J-15s onboard CV 16 Liaoning in 2013 – sporting a familiar tail emblem…
30 November 2007 Update: Navy reports finding remains of LT Betton. LT Ryan K. Betton, USN: Ryan “Tater” Betton was assigned to VAW-120, following a fleet tour with the Liberty Bells of VAW-115, homeported in Japan and assigned to CVW-15 on the USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63). Ryan, an Ann Arbor, Michigan native and current resident…
Sometime in April 1958, Lockheed first undertook the study of a replacement for the U-2. Unlike the U-2, this would be an aircraft able to cruise at Mach 3, with a range of over 4,000 nm at altitudes exceeding 90,000 ft. It would also have an RCS (radar cross section) smaller than the U-2 and…
When last heard from, Southern Air Pirate was sampliing the joys of liberty in Naples. His latest missive recounts the experience of transiting the Suez Canal beginning in Port Said as the Truman CSG presses on to relieve the Enterprise CSG. To help set the stage, see the map below (click to enlarge): Well we…
A feature wherein YHS dips into his photo-locker of some 40+ years. YHS’ VT-10 class, circa July 1978. Some of the more seasoned among us will recognize a few of the folks here, including some who are no longer with us. Yes, we were all wearing (ugh) black shoes and we have the token shoe…
A program update on the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye was provided today at the AEW and Battle Management conference in Amsterdam. Providing the update was Northrop-Grumman’s VP for AEW &BM C2 programs, Jim Culmo and Hawkeye/Greyhound Program Manager, CAPT Shane Gahagan, USN. Culmo noted that the company is on-track to deliver three pilot production E-2Ds to…
We get mail and some of it is darn interesting. Take this for example – sometime back we posted on the return of CDR Pete Mongilardi’s remains from Vietnam. Following up on that posting came a note from the former OPS O of VA-153 relating how the Bluetail Flies came by that nickname. It occurred…
