Northrop F-5 and Douglas A-4

[tomdocherty72]

Can anyone point me in the right direction to make contact with pilots who flew the Northrop F-5 and the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. A google search for relevant forums or groups drew a blank.

Thanks.

[Vzlet]

Association Contact Directory | A-4 Skyhawk Association (http://a4skyhawk.org/content/association-contact-directory)

[SpazSinbad]

'tomdocherty72' if you follow the link to the 'A-4 Skyhawk Associaton' above, in the RAN FAA (Australian Navy) section you will see many items uploaded by me to that excellent website. Having flown the A4G in the early 1970s, and at the time of starting work on what became an humungous PDF, there was not a lot of info about the A4G online, whilst whatever was available often was incorrect in some details, I was interested to get correct info online. Since that time, about 8 years ago now, and after the advent in my locale of fast broadband (rather than extremely slow dialup) the amount of info about the Skyhawk can be ...... (insert own adjective).

You are welcome to PM me and I will give you my e-mail address. Otherwise you can download the latest version of the 4.4GB PDF about the RAN FAA A4G and other fixed wing aircraft including helicopters, and HMAS Melbourne. This PDF [which contains my e-mail address in a few places] includes info about the nearby A-4K, conversion to KAHU and their sojourn at NAS Nowra (Australia) for a decade from 1991-2001 approx. Other Skyhawk users are mentioned with always an emphasis on Naval Aviation. So to explain NavAv there is a ton of info on this topic and about NAS Nowra, NSW, Australia.

At these two websites there are many PDFs, with SkyDrive having a lot of smaller PDFs, some are about one A4G or the group of twenty, which may pique your interest:

SkyDrive: https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=cbcd63d6340707e6&sa=822839791
&
GoogleDrive: https://drive.google.com/?authuser=0#folders/0BwBlvCQ7o4F_aDhIQ0szeVJFY0U
&
Youtube: bengello - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/bengello/videos)

SkyDrive files are freely viewable but recently a requirement to register to download for free was made which is similar to GoogleDrive, however GD requires free registration before viewing etc.

Keep in mind this is a scrapbook of some almost 10,000 PDF pages with many embedded video clips to illustrate NavAv particularly. There is a lot of info about the F-35 because that interests me. Rather than scroll through the pages, it is best to open the bookmark pane to scroll through that to see topics of interest. Some info is detailed and may not interest; and remember the PDF is organised for my benefit and made available - just because. :}

Lastly, in my dial up era and today, the excellent e-mail YAHOO 'skyhawkstudygroup' is a valuable source of info and where you will be able to contact Skyhawk pilots:

skyhawkstudygroup : A-4 Skyhawk Study Group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/skyhawkstudygroup/)

Ted 'T.R.' Swartz of MiG-17 Zuni Shootdown fame, has contributed to this e-mail forum, amongst many other Skyhawk pilots and maintainers from all over.

[Lonewolf_50]

Tom, some other other alumnae that you might want to get in touch with would be former instructors at the Navy Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun, before it left Miramar and became part of Strike U at Fallon) and VF-126, the aggressor squadron at Miramar. They flew F-5E and A-4(M, and others) as Op For, among other things.

There was an aggressor squadron in Oceana, but I can't seem to recall. Maybe VF-43.

[tomdocherty72]

Thanks vzlet. Will follow that up.

[tomdocherty72]

Thanks SpazSinbad,

Looks like you have mined a lot of information already. I will take a look at all of your links. Are you happy for me to quote some of it in the article I am planning for the 60th anniversary of the first flight of the Skyhawk?

Yours aye

Tom

[tomdocherty72]

Thanks Lonewolf, I will follow up those leads.

Yours aye

Tom

[Courtney Mil]

That A-4 Association website is bloody good. I shall enjoy poking around there. Thanks.

[RAFEngO74to09]

There is a great looking TA-4J for sale that has just had a 50,000 manhour complete rebuild. It has all new wiring, working ejection seats, and modern avionics. There is even an ex-USN A-4 instructor lined up for flying lessons. It is currently located at Palm Springs Aircraft Museum.

Asking price: $2.95M - bargain !

McDonnell Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk s/n MD 14291 (2010) Pacific Aero Ventures N518TA | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/collingwoodbarry/7072788397/)

[SpazSinbad]

'tomdocherty72' said: "Thanks SpazSinbad,
Looks like you have mined a lot of information already. I will take a look at all of your links. Are you happy for me to quote some of it in the article I am planning for the 60th anniversary of the first flight of the Skyhawk?
Yours aye Tom"

Please credit any persons I have credited if you do so; and please let me know where your article is published. Thanks.

[Canadian Break]

ttps://www.facebook.com/pages/RAF-Alconbury-527th-Aggressor-Squadron-1980-1985/134973226558541

[tomdocherty72]

SpazSinbad,

I will do that. Thanks.

Yours aye

Tom

[fallmonk]

You could also try the Swiss Air Force and also the Tunsian Air Force about the Northrop F5 its still in use with them today (think the Tunisain AF got some of the USAF Ex aggressors squadrons aircraft !)

[RAFEngO74to09]

You could also try VMFT-401 at MCAS Yuma, AZ which operates ex-Swiss AF F-5Es updated to F-5N standard in the DACT role.

[D'pirate]

Republic of Singapore's Air Force might be a source?

[dragartist]

There is still the plastic one outside Alconbury. It lost a sidewinder some time back. It was made by a Company in Huntingdon called Specialised Mouldings. Now called Paxfords. They also made a few spits for gate guardians and Hawks for PR, a Tonka for the 78 Farnborough show and a Jaguar especially for Nutty!(I think it is Nutty or Leon who keeps on about Jaguars!) they still had some of the moulds when I worked there for a few months in 99 on the Harrier Sim.

The F5 was made when they were slack in between the motor racing seasons. the plan was to put heaters in them to provide an IR signature and tow them around the airfield as decoys. they only made the one as the cold war was drawing to a close.

I certainly remember the F5s flying around with the bloody noisy RF4Cs in the 70's and early 80's