R.I.P Skyhawks

[SpazSinbad]

For 'Buster Hyman' question about 'head position' during ejection on previous page of this thread, here is another classic photo series at URL:

Pilot ejects an instant before fighterjet crashes - PhotoBlog

"Pilot Capt. Brian Bews ejects as his a CF-18 fighter jet plummets to the ground during a practice flight at the Lethbridge County Airport on Friday, July 23 [2010] for the weekend airshow in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. "He is alive and we believe right now that his injuries are non-life-threatening," Canadian Forces Capt. Nicole Meszaros told CBC News."

Click Pics (zoomed from: http://m.static.newsvine.com/servist...g2F4739045.jpg )


________________

CF-18 Crash Video Utube:

You Tube

"Uploaded by stickfestival on Jul 23, 2010
Global News 07-23-2010"

[IcePaq]

The A4 flew until 2016 in argentina.

They were top shelf A4s refitted by lockeed martin with modern avionics and were super capable and I believe many of the upgrades were due to what NZ did with theirs in project kahu.

Glass cockpits....etc.

Some of the ones my dad flew in navy reserve ended up there.

[Buster Hyman]

[IcePaq]

The post you are responding to is an update and correction to the topic for future viewers.

Your response adds nothing to the topic.

Bonus picture..........notice the main gear.

[Buster Hyman]

At least I'm not easily upset...

[SpazSinbad]

I'll bite - big wheels keep on turning....

"...BuNo148435 & BuNo148490 were the two A-4C test aircraft modified & evaluated by the U.S. Army for use as Forward Air Control & reconnaissance roles.”...

[Rossian]

For kiwichick.....

.....if you're still reading this thread. What have you been doing since you kicked maritime into touch all those years ago?

The Ancient Mariner

[MACH2NUMBER]

I knew a Kiwi fighter pilot, on exchange in Florida, in the 80s, great guy. He was on F4s, at MacDill, I was on F15s, at Tyndall, but he had had an A4 background. If you read this you Kiwi Lizard drop a me a PM.

[SATCOS WHIPPING BOY]

Crikey, that brought back some memories. SpazSinbad the pilot in the article I believe was an exchange pilot over here in the UK and flew the RN Jetstreams on 750Sqn. I flew with him several times.
I vaguely recall he was nicknamed "Bad Boy" but that could have applied to any of us at the time ;-)

I wonder where he is now. Is it DBTW?

[SpazSinbad]

'SATCOS WHIPPING BOY' I'll guess you refer to previous page story: http://www.pprune.org/7364165-post167.html

Our last 'catapulted' A4G pilot was indeed Dave Baddams who went on to join the RN FAA when our RAN FAA Fixed Wing Folded. He was a QFI by then, instructing on RN aircraft, to then join the SHAR community to eventually command 800NAS. As for the identity of 'DBTW' youse would have to ask him. :-)

Dave was 'Blemish' or 'Blem', whilst his older brother - also an A4G pilot & LSO - was 'Bruiser'. That 'Blemish' nickname came from 'BH' who was his CO on VF-805 (also earlier on VC-724).

The video (screenshot) may be seen here. Shep went to SHARland whilst Andy Sinclair managed to eject from a TA-4G and a SHAR (mentioned earlier in this thread). Andy speaks in the video below and is the solo screenshot. Baz of course was the first cold cat survivor, going over the front to remain in A4G 889 whilst the MELBOURNE passed overhead; then he exited, inflated his vest to dramatically POP UP - still breathing - to be rescued by Pedro Wessex. Later Baz went to a drop tank landing at RAAF Amberley having lost the port main gear (not his fault) during a touch and go onboard. A4G 887 was easily repaired to be flown back to NAS Nowra the next day - rugged airframe indeed. 887 had years earlier carried out a drop tank arrested landing at NAS Barbers Point, Oahu (not far west from Honolulu, Hawaii) - Hammo was flying then (late 1971) & was last CO of VC-724 1984.

You Tube

[SpazSinbad]

From: ‘BAe/McDonnell Douglas Harrier’ by Andy Evans | CROWOOD AVIATION SERIES 1998 ...Flying the F/A.2 with LCDR David Baddams

“An ex-Royal Australian Navy Skyhawk pilot, David [Baddams] was on the last cruise of the Melbourne before its retirement.

Plans to buy HMS Invincible for the RAN disappeared after the Falklands and David found himself redundant at the age of 23. He applied to transfer to the Royal Navy in 1984 and was accepted, going on to fly the Sea Harrier FRS.1, and latterly the F/A.2. He was appointed Senior Pilot of No.800 Squadron in 1992 before moving to the Standards Squadron in 1993 and is currently Senior Pilot with No.899 Squadron. A keen student of things vintage, David also flies the Hawker Sea Hawk of the Navy's Historic Flight.”

Dave then became CO of 800NAS in August 1997. He was awarded an MBE in 1998 for services rendered. Later Dave returned to Oz - TamWorth, NSW.
______________________________________________________

'SATCOWB' just at the end of the video above at 8min 18sec, walking back along the deck is John Siebert a contemporary of Andy Sinclair on 800NAS c.1984 or so. John had been an exchange pilot with USMC Harriers and earlier was an LSO with the A4G. John is back in Oz whilst Andy remains in UK near RNAS Culdrose I believe.

[Buster Hyman]

A4G 887 was easily repaired to be flown back to NAS Nowra the next day - rugged airframe indeed. 887 had years earlier carried out a drop tank arrested landing at NAS Barbers Point, Oahu

That tail number rang a bell. It was the supplied decal for a model I built as a kid...amazingly, I still have a photo of it! I wonder why they chose 887 for the model...
(I won't post it just in case its considered to 'add nothing'...)

