This is the in-flight video of the ferry of an A-3 Skywarrior to NAS Whibey Island, Washington in April 2011. This version includes me at the controls. See more at: gregbass.com/2
A rare Navy draftee here------ I spent 1 1/2 years with VR-8 at Moffett Field NAS and when the squadron disbanded June 1 of 67, I got orders to VAH-123 Whidbey Island to finish my last 4 1/2 months. When I got to Whidbey in early evening I wondered how anyone could sleep with the LOUD squeal of the jet engines going on. I went thru A-3 familiarization but then got switched to VA-128 ( A-6) when the squadron split. A-6 plane captain the last 1 1/2 months of my 2 year drafted obligation. GREAT duty for a 2 year draftee.
I thought I was the only person to love the A-3 Skywarrior.... it appears the Whale has lots of admirers! I remember the first time I saw a picture of the A-3; I was about 12-years old, and I was looking at a 1965 edition of the National Geographic that profiled the U.S. Navy. In the story, there was a picture of an A-3 coming to land on the Oriskany - that is when I fell in love the Skywarrior!
There are some new interested enthusiasts in this large but smart looking aircraft - recently got a 1:350 CV-11 Intrepid model kit, but having read up on the Essex's in the 1960s/1970s was fascinated by the A-3 Skywarriors so will build the kit as CV-14 Ticonderoga which flew them, and the fascination lead me to these RU-vid videos :o)
Thanks for the upload, my dad was aircrew with VQ-1 (EA-3 and EC-121) in Vietnam and I served with VAQ-139 in Whidbey (EA-6B) so this video is double sweet, wish I could have been there to do a hot pit or a preflight on it! Love that aircraft, nice to see that the "Whales" are still flying.
Thanks for the video. I just found it - back in 1974, I was about to get my aircrew wings when our squadron, VAQ-130, transitioned to the EA-6B and move to Whidbey. Got lucky - the C-9's came to NAS Alameda and I became a loadmaster from 1975-1977. Great flying!
My dad was in ATC on Whidbey Island 1960-65, and retired there after 20 years in the Navy. This is the first time I've seen the base from this angle. I did get to be in the control tower on a few occasions as a boy (9-14 yrs old), including once when the Blue Angels flew in for an air show. I even got to talk to them on the radio for a few seconds. (Shh, don't tell anyone, I wasn't supposed to do that. lol)
Thanks so much for this amazing video Brings back lots of memories My father flew The a 3-D And He loved It I remember him taking me up in the control Tower Then he ran me down to the end of the runway Lol this was 1958 . Mom and I would sit on the side of the runway And Watch him do Touch And goes In the old 58 Cadillac
I could be mistaken, but I'm quite sure my father was an electronics officer aboard this specific plane sometime in the early 70's, while stationed at Point Mugu, when she went by the nickname "Snoopy". He was involved in the installation and testing of radar equipment that may or may not have been manufactured by a certain non-domestic superpower, which is pretty cool. He passed away less than 2 months before this final flight, and I wish I would have known then that this plane was still in use, I'm sure he would have loved to know that "Snoopy" was still flying. Anyway, thank you for the nice airplane video that made me cry.
Thank you for the comment. When I flew them (right sear mostly) we were out of a Raytheon facility at Van Nuys airport. This flight was out of Pt Mugu because of the longer runway required for the gas to get to Whidbey. Your dad had a cool job!
i think "snoopy" NRA-3B buno 144825 had its nose fixed and is currently on display at NAS Whidbey Is. the acft here is 142667, but also flew at Pt Mugu
I wasnt Navy, but USAF, and I recently "reupped" as an Associate Member of the "Whalers"! Beautiful aircraft with quite a bit of incredible history!!! An American icon!
Love the good sound quality and video. Makes me a bit sad they are done. Last time I was at Whidbey it wasn't in place yet. Sorta wish Collins foundation or another org like that would keep them flying a few times a year on the air show circuit.
