Naval Aviation News articles from July 2005

Naval Aviation News archives from July 2005

Mountain Mentor.(Aircraft accidents)
July 1, 2005... Due to an error in the schedule writing process and personal neglect, the squadron's most experienced T-34C NATOPS evaluator launched solo on an out-and-in, although he was fresh from leave and out of currency to fly by himself. The pilot, who...

Dogfighting disaster.(GRAMPAW PETTIBONE)
July 1, 2005... Shortly before an ACM brief was scheduled to begin, three squadrons participating in an exercise modified their flight schedules in order to combine two sequential range events into one. The new mission had two F-5s and three F/A-18Ds in the...

CVW-9 in Iraq.(F/A-18 Hornets of Strike Fighter Squadrons)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... F/A-18 Hornets of Strike Fighter Squadrons (VFA) 154 and 147, part of Carrier Air Wing 9 on board Carl Vinson (CVN 70), dropped 500-pound laser guided bombs on insurgents east of Baghdad, Iraq, on 4 April. On 8 May, F/A-18C Hornets from CVW-9's...

H-1 upgrades update.(AIRSCOOP)
July 1, 2005... Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $104 million modification to a previously awarded contract for the second low-rate initial production lot of H-1 upgrade aircraft. This brings the total in production to 10 UH-1 Y...

Ex-America sunk.(aircraft carrier America)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The decommissioned aircraft carrier America (CV 66) departed the Navy's Inactive Fleet Facility on 19 April for her final mission: as a live-fire test and evaluation and weapons effect platform to evaluate damage control systems for the...

Lakehurst tests robots.(AIRSCOOP)
July 1, 2005... The Aircraft Platform Interface Laboratory at Naval Air Systems Command, Lakehurst, N.J., is developing machinery to reduce workload in labor intensive areas and replace humans in difficult or dangerous situations--namely, an aircraft carrier's...

For the record.(Multimission Maritime Aircraft )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The Multimission Maritime Aircraft was officially designated P-8A on 30 March. An official nickname has not yet been decided. The program completed its second major technical review since contract award, and was approved to proceed to the...

Mishaps.(Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323 pilots killed)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... On 2 May, the pilots of two F/A-18C Hornets of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323 were killed while operating in Iraq. The aircraft were part of Carrier Air Wing 9 on board Carl Vinson (CVN 70). A T-34C Turbo-Mentor, TH-57B Sea Ranger and...

Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 21.
July 1, 2005... Keeping up to date with technology and implementing state-of-the-art systems into military aircraft that give the United States an edge is vital to the security of the nation and aircrews. Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (HX) 21, based at NAS...

Flight Support Det becomes VXS-1.(Naval Research Laboratory's Flight Support Detachment)
July 1, 2005... On 13 December 2004, the Naval Research Laboratory's (NRL) Flight Support Detachment became the Navy's newest squadron. Scientific Development Squadron One (VXS-1) will continue its mission as the Naval Research Laboratory's aviation component,...

CVW-5 prepares for summer float.(Carrier Air Wing 5 joins Kitty Hawk)
July 1, 2005... After a four-month turnaround, Carrier Air Wing 5 again joined the Kitty Hawk (CV 63) team in early February, deploying to the Western Pacific for its spring patrol. The short 7-week deployment enabled the air wing to "shake off the dust"...

The year in review 2004.
July 1, 2005... Naval Aviation evolved in 2004 in the midst of continued daunting tasks. Operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and across the globe also utilized community assets to execute a variety of missions. The Navy made changes in its organization and...

MiG Killers of Yankee Station.(PROFESSIONAL READING)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
July 1, 2005... O'Connor, Michael. MiG Killers of Yankee Station. New Past Press, Inc., 201 West Street, Box 558, Friendship, WI 53934. 2004. 272 pp. Ill. $45. This medium-format book is probably the most detailed account of naval aviation's...

