seat for inspection. The canopy was still open straight up, with the maintenance support strut. All of a sudden, the hangar bay overhead sprinkler system went off. The cockpit was immediately filled with foam. The entire aircraft, in fact, was drenched, inside and out, because it was in a major phase inspection, and almost all of its access panels had been removed. Our skipper came down to the hangar bay to see the damage for himself. He shook his head when he saw it, and told the Maintenence Officer, "You might as well shove it over the side." The aircraft did, in fact, fly off the ship again, but it went straight to NADEP for complete overhaul. It was the biggest mess I had ever seen! You have opened up Pandora's box now. I have a lot of these stories! Chief W.

Welcome back shipmate, The Pukin' Dogs have two new members since you last checked in, and am sure more will join up. We are all waiting for Patch #2 to be released soon; along with several addon aircraft! Glad you are through with school. Time to get on with the new job, eh? I know you miss the flying. Will you get a chance for any flight time at all? Please let me hear from you when you have time. Chief W.

AD, You really know how to tease! I noticed the aircraft pictured is from VA-83. I did some searching, and couldn't find any pictures of Rampager aircraft from that era with those markings. I did find a picture of a VA-83 squadron patch that I had not seen before. Perhaps it was from the Vietnam era. During the time I was with VFA-83 (after they had transitioned to Hornets, it was decided to change the tail markings. The squadron held a contest, and the winning tail design was a somewhat "modern looking" Ram's head. Actually, there was a lot of jokes about it. It was soon dubbed the "Disco Goat." The cockpit pictures are magnificent! Truly outstanding detail! Oh, I am SO looking forward to the release of the Corsair! Chief W. Assigned to VA-83/VFA-83 from 1987-1990.

Hey Beer Seriously, I thought your "performance" was great! Your expressions are what cracked me up! Did you have the words in front of you, or did you memorize them? Chief

Not sure about the F-5. Being a Navy retired CPO, I tend to have a bias in my interests! In other words, GO NAVAIR! Chief W.

Hey Brummy I could easily provide you a list of the aircraft I DEFINITELY would like to see added! Such as: RA-5C Vigilante (It was being developed, but not sure about it now.) A-7 Corsair (I understand the "A" model is forthcoming!) A-6 Intruder (also in the works) A-3 Skywarrior (or known affectionately by us Navy-types as the "Skywhale" (no idea if anyone is working on one.) T-2B Buckeye (Yeah, I know it is a trainer, but why not include one!) EA-6B Prowler (Forthcoming, and is a beautiful aircraft, WITH folding wings, I might add!) And along with the aircraft models, I have posted that it would be cool to have In-Flight refueling, not to mention Carrier ops. Chief W.

Beer, I just had to let my wife see it, and she was rolling! We both agreed that you need to make the Karaoke scene; you would make a killing! Chief

Oh my god, but my sides hurt from laughing! Beer, you are something else! This is definitely a time when I miss drinking beer! Chief

The most fun I have lately, is on my ex-US Army Mule. It isn't running up to par right now. Needs a tuneup. Chief W.

I probably know the answer to this already, but I have to ask it. When Patch 2 does get released, will it update my existing SFP1 with all the addons I have made? Or will I have to uninstall everything and start over? Just curious. I am hoping I don't have to reinstall everything. Chief W.

When you get to the site, go to the Skins section. You will see the Skins Installer download listed at the bottom. Chief

Great movie. Saw it back in 73, in the base theatre at Pax River. For those of you who have never seen it, "The Last Detail" is a movie about two sailors who take another sailor to the brig, after he was convicted of stealing. The entire movie is about their adventures on the way to the brig. Jack Nicholson plays a SN1 (Signalman, First Class). He does a very convincing job of it too, and the language in the movie is quite typical of the times. Chief W.

I will, for one. Chief

I installed the new screen, and it looks great! Thanks!!!! Chief W.