Mt first duty assignment was Va-122 NAS Lemoore(66-68). I learned to be a Plane Captain on A1H/J and T28 B/C. What great memories. The smoke and sound of those recips was a turn-on.

I flew the A1H/Js off the Ticonderoga CV14 getting out in July 1965. Flew missions in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. A great flying machine that was extremely versitile. In one tour was able to log over 200 carrier landings with over 100 night landings. Flew with a bunch of great guys that pulled every stunt in the book.

First flew the Skyraider during advanced pilot training at VT-30, Corpus Christie,TX. Received my "Wings of Gold" in OCT 1962 and then reported to VA-122 (Flying Eagles) at NAS Moffit Field, CA for Replacement Airgroup Training with further orders to V-152 (Aces) or commonly named the 152nd Light Bombardment and Twilight Pursuit Squadron. I was fortunate to fly the A-1E/G/H/J models of the Spad for 1,719hrs. I was a member of V-152 Det Zulu sent to Bein Hoa AFB, South Vietnam in 1964 to train the South Vietnamese pilots to fly the A-1H/J and also to fly combat sortties in South Vietnam. I also flew the A-1H/J in combat off the ORISKANY in the Gulf of Tonkin in 1965. I finished up flying the Spad training the last of the A-1H/J West coast Navy pilots at VA-122 in Lemoore,CA (1966-1969). This multi-mission capable aircraft was a pleasure to fly and could sustain a lot of battle damage and yet return one safely to the ship. As Captain George Duskin said, "had enough firepower to make true believers out of the gommers".

First flew the venerable Skyraider during advanced pilot training at VT-30 in Corpus Christi, TX. Got my wings in Oct 1964, then to Lemoore, CA for more training in VA-122 with orders to join VA-152. While in VA-122, was selected to fill VAW-13's need for a Spad pilot who was already CARQUALED and who could transition quickly to the AD-5Q (EA-1F) the ECM version of the Spad. Spent 30 months (1964-67)in VAW-13, deployed to WESTPAC twice, flew 135 combat missions in support of Navy strikes over North Viet Nam, launching from the carriers Oriskany, Bon Homme Richard, Independence, Kitty Hawk, Ranger, Midway, Intrepid, Midway, Constellation, and F.D. Roosevelt. Drove Spads for over 1,200 hours and loved the airplane. Transitioned to jets in 1967 and flew the A-4 Skyhawk and A-7E Corsair II. "Jets are for kids".

Flew A-1e/g/h/j's with USAF Air Commandos/Special Opns out of NKP 1968-69. The E's and G's with side-by-side seating in cockpit restricted vision out of the right side of acft, so tendency was to come off the tgt and break left. It didn't take the FNG (New Guy) long to realize the gomer gunners had this figured out -- the gunner usually drew lead to the left and the FNG conviently jinked into the ground fire. Usually only happened once. Old heads would say, "Told you not to break left."

I am looking fro some pictures from 1955--1957 of VMA-212 aircraft. While with that squadron we flew 4,276.2 hours in the month of May 1956 from MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawii, T.H.

Great airplane and close air support weapon. Engine & Cockpit were armor plated. Equipped with 20mm guns and 13 stations from which you could fire, shoot, eject, or drop about any munition; or use three of them for fuel tanks. My first assignment out of UPT, and probably my best flying assignment. Flew with the 56th Special Ops Wing under callsigns Zorro, Sandy, Spad, Hobo, and others with the 22nd & 1st SOS at Nakhon Phanom, Thailand; and the 56th OLAA at Danang.

I was attached to VAW33(1962-4) out of Quonset Point. At that time the squadron was flying AD5Q's and AD5W's Got lots of experience repairing radar equipment on the AD5W("Guppy).I only got to fly in one of our planes twice -both times to Norfolk for school. I was so worried about doing something dumb that I barely noticed anything about the plane or the flight. She was a beautiful plane, easy to work on.After I retired in 2001 I volunteered as a tour guide at the American Airpower Museum and was thrilled when an AD4N version ended up as one of our exhibits and I could show, rather than just tell visitors about "my plane".
Unfortunately the plane is now gone. The plane was called "Naked Fanny" and can be seen on the internet

HERE IN THE PALM BEACH'S THERE LIVED LCDR JOHN "BUCK" BUCHANAN WHO WAS A TEST "DRIVER" FOR THIS PLANE OUT OF CHINA LAKE, CA. IN 1947. HE HAD ASKED THAT HIS PLANE BE PAINTED WITH ORANGE STRIPES AS THE DARK BLUE WAS HARD TO PICK UP IN THE PHOTOS. HE GAVE ME A COPY OF THE PIC WITH HIM STANDING NEXT THE WING. COPY IS AT THE OFFICE OF THE ASSOC. OF NAVAL AVIATION. THE STORY IS IN THE SUMMER-FALL ISSUE 2006 "WINGS OF GOLD" HE WAS A "MUSTANG" STARTING OUT AS A WHITE HAT IN 1934. HE PASSED AWAY 23 MAY 2005 WAS A HONOR AND PRIVILEGE TO HAVE KNOWN HIM. REGARDS, CHUCK

USAF Retired. Had the honor of being a Maintenance Officer on this aircraft in the Air Commando Wings at Hurlburt AFB and NKP 1966 -1972. Also logged lots of flying time in the "E". One of the greatest combat aircraft ever made.