C-47/R4D Units of the ETO and MTO.(PROFESSIONAL READING)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
July 1, 2005... Isby, David. C-47/R4D Units of the ETO and MTO. Osprey Publishing, 1st Floor Elms Court, Chapel Way, Botley, Oxford, OX2 9LP, UK 2005. 96 pp. Ill. $19.95. Number 54 of the Osprey Combat Aircraft series, this book is a labor of love and one...

Japanese Aircraft Equipment, 1940-1945.(PROFESSIONAL READING)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
July 1, 2005... Mikesh, Robert C. Japanese Aircraft Equipment, 1940-1945. Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 4880 Lower Valley Rd, Atglen, PA 19310. 2004. 198 pp. Ill. $69.95. There are two men who have become the seminal authorities on WW II Japanese aviation,...

HT-18.(Records)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... HT-18 surpassed 1 million Class A mishap-free flight hours. Edited by JO3 Brandy Lewis

HSL-45.(Records)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... HSL-45 surpassed 100,000 Class A mishap-free flight hours.

HMM-161.(Records)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... HMM-161 surpassed 40,000 Class A mishap-free flight hours.

VFA-87.(Records)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... VFA-87 surpassed four years of Class A mishap-free flight hours.

MAG-11.(Records)
July 1, 2005... MAG-11 Col. Earl Wederbrook, right, logged 5,000 flight hours.

Distinguished Graduate Award.(Awards)(Ronald J. Hays revceives 2005 U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Distinguished Graduate Award)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Admiral Ronald J. Hays received a 2005 U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Distinguished Graduate Award. The award recognizes graduates of the Naval Academy for lifelong achievement and service to the nation or armed forces. Adm. Hays graduated in 1950...

Mike Yunck Award.(Awards)(HMM-161)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... HMM-161 was awarded the 2004 Marine Corps Aviation Association Mike Yunck Award for exceptional achievement by a Marine flying squadron.

Commander Theodore G. Ellyson Aviator Production Excellence Award.(HSL-41 squadron)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... HSL-41 received the Commander Theodore G. Ellyson Aviator Production Excellence Award as the West Coast fleet replacement squadron that demonstrated the greatest production efficiency in meeting the fleet requirement for pilots and naval flight...

Aerospace Medical Technician of the Year.(Webster Nicholson)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... HN1 Webster Nicholson from Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) was selected for the Society of the U.S. Naval Flight Surgeons' Aerospace Medical Technician of the Year award.

2004 Admiral Phil Smith Operational Excellence Award.(VR-53)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... VR-53 was awarded the 2004 Admiral Phil Smith Operational Excellence Award. This award is based on outstanding resource management, detachment performance, fiscal efficiency, and overall operational excellence of a C-130 logistics squadron.

Navy/Marine Corps Medal.(Brit L. J. Garrett recieves award for his bravery)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... SN (SW) Brit L. J. Garrett was awarded the Navy/Marine Corps Medal for his heroic efforts during a helicopter crash on board Preble (DDG 88) on 31 August 2004.

CNO Naval Aviation Safety Award.(VX-31, aircraft carrier)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... VX-31 received the 2003 CNO Naval Aviation Safety Award for outstanding safety achievement during aircraft operations in the Naval Air Systems Command.

Battle Efficiency "E" Award.(West Coast carriers award )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... VAQ-136, VAW-115, HS-14, and HSL-51 earned the 2004 COMNAVAIRPAC Battle Efficiency "E" Award and VAW-121 earned the COMNAVAIRLANT Battle "E." Carl Vinson (CVN 70) won the award for West Coast carriers.

Aviation Sailor of the Year (SOY).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Aviation Sailor of the Year (SOY) winners include: COMNAVAIRLANT: AW1 Larry Duke (sea) and AW1 Chree Emerson (shore). COMNAVAIRPAC: AT1 (AW/SS/NAC) Matthew James Waxenfelter (sea). NAS Sigonella AIMD: AW1 Sharma Majaraj (senior),...

VP-8.(fishing vessel Maria Emelyn II rescued )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... On 10 April, P-3 Orion aircraft from VP-8 played a critical role in the rescue of four Philippine fishermen. The fishing vessel Maria Emelyn II had been adrift in the South China Sea since 21 March. The Navy offered search and rescue assistance...