[SpazSinbad]

'Buster' 887 was an original A4G - all in 88X series were. One of my favourite A4G photos is of 887 in early days - I'll post it later. Those A4Gs in 87X series side numbered were second hand refurbished ex USN A-4Fs (with all the good bits removed). Former A4G 887 still flies today with DRAKEN, one of the six ex-A4Gs bought by Draken from the Kiwis (converted to KAHU standard c.1991) a few years back to fly again in the USofA. 887 became NZ6214 then N144EM with DRAKEN.

Former 887 now DRAKEN: https://www.flickr.com/photos/eor1/28295842072/ Green paint scheme is last Kiwi KAHU scheme (without all the DRAKEN folderol).

IF you are interested in the history of any A4G each one has a file here but you will have to register with Microsoft for FREE to view or download any file there for FREE - if you do not register you will NOT see anything (I'm on GoogleDrive also):

Folder: RAN FAA A4G Skyhawk PDFs
https://onedrive.live.com/?id=CBCD63...CD63D6340707E6

100Mb PDF: A4G 887 ONLY pp150 from 14feb2015NEWranFAAskyhawkA4G.pdf

There are other individual A4G files - usually 50Mb PDFs in this folder because that was the limit yonks ago.

Also here is some info about John Siebert mentioned above:

[SpazSinbad]

The photo taken from deck MELBOURNE 1970 with the barricade in a heap in btm right corner. The original DULL dove grey & white paint scheme seen. Later a high gloss similar paint scheme avoided the blemishes from leaks etc. and the straight probe replaced with the bent jobbie about the same time c.1972. Deck Height above Sea = 37.5 feet

[SpazSinbad]

On page five of this thread 'jed thrust' had the Baddams nicknames correct: http://www.pprune.org/military-aviat...ml#post3921101

'BentStick' made a comment that is just wrong concerned about ground refuelling via ARF probe: http://www.pprune.org/military-aviat...ml#post3770938

"...I was often left wondering whether what the RNZAF did to survive was innovative or stupid (Ground refuelling Skyhawks via the ARP with engines running was one that springs to mind)...."

That was a well known and used ground refueling technique ashore in RAN FAA & RNZAF & onboard MELBOUNRE (pics to follow?).

Probe Refuel Onboard MELBOURNE: http://s217.photobucket.com/user/cry...owjob.jpg.html

Then KIWIs do it for themselves at NAS Nowra & somewhere else UnKnown - Oh the Horror....

I see lots of A4Gs photos now missing from this thread (so I don't know what was being shown) but anyway I know about the 'mixed formation photo from Air Day 1969 at NAS Nowra' and it'll be here soonish like.

[megan]

Spaz, you seem to be source to go to, talking to Jack Mayfield yesterday and wondering where Malcolm McCoy's home town was. Jack had no recall, any ideas?

[Airbubba]

Originally Posted by IcePaq

Bonus picture..........notice the main gear.

Reminds me of an ex-Indian Airlines A320 if you know what I mean.

I saw a civilian A-4 that looked like it was going to Red Flag a few days ago on ADS-B.

Probably one of these guys:

Why Is the Air Force Using Jet-Flying Mercenaries? | The National Interest Blog

[SpazSinbad]

Oddly enough I met Mal & Bruiser only briefly (they were course mates on No.10 A4G OFS [Andy Sinclair was also on this OFS] whilst I was away from Nowra) & left soon after - YakYak knows the score (Jack was in No.6 A4G OFS with Siebert - I was on No.3). I'll enquire. You could ask on the FAAAA website: Lost Contacts - By Name | Fleet Air Arm Association of Australia

Ask the webmaster Marcus Peake to add your query there: [email protected]

I see the RAN History web page for VF-805 has a nice photo of Mal (this would have been his RAAF Graduation photo taken at the end of No.89 RAAF Basic/Advanced Flying Training 01 Oct 1973 - 05 Jul 1974:

No.89 Pilot Course Graduation photo:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...9945412&type=3

http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default..._in_Macchi.jpg



I'm not sure if there is a small PDF online about the fatal accident 872 collision with 870 on 17 Jul 1975 involving Mal, however I know it is in the 4.4Gb PDF online at Ms OneDrive or GoogleDrive on the SpazSinbad pages. I could see if the text pages could be compressed to post here - not sure.... Found it - seven page text PDF 1.5Mb here:

Summary of loss of RAN A-4G 872 by CMDR John Crawley. RAN (Rtd) RAN FAA Touchdown Magazine 1/98

http://3j8lrq31uyjk1yo9b01c7jub.wpen...872Crawley.pdf

[SpazSinbad]

'Airbubba' the six single seat green humpless A-4K Kahus of DRAKEN International are all ex-A4G (both original or second-hand USN A-4Fs), ex-A-4K Kahu upgraded by RNZAF, sold several years ago after being stored inside then outside for about a decade by NZed gubmint. The ex-TA-4K are RNZAF original KAHUs - one crashed recently - pilot ejected OK.

You Tube

[Airbubba]

Originally Posted by SpazSinbad

The ex-TA-4K are RNZAF original KAHUs - one crashed recently - pilot ejected OK.

Thanks for the video!

Looks like the plane that crashed last August was N140EM, which you can see at 1:21 in the video.

The A-4 I saw going into Nellis a few days ago was another Echo Mike as I recall but I didn't scribble down the number.