My Uncle, Robert E. Calkins fly one of these planes. Wish I had the chance to met him, but he died before I was born.

ANYONE OUT THERE COULD GIVE ME THE NAME OF AN AVIATION "OUTFIT" IN THE USA, WHERE I COULD HAVE MY FRIEND, RET. COL BOB,(ONE OF THE ORIGINAL "SANDY"!) TAKE ONE LAST FLIGHT IN HIS FAVORITE WAR AIRPLANE,( WHATEVER THE COST, SORT OF.. )? HE FLEW VIETNAM 65/66.
THANKS. M Harnetty

was in vaw-11 and vaw-13 1959-end of 1962 love these ad's and loved to work on them

I flew 150 combat missions in 1965 and 1966 off of the Coral Sea and Intrepid with VA-165 and the SPAD brought me home every time. We had the A-H/J models. Our mounts, phased out of the Navy with VA-165, I retreated to Pensacola and flew another year, flying the A-1E with NAMI. My mission--to try to get volunteer subjects sick, with an aerobatic routine while the Flight Surgeons in back tried just the opposite with the latest anti-nausea drugs. Fun for me!

Was a YN in VF-193 back in 1955 and didn’t draw many flight skins but I did get the ride of my life in an AD5 from Moffett to Fallon, NV with Alan B. Shepard Jr. Didn’t spend a lot of time on this trip right side up and I have told my grand children about it.

I flew Spads off the Saratoga in 1965 and our skipper "Whiskey" Bill insisted we do an endurance flight. I tooled around the med,for 13.6 hours, 2 box lunches popped some pills from the flight surgeon, and landed over the LSO's screams.

we had an A-1E aboard the USS Intrepid, it had at one time ditched into ocean and was recovered. it spent months in re-work.On its test hop all went very well, not a glitch, but upon engageing arresting gear both external fuel tanks released and the engine mounts broke causing engine to fold away drom front of fuselage.

I too was a member of VA176 aboard the Sexy Sara (CVA - 60 ). I remember the News Networks commenting about what was going on during the 6 day war. Then we were hearing in the squadron "Thats not what I saw". This plane was one of a kind. Able to do any task from close cover support to refueling the fuel hungry jets. The only plane since, any where similar would be the "Wart Hog".

A1s, This plane was second to God's hand for the ground troops in Nam. Not too fast, plenty of hurt until the choppers could get there to slice and dice the situation. ThankYou again and Welcome Home, SPAD drivers of BienHoa, NhaTrang, Pleiku '66. You were the best.... 2/09.

WHILE ON CVA-60,USS SARATOGA, SUMMER, 1967, CAG WANTED TO PROVE THAT SKYRAIDERS COULD FLY LOW LEVEL (200' ABOVE GROUND, 100' ABOVE WATER) FROM AREAS OF THE MED TO DEEP PENETRATION OF AN ENEMY COUNTRY AND DELIVER A WEAPON. AT 6AM, CDR. JACK FRENCH (CO) AND I (GREEN ENSIGN) LAUNCHED AT SUNRISE EAST OF PALERMO, SICILY, TRAVERSED SAME AT 200' AGL AND WENT "FEET WET" AT THE FOOT OF MT. AETNA. ISLAND HOPPING THE AEGEAN, FEET DRY IN SOUTHERN TURKEY, 2 HOURS INLAND THEN REVERSE COURSE AND "FEET WET" ONCE AGAIN IN THE AEGEAN SEA. MORE ISLAND HOPPING UNTIL LANDING AT SUNSET JUST SOUTH OF THE STRAITS OF MESSINA. FLIGHT TIME WAS IN EXCESS OF 12 HOURS. ALL DONE WITH "DR" NAVIGATION A "WAC" CHARTS. THEY WORK!

in 1954 cdr nyburg and i flew one flight for 13.7 hrs off uss midway i have about 900 hrs in ad4nls and 5,s

in 1954 on the uss midway cdr nyburg and i his crewman flew 13.7 hrs in one long flight how about topping that bud

Wow, what a great airplane!! I was the last 2Lt to fly it in 1971-72 at NKP Thailand....We had A-1 E/G/H/J's and flew for the USAF doing SAR and CAS missions all over SEA....It was a fantastic experience flying this huge recip with some of the best pilots I have ever known....What a great kick off to my 35 yr career in the Air Force......