HSC-28.(a man rescued from Virginia's york river by coast guard group )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... On 6 April, an HSC-28 MH-60S helicopter rescued a man near the mouth of Virginia's York River as his boat was rapidly taking on water. The Coast Guard Group Hampton Roads forwarded the boater's distress call to all available assets in the area...

CH-53.(Rescues)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... On 25 March a civilian mariner ran his sailing vessel, Jenny Gordon, aground off the coast of Eritrea, Africa. NAVCENT coordinated a rescue effort with JTF-HOA, which tasked two Marine Corps CH-53 helicopters based in Djibouti, with Air Force...

Aviation Maintenance Administration (AZ) School.(Scan Pattern)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The Aviation Maintenance Administration (AZ) School, NTTC Meridian, Miss., started using the integrated learning environment in January. The ILE is a web-based system that allows students to work at their own pace, but supplies facilitators and...

Harry S. Truman (CVN 75).(Scan Pattern)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) sailors and embarked CVW-3 crew members had the opportunity to speak to loved ones back home through unclassified video teleconferencing (VTC) in February. The program was originally designed to allow fathers to see...

VFA-211.(Scan Pattern)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The VFA-211 Fighting Checkmates arrived at NAS Oceana, Va., on 1 April with their new aircraft. The squadron's F-14 Tomcats were replaced by the F/A-18F, making VFA-211 a fully deployable Super Hornet squadron.

Essex (LHD 2).(Scan Pattern)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Essex (LHD 2) crew members launched a rescue operation to save three giant sea turtles that were caught in a fishing net on 10 March. BMC Eric Randall used a boat hook to pull the turtles to the side of the ship's rigid hull inflatable boat...

Project Handclasp.(Scan Pattern)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Kearsarge (LHD 3) participated in the Project Handclasp program, delivering supplies to needy people from the Horn of Africa (HOA) region in April. Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) HOA will transport the supplies to Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti,...

New Horizons.(annual humanitarian assistance exercise in Haiti)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Norfolk-based HC-6 and ships of the Saipan Expeditionary Strike Group, including Saipan (LHA 2), Oak Hill (LSD 51), and Trenton (LPD 14), supported New Horizons, an annual humanitarian assistance exercise in Haiti. Members of the 22nd...

Father and son serve together.(Peter D. Charboneau and his son Joe)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Maj. Peter D. Charboneau is a busy man. Not only is he the communications electronic officer for MACG-28 (Reinforced); he is also responsible for keeping an eye on a Marine who isn't even part of his unit--his youngest son, Joe. Joe and...

Helicopter Sea Combat Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet established.
July 1, 2005... Helicopter Sea Combat Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet (HSCWP) was officially established on 1 April. A ceremony at NAS North Island, Calif, on 15 April celebrated the new command, formed from the merger of the former Helicopter Antisubmarine Wing,...

Blackhawks shine in Operation Unified Assistance.
July 1, 2005... Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron (HM) 15, homeported at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas, maintains an expeditionary detachment forward deployed in Bahrain to support Fifth Fleet operations. On 8 January 2005 a Joint Chief of Staff order...

Change of command.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... CVW-1: Capt. Greg Nosal relieved Capt. Mark Mills, I Mar. Essex (LHD 2): Capt. Martin J. Keaney relieved Capt. J. M. van Tol, 27 Feb. FACSFAC VACAPES: Capt. William L. Kervahn relieved Capt. Steven C. Schlientz, 10 Feb. HC-85:...

Reunions.(FLIGHTBAG)
July 1, 2005... Worcester (CL 144), 16-19 Sept., Niagara Falls, NY. POC: Phil Harger, 914-255-2603, philharter@aol.com. VP-47, 20-22 September, Las Vegas, NV. POC: Mike Deir, emperorandeieio@yahoo.com. VQs 1, 2, 5 and 6, 6-9 Oct., Charleston, SC. POC:...