Was an ADR in VT-28 NAS Corpus Christi Tx From feb. 67 to july 69. Flew many X country flights. Loved working on those 1820 engines. those were some of the most memorable years. Really enjoyed it.

I fail to ever see the fact that 4 S2-D's were also employed by (Legacy) US Customs Air Support Branches in the mid to late 1970's for A/C Interdiction purposes. They had their APS 88 radars modified along with R&D for the original FLIRs ultimately to utilized by later generation Navy Fighters etc. Unfortunately I only have a couple of old photographs, but you would be welcome to have copies. At the time I was the Chief of the Air Support Branch at Homestead AFB, Fl. Too bad this great old birds do not get some glory for their participation in the "Was on Drugs". Good stories also available. Thanks you.

This is a E-Mail correction posted on 01.02.2013

I served in the Navy from Jan.64 to Dec.67 and was in VS-37 out of North Island NAS. We deployed onboard the USS Hornet. I have about 850 hours in the back seat of the S2D/E model as a radar and MAD equipment operator. My last carrier landing was my 100th addrested landing. I was an enlisted man but the pilots would let we sneak up front and fly the plane for short periods of time. They didn't tell me about the trim controls and I remember it felt like I was flying a truck. I later got my private/comm Inst. tickets and retired in 2007 as an air traffic controller at Los Angeles Center and High Desert Approach Control at Edwards Air Force Base. S2's are still being used locally as fire fighters. Great airplane.

Was in VT31 at NAS Corpus from 67to70 rate was ADR love the sound of the engines Had a lot of fun working on the S2
made A lot of friends.

If you are interested in the S-2 check out the RAFS website and drop me an email

I flew off both the Bennington and the Ticonderoga in 1968 &1970 with VS38 My crew was the only crew to never fail to fly in 1970.

As an Ensign and nugget naval aviator, I flew the US-2B with VC-2 Det Jax '74-'75. Called ourselves "skeet for the fleet" our primary mission being towing targets for ships to practice gunnery. Thankfully, the Det was decommissioned and I headed for VP-24 and P-3C's.

The S-2 Tracker Is 1 Of my best planes where i grew up i remember seeing S-2s working the pattern at the airbase they were at all day u can c S-2s doing Tand Gs it was great i wood never guss i wood Reloading them with fire retardent 4 the CDF its still help fighting fires in CA. Thanks

I flew stoof (C-1/S-2) at NAF Naples (1972-1975, appx 1000 hrs). Mostly towing targets for fleet to shoot at and land logistics around Mediterannean. Good bird but agree w/ the comments on having rudder boost.

Flew 500 hours as a plane captain ADR2 in Rosevelt Roads from 75 to 78. Had the C1A version and it was a great plane. Flew SAR and had a couple cat launches and landings on the uss Nimitz. Great plane, lots of fun, and great for a 20 year old cutting his teeth on radials before going to jets. Was fortunate to be in the last ADR class at NTTC in Memphis. Still working jets for P&W. Most of you know who that is.

I was a Lt in 1959-61 and flew as a pilot from North Island and the Kearsarge. I got to North Island in 59, and stayed in the RAG until VS-21 returned from its Westpac Cruise, then joined the squadron until the split was made to form VS-29 where I served the rest of my tour. I made one Westpac deployment and got my 100 traps before going off to PG school in 61. Most fun flying was working with the destroyers to confirm sonar contacts with MAD. I would put the top of the destroyer's mast on the horizon to lock in about 90 feet off the water and then fly to the contact to look for MAD confirmation. The least fun was trying to fly a decent Julie pattern while listening for the "clicks." Landing at night on a pitching deck also had to qualify as a "least fun" activity. But I rescued a couple of tail hooks before they got tossed overboard after X traps, had them chrome plated and still show them proudly on my nick nack shelf. I have about 20 minutes worth of movies taken with my 8 mm camera of the S2 landing and taking off from the Kearsarge. It has been made into a DVD so if you would like a copy, drop me an e-mail. You will go into my junk folder so be sure to put in an attention geting subject and send it more than once so I will eventually find it. Also, I just had a model built by Russ Busy, a museum-quality model builder, and took a few pictures of it. The model has been modified to make it look exactly like the planes we flew. As soon as I figure out how, I'll post the photos to You Tube. The movie is too long for You Tube.

