On 12/5/03 2:49 PM, in article , "Mike
Kanze" wrote:

Woody,

149484, a KA-6D, January 1990.

For what it's worth -

According to my A-6A/B/C NATOPS, at that time (1974) 149484 was "not in
fleet use" and not even a A, B or C. A number of its production-mates were
/ were being converted to EA-6As at the time, so it's possible that this one
was sitting around at Grumman, in mod to become queer or in reserve. BTW,
149484 was No. 18 off the A-6 production line at Grumman. At that time all
of the EA-6As were conversions from among the first ~90 straight As
produced.

The "seniormost" A-6 in my logbook is 149950 (No. 36 off the production
line), an AFC 200 A-6A at the time. Flew it first in 1972 as a FRBN in
VA-128, who then foisted it onto we Lizards for our 1973 cruise.


Pretty interesting stuff. If those jets got retired, the Navy must have
brought them back to life as tankers. Knightriders did the last KA-6D
cruise (at least on the west coast). We had two 149-series tankers in the
mix. It made everybody a bit wide-eyed.

In fact, the Yogi Gallagher "B/N trappin' in the wind" event was in a
149-series KA-6D... and the jet's top-latch mechanism that failed and caused
the mishap was a "fly to failure" part. The jet was older than either of
the aircrew.

Even weirder to think I'm now flying them against guys who graduated
college in 2000.

Curt Seth, an LCDR on AIRPAC staff is screening for command. He was a
little kid running around in his Dad Roy's yard on the Rock when Roy and I
were Lizards together. When the kids of your shipmates are screening for
(and getting) command, you tend to look in the mirror just a bit longer.


Opie and I were squadronmates in VA-52. I have the same sorts of moments
with him that you had with his dad--standing around watching our kids run
around in the back yard. Hey, I feel younger already! |:-)

Just saw him at the Adversary OAG in Key West in September--great guy. He
may have time in 149484 too--although the last time it appears in my log
book is June 1991. He checked into VA-52 as a nugget when I had been in the
squadron for about a year or two.

Can't impress these kids because most of them don't know anything smaller
than KITTY HAWK class.

I have a slightly different take on this. My Dad, a Naval aviator from
1940 - 1965, and Mom attend Tailhook every year. He runs around the exhibit
area wearing a F-4U sweatshirt. It's a sure-fire conversation-starter. He
finds the "kids" as interested in that era of Naval aviation as he is in
what's currently happening with them.


I gotta make it out to TH so *I* can hear those stories too. I was working
this year.

One of the more poignant things at each year's Tailhook Reunion Luncheon are
the recognition awards for the old-timers, including "most straight-deck
traps" and "earliest date of designation," among others. Most of these guys
can still taxi under their own power, too, which is remarkable since they're
all in their 80s - early 90s. THAT'S impressive!

Owl sends.