EA-6B in flight

Good shot of a weather worn aircraft and touch up done by the maintenance crews.

That is an excellent shot of the top of the plane, an area most ground photos do not show.

Darwin, O.F.

now look what you've started:

QUOTE: Originally posted by Kolja94 now look what you've started:

That is some nice looking shots too.

I have lots of shots of Prowlers with their fuselage panels open and other details photos.

ALSO........VAQ-209 "Star Warriors" based out of NAF Washington used to fly Prowler # 1.
Yup, the first production EA-6B off the Grumman production line at Calverton, New York.
I photographed that plane back in 2000 at an airshow in Canada.
As I recall, the plane was in great shape despite it being 30 years old.
Last year, I also ran into VAQ-209 at an airshow and they had another really old EA-6B and I could tell by its Bureau Number that it, too, must be one of the first Prowlers built.

Grumman builds things that last.........................same as their A-6 Intruders.

QUOTE: Originally posted by Jim Turnbull I have lots of shots of Prowlers with their fuselage panels open and other details photos. ALSO........VAQ-209 "Star Warriors" based out of NAF Washington used to fly Prowler # 1. Yup, the first production EA-6B off the Grumman production line at Calverton, New York. I photographed that plane back in 2000 at an airshow in Canada. As I recall, the plane was in great shape despite it being 30 years old. Last year, I also ran into VAQ-209 at an airshow and they had another really old EA-6B and I could tell by its Bureau Number that it, too, must be one of the first Prowlers built. Grumman builds things that last.........................same as their A-6 Intruders.

I believe 209 brought Prowler 1 out to Whidbey to hand over to a squadron there - I seem to remember hearing about it happening when I was still up there before moving

Don't you just LOVE those Intruders and Prowlers?
Wonder what life must have been like down there at
ground level during the Vietnam and later.
PLEASE keep them coming folks.
Any from USS Coral Sea CV-43???

Yup........love those A-6s for sure............I have some shots of the REAL last trap and launch of an Intruder off a carrier flight deck. The OFFICIAL last trap and launch came in late 1996 BUT almost 2 and a half months later in February 1997, off the coast of Virginia, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower was undergoing flight deck certification trials after having come out of a 4 year overhaul.
The Navy needed some planes to do some traps and launches........
SO............
There were 2 or 3 ex-VA-75 'Sunday Puncher' A-6s sitting around NAS Oceana and they were used.............
I got the shots directly from the photo lab aboard the Eisenhower when I was aboard the carrier in the late spring of 1997.
As a BIG A-6 Intruder fan, I couldn't believe my luck.............
The shots show the VA-75 #500 bird on short final;main gear hitting the deck;the tailhook engaging;the tailhook being released from the wire; and the Intruder moving off and folding its wings.

Just excellent stuff.
Better still because this is the REAL last trap and launch of a Intruder from a carrier flight deck.
Never mind what the official record says!

Jim,

I agree with you on the Intruder. She is and will always be my favorite aircraft.

Carl

Some Intruder pics...

Jan,

Here's a shot of a Prowler on the deck of the USS CORAL SEA (CV-43)...

VAQ-135 Prowler, '85-'86 MED Cruise:


VAQ-133 deployed on her for her MED Cruises during '88-'89, and '89. Can't find any pics though.

Dargonfire's shot of the Intruder on the Enterprise(CVN-65) was "The Last of the Intruder's" end of her Med cruise 1996. That was the last one to leave her deck(offical end) In Aug of 97, after my son got home from the Navy(he was on the Enterprise) we found those Intruder's at the Boneyard at D-M AFB