1951 Went from VR-3 R5Ds to Banshee 2s at NASWF on Kirtland AFB. That was a change. I'm 91 now. Anyone else left? Love a reply.

As a recalled NYC Detective I led t he last CAP (carier air patrol) of the Korean warand made the last carrier landing My Squadron was VF62 (Gladiators)and My Carrier " Lake Champlain" The fighting was declared over during my flight and I was sent to Tokyo with the headline for newspapers " NYC Cop blows whistle on Korean police Action"The Banshee F2H2 could outclimb any of our jets, including the F86 and we always hoped we would tangle with a Mig. Hope the name Banshee is picked for a future fighter

I was a pilot in vf172 "52-54". My first look at New York city was from 52,000' on my way to Bangor, Maine. Had 99 landings on the FDR,Wasp, Bennington,Coral Sea and Midway. No one ever got used to the aircompressor kicking "on" at night.

I was in VF-194 fighter squadon with the F2H3's in 1956-57 I was a plane captain.Made two cruise's to the Far East,First was in 1956 on the USS Orisknay CVA 34 and next one was 1957 on the USS York Town CV-10.The Banshee was a great plane.Just with I could bring that time back.

On two occasions One aboard ship I lost an engine on being catapulted secured the engine burned off thefuel to get lighter and made my landing safely,second time going thru night intercept at Boca ChicaNaval air station, lost engineon on take off. Intake door inadvertly closed( electric malfunction) again had to burn off fuel to land with the stick completely over to the side of neutral.

Too bad they didnt name the F-18 Banshee II

I worked at McDonnell at Lamberts Field in St louis as a sheet metal worker and drill press operato before joining the Navy. I was disappointed when visiting the Pima Air Museum in Tuscon, that there were No Banshee"s on display. I recieved infor today that the museum in San Diego has one so I will be making the 6 hour trip from Phoenix to SanDiego soon. Thanks for all the above info

I was in VNCJ-1 at Ping Tung Korea in 1953.LtCol Marion Carl was the CO.We were moved to Japan in early 1954 and later that year were dployed down to Ping Tung,Formosa. Several classified missions were flown there.The long nosed F2H2-P was a great bird!

Doug Mount the F2H was retired from service in September 1959 and the last aircraft were taken out of the reserves in 1961

I notice there is no mention of the F2H2. It was a great aircraft. I was an Aircraft Mechanic in VF-11 in 1952 and 1953 aboard the USS Kearsarge CVG 33, Air Group 101 in Task Force 77. The Banshee was a great aircraft to work on and we had a full compliment in our squadron, all F2H2's. For such a great aircraft for that time period, I am dismayed that even MacDonalds does (or did not)display this model in their Museum in St. Louis when I visited it. They only had on display a F2H3 to represent the F2H2.

I was employed at McDonnell Aircraft Company in 1946-47. One day all the employees were summoned to asemble outside the plant (Lambert Field, St. Louis). They rolled a Banshee
out of the hanger in a "genuflect" position (nose down - tail up), changed to take off mode and took off with a roar.
It seemed to go straight up. We had not seen anything like before.

I was on the Randolf (CVA15) in the Med from Nov. 1957 to April 1958 and I was a aviation electrician for fighter squadron VF22 and when we returned to JAX Naval Air stattion our squadron was decommissioned. One our planes ended up at the Kennedy Space Center for show.

I believe I made the last carrier landing the Banshee made. It was on the USS Randolf CVA15 with VF71 on March 13, 1959 on our way back to Norfolk on a Med cruise. VF 71 was decommissioned upon arrival in Oceana in March 1959.

1958 I did a Med cruise on the Essex in VF-11 The red Rippers. They flew the F2H-4. Ended up in the far east (Kemoy,Matsue). Went back to Mayport via Singapore, Ceylon, South Africa, Brazil... long boat ride.

IN 1954 I WAS A MECH. AT N.A.S. COLUMBUS, OHIO,SERVICING TRANSIENT A.C. ONE DAY AN F2H-3,OR4, TOOK OFF AND RETURNED IN A VERY SHORT TIME WITH THE LEFT ENGINE MINUS IT'S TURBINE WHEEL--JUST DISINTEGRATED AND THREW PIECES MOSTLY THRU THE FUSALAGE MISSING CONTROL CABLES BY, AS I REMEMBER,JUST INCHES. THE PILOT WASN'T FAZED AT ALL. I DON'T KNOW HOW CLOSE TO THE FUEL TANK THE FRAGMENTS WENT--MIGHT HAVE BEEN A DIFFERENT STORY HAD THEY PENETRATED.

I was in VMF 214 at El Toro from June of 53 to Dec. 53. I was a parachute rigger, and filled the F2H4's with oxygen. I had another rigger who was suppoed to disconnect the oxygen bottles, and battery. He aid he had finished doing that, but hadn't When the oxygen regulater was about off, it was blown out of the cockpit, and came back in, and landed on the circut wires, and burned every wire in the plane.

I was in VMF 214 at El Toro from June of 53 to Dec. 53. I was a parachute rigger, and filled the F2H4's with oxygen. I had another rigger who was suppoed to disconnect the oxygen bottles, and battery. He aid he had finished doing that, but hadn't When the oxygen regulater was about off, it was blown out of the cockpit, and came back in, and landed on the circut wires, and burned every wire in the plane.

I WAS IN VMF-214 ( BLACK SHEEP ) AS A MECHANIC 1953-1955 IN EL TORO AND KANOHE MARINE AIR STATIONS. THE F2H-4 REPLACED THE CORSAIR. WE LOST ONE AIRCRAFT ON LANDING DURING CARRIER QUALIFICATIONS ABOARD THE CARRIER WASP OFF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.

Just like O J (Ollie) Semmes I too was with VF71 during 1956
to 1958.Quonset Pt, Key West, Leeward Pt, FDR, Intepid, Forrestal and Oceana where we operated. The "Banjo"s nose wheel extended for the cat shot and one snowy day the base CO (Quonset) had us taxing noseup to melt the taxiways. You had to have been there - the US Navy in action. On one of
my fam hops when I got to the squadron I was to engage the
auto-pilot; it was a two lever operation - pitch and roll.
I don't remember which lever I moved but the violent
maneuver that occurred was all I needed to never try to
use it again. The plane was great otherwise.

Flew F@H-3's amd 4's in VF-71. When I reported right out of the training command, the weather was below minimums and two flights were up practicing GCA approaches. VF 71 was always up when the WX was down. Aboard Hornet had night deck crash that I walked away from...slightly fast and high at cut...the SPN-12 gear was out...lousy night...no wind. During same cruise John Mitchell landed a Banshee one night between the two stanchions on the fantail of Bon Homme Richard or maybe Oriskany..and walked down to sick bay afterward. Also flew it during Operation Strikeback in North Atlantic. It was great platform but electronics packages did not have the reliability we now have.