Top Gun

[austinscan1]

T-6 Texan 1940's trainer is beginning it's winter tour. Their schedule is posted online (natg.com) See it if you can! Austin

 

[fmon]

T-6 Texan 1940's trainer is beginning it's winter tour. Their schedule is posted online (natg.com) See it if you can! Austin

Thanks for the note.

I noticed it is scheduled for FKN Franklin county VA. However for those of us in VA, Franklin County is 200 miles west of Franklin (independent city).

John Beverly Rose airport (FKN) is actually in the independent city of Franklin which is very easy to get to for the cities mentioned in the 2009 schedule. FKN is 31 miles from our home so will likely make the schedule.

Thanks again.

 

[w0fg]

If you EVER have the opportunity to fly with NATG, do it! It's a fantastic experience.

 

[fmon]

Some were thrilling flights.

If you EVER have the opportunity to fly with NATG, do it! It's a fantastic experience.

Got some memories flying in some of the old navy birds. Think the oldest was SNJ and SNB. B is twin prop.
In 1957 got a hop on a Coast Guard B17 flying Ice Patrols out of Argentia Newfoundland up Davis Straight to Greenland, across to Nunavut peninsula and return to Args.
Spent two years out of Quonset Pt RI or all over the Mediterranean off the Saratoga flying either nav, bombardier or active jammer in navy Abel Dog's - AD5N or AD5Q (58 - 60).

In 62 - 64 out of Jax FL made several hops in Navy Jig Dog's - JD (converted B26) used for target towing. Also, another Able Dog version as target spotter over Pine Castle FL.
Have several hundred hours flying in navy Neptune's and a 1K pin in Orion's (they are still flying today).
Once flew in a UH16 that had been previously assigned to Harry Truman.
Several helo models both older and newer.
And a couple of early jets, F3D, and F9F-7T

 

[SCPD]

fmon that f9f t was that a panther or a cougar?? also remember the skynight f3d was at Itami afb , then moved to Iwakuni which was nas then we were the first marines to move there and eventually it became mcas.. bob

 

[w0fg]

Iwakuni...there's a name I haven't thought of for years. I was stationed at Hakata Annex of Itazuke AB from 70-72.

I flew the SNJ-4 in the picture for about an hour a couple of years ago. I'd had aerobatic rides before, but this was the first time I actually got to fly the manuevers myself. Great fun...I even managed to make a loop smooth enough to fly back into my own propwash.

 

[fmon]

Bob, by your name you must have been in Panthers. The t was a double cockpit cougar used for instrument training. Only made one flight in the F3, one of the crew members wanted to swap with me and ride the Abel Dog. We both got about 2 hours in the exchange. That was the last cruise for F3 in CAG 3.

My only west pack was out of UTapaho AB Thailand in 66/67 (flying the Tonkin Gulf in P3's. We made an RO2N to Iwakuni then MCAS. I think a detachment of P3's were there out of Barbers Pt MCAS.

w0fg, yes, that J bird was a great rider and looking forward to next Sep 24. The AD's were also great.