Correction to my last comments: it should read ECM/MAD, the SONO system controls were part of the radar station. In addition, the mission was started from the Princeton about 450 miles east of northern Honshu...and after 4 1/2 hours in the air, was out of range of any air station.

From Princeton to Shangrila...

I was an AT aircrewman in S2F1/2 while attached to VS23 in 1958-59. We deployed to WestPac in 1958 aboard the Princeton, CVS37. I'll never forget one dark night while out on a single aircraft special communications mission, we returned to the ship, and no ship in sight. With about an hour of fuel left, and no idea where our ship was, and under strict radio silence, things got a little intense in the cabin. We climbed out to about 10 thousand and fired up the radar for one or two sweeps every few minutes. I was on the APS-38 and found a small cluster of targets about 100 miles from us. We flew to within visual range and saw the USS Shangrila, secured from flight quarters with aircraft cabled down all over the flight deck. We had about 30 minutes of fuel left and tried to contact the ship by flashing code with the handheld Aldus lamp in the cockpit. They came up on UHF Guard frequency and we told them our plight. It took the better part of our 30 minutes to get the deck cleared and the ship made continuous circles to smooth out the 10 to 15 foot swells in case we had to ditch. Finally, we got the Charlie and came down with one engine sputtering, caught the third wire and were aboard. When we stepped out of the plane I heard the ship's bullhorn announce: "You have just saved four souls!" The others on the plane were Lt Phillips, pilot, AT3 James Budd, ECM/Sono, and myself on radar. I don't remember the co-pilots name. My deepest gratitude to all involved that night, the flight crew and the ships crew that made landing possible, and of course, the great Stoof that brought us thru.

Maintained and flew as aircrew in S2-F-1s -2s and -3s.from
1959 to 1962 in VS-36 at Norfolk and from the USS Randolph. I knew Ace Eastman but i dont think i ever had a flight with him. Mostly i flew with a D.I. Worrell. Great pilot. Sadly we lost both one of our best pilots and my shop Chief on a night flight during an (ORI) Operational readiness inspection. I think the pilots name was Cook.
During a search the next couple of days a few pieces of wreckage and a couple of helmets were found, but no personnel. Still i loved flying in the S2-F and will never forget the experience.

The S-2 is the primary airtanker / Firefighting aircraft for CALFIRE (California State Wildland Fire Control Agency)
They have upgraded their entire fleet to turbo props.

Robert W Overton
VS-37 1969-1970
Rate AN
Plane Captain on S2D/E

Enlisted 12/10/1968 and was aboard USS Hornet (CVS-12). I was assigned to VS-37 02/10/1969 on WestPac (Yankee Station). I was discharged on 09/10/1970. I was a civilian employee for the Department of the Navy. I have retired from DON after 41 years 11 months of service as 11/01/11. 23 years of service was with PMA-264 Production Sonobuoy Program. I was a Plane Captain and worked on flight deck doing preflight inspections on S2D/E aircraft and enjoyed my time on the flight deck very much..."

I flew #4 seat off of Kearsarge, CVS33 during the 66 WestPac. I was in VA-29. Great memories and even better liberty.

I was an aircrewman in VS-31 flying from the Wasp from 1966-1967. We had fun with Russian trawlers, including a time with my friend Glenn Gibson that involved opening the bombay doors and dropping a lunch box, the contents of which will remain unidentified.

I served as a yn with vs31 anti-submarine squadron stationed at quonset pt R.I. we were attached to the wasp cvs 18 out of southboston navy yard. served in the squadron from, nov 1961 to nov 1963. would like to here from anyone that was in the unit during this time.