While serving in Nam, (4 tours), spec.ops. Sandy saved our group on two occasions. Great a/c and even greater drivers.

b.l. richardson
SCPO,USN,ret.

Way back in 1958 while I was in VF-173 flying FJ's, during a Friday happy hour, my skipper and rhe VA-44 (AD's) skipper got into a "discussion" about how difficult it would be for the other sqds. pilots to fly their A/C. Some of us in 173 had never flown a tail wheel A/C while few if any of the 44 pilots had flown a jet, much less a SWEPT WING jet!! The CAG heard this conversation and challenged the two skippers to "put their money where their mouth was and Monday AM swap A/C. Mon. myself and another ENS., Wayne Miller, got three hours of sys. lectures in the 44 ready room and went out as the first jet types with no tail wheel experence to do our stuff. A VA-44 pilot got on the wing of my AD-6 and started the engine, saluted and said "good luck". All I can say is it was a fun plane to fly and a hand full to land---something called 'torque'!!! The prop guys did well in our FJ's, only a few blown tires. I wonder what would happen to any C.O. who tried to pull a stunt like that now??

I flew AD-3s, AD-4s, AD-4Ns, AD-5s and AD5Ws with about 800 hours and 125 traps, mostly aboard the USS Intrepid in the period 1957-60. Longest flight was 7 hours - a long time to not pee. It was a wonderful plane, very stable and very reliable. I am looking for a retired one to use as a display on the USS Intrepid. They are scarce. If anyone knows of one available please contact me. Thanks.

WHILE FLYING OVER LAKE MIC.IN A AD4N ON WAY TO NAS BEMIDJI MINN. MY PILOT FLEW THE DROP TANK DRY AND THE ENG, QUIT, HE YELLED ON THE INTERCOM TO STAY WITH HIM AND HE AIRSTARTED THE ENG, I HAD MY HAND ON THE DOOR JETISON HANDLE AND NEEDLESS TO SAY WAS NOT A HAPPY CAMPER,AFTER WE LANDED HE TRIED TO JOKE ABOUT IT BUT I KEPT MY MOUTH SHUT, I THINK I COULD HAVE CAUSED HIM MUCH TROUBLE IF I WOULD HAVE TOLD THE SKIPPER ABOT IT. ALL IN ALL IT WAS QUITE A THRILL.

Flew the A1 with VA-35, 1956 thru 1958. Great aircraft. Over 1,000 hours and about 200 traps. VA-35 was primarily an atomic weapons delivery squadron - low level nav, loft bombing and all that stuff. Most shipboard time was aboard the USS Saratoga in the Med. Never had one of those great machines so much as cough or sneeze once in all of those hours and sorties.

I served in the USMC, squadron VMA-212. In 1956, flying AD-4's & -4B's, we flew 4,276.2 hours. The commanding Officer was Major Warren P. Nichols. 4,276.2 hours set a record, I don't know if that record has been beaten.

Great aircraft. Extemely reliable; deadly accuate; flew like a dream. Had enough firepower to make true believers out of the gommers. Obviously slow compared to jets. They usually led us too much - which was good - but uncomfortable. Needed angle of attack instrumentation. Firing all four cannons at once would stop acceleration in a dive. 1075 hrs, 275 traps, 170 missions (VA-52 1965-67)

While I never flew in one, my good friend Cdr. Larry McGuire did. He spoke lovingly of the AD's he flew in Viet Nam. He also mentioned that if they weren't dripping oil it was because the sump was empty. After a mission he said they would fill up the oil and check the gas. He was saddened by the AD being phased out and replaced with the A4, a plane he was too tall to comfortably fly.

I've got about 1000 hours in AD1,3,4,5,6. A great A/C. Your description says the AD's range was 900 miles. I once flew an AD6 from JAX to LAS at 50' (no higher) in 10 hours and 20 minutes. What a beautiful A/C.

I was a plankowner in VAW 13 at Guam. In a 15 month period I landed on the Hancock, Ranger, Ticonderoga, Hornet, Yorktown and made an emergency night trap on the Forrestal while TAD at Oceana. Loved the airplane. If it wasn't dripping oil, it was out of it.

I served aboard the USS HORNET (MM2 1957-1929) and observed the AD in use at that time. Very impressive.

As a Airborne Mission Commander in Air Rescue while serving in Nam I had great admiration for the Spad pilots and learned during one mission that the Spad pilot off my wing (HC-130) was my friend from my Bermuda tour. My regret was that I did not get to fly in one lOVE TO HEAR FROM Spad pilots from Nam in 1968

W,

Received the ADs after suffering with SB2Cs and could out climb and out turn or F4U fighters and return our vexation about performance.

This was my first aircraft out of Pensacola. I was able to log 500 hours in 12 months in AD-1's. My Commanding Officer believed that 2nd Lt's belonged in the air at all times. When he would see me on the ground, he would say, "Why are you not flying". Flew all versions of the AD.