I was a aviation fire control technician 2nd class ( AQ2B )AC flying with VAH-123 at Whidbey Is. and VAP-61 at NAS Agana, Guam and various Yankee Station boats.
My father, Leslie F. Allen, was a maintenance chief with VAP-61 at NAS Agana in 1957-59. He was there during the transition from AJ-2P's to the A-3's and the squadron change to VCP-61.
No, at one point the Navy had all the remaining ones and they "loaned" them to us (Raytheon TS out of Van Nuys, CA). They eventually said they were done and we were told to distribute them (one went to Whidbey, one to Pensacola and one to Hawaii...the last on by boat). They came and cut up the rest.
FL 280 with no helmet, no oxygen mask and obviously no brain. Flying as an EWO (Senior Instructor, A/C Commander, Mission Commander, Event Commander) in the ERA-3B with VAQ-33 I had a RAT blade depart and punch a hole in the fuselage. Immediately, the aircraft was zero-zero visibility inside and everything collapsible departed through the hole in the fuselage. There was about three seconds to secure my oxygen mask. Might look "cool," but flying an A-3 at FL 280 where you have VERY little effective conscious time without proper equipment does not impress me favorably.
Actually, we had masks you just cannot see them. You are right that to fly above 12K ft would be foolish without oxygen. The oxygen source was a LOX bottle checked before flight at each manned station. Time of useful consciousness at 280 is 2-3 minutes. Your incident sounds scary, especially if you couldn't see! I only had a total electrical failure in the A-4 (not A-3) once and of course it was at night! No battery in that airplane. We didn't normally take the A-3s above 30 but we had an Egrett that we regularly took to this high forties. We had to wear masks on that all the time as the cabin altitude was 180!
Mid video you can see the O2 mask right on his chest. Airliners fly with just quick dons and never helmets. Not sure the no brain comment was really warranted. Something tells me these guys also had a lot of hours in the 3 as well.
Why isn’t the pilot wearing a helmet? Worst airplane ever designed by the DOD. I flew too many sorties in this pos. I survived, but it was squeaky bum time every launch and landing, especially at night.
Well, we weren't flying anything as dangerous as you were (and thank you for your service). We were using these for radar development (the Navy loaned all the flyable ones to contractors and we were the last one). I usually flew right seat as we had two very experienced A-3 pilots on staff. I only had a couple of landings and takeoffs ( I flew right seat on this ferry for the landing and takeoff). We were always over land pretty much and at reasonable altitudes so while we did have O2 masks and all the other survival gear (including parachutes), we did not wear helmets (we usually had 3 guys in the back). I understand your opinion of the aircraft but you must remember the timeframe of its development. We actually had several versions (and the electrical system was reversed!) and running the bleed air trough the cabin caused several mishaps through the years in the fleet. But it is great to say I have flown it. We had quite a crowd at the delivery (another one ended up in Pensacola and another in Hawaii [that was sent by boat]). Anyone that landed this on the boat has my endless respect!
Why didn’t you just transfer to another airframe like the P-3 if you hated flying in that bird, I served with heavy four in the sixties, most of our aircrews like them and you couldn’t get them out of them, to each his own I guess! I was stationed at Whidbey Island from 1961 to 1964 deploying 3 times to westpac, got to fly in these birds several times the last flight was from Atsugi Japan to Wake Island then on to Hawaii where we stayed over night then on to Whidbey, sat in the jump seat all the way, uncomfortable as all get out, was over enlistment and the navy had to get me out in a hurry, loved my 4 years with Heavy-4, great experience for a young man!
The EA-3B was/is a beautiful bird with a fantastic mission--flying off carriers and cruising the coasts of commie countries, keeping a dozen ELINT and SIGINT antennas aimed at the bad guys while you watched and listened to the beeps to make sure they weren't coming out to ruin your day! The basic airframe was used as a nuclear bomber, a tanker, a recce, and a VIP transport--the Whale could do it all, even the Whale Dance! Famed designer Ed Heinemann called the A-3 his favorite aircraft. AT-2 Mike Greene, VQ-1 '75-'79. Best duty EVER!
