On the Whidbey flight line, right out of the "paint shop".

Tire's "flat".

In before ASG wonders what the Hell that is.

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These planes are BAD to the bone!! I get to check them out when I do the PM on the elevators on WINAS!

Love the gear & paintjob!I don't know why, but ever since I was a kid I was one of those airplane watchers at airport galleries with my nose on the glass.



I loved flying anywhere, and built a few model kits.



I still love seeing all kinds of planes, just like when I was a little kid.

Cag bird should have the "nuts" on it, that one has a 10..................

Are the chains to keep it from being stolen by someone?

There are 'Riccans around.....................

Seriously, thanks for posting those pics, KA3B.  That is one impressive bird.

OK... Dumb question...

Is that a "windmill" on the front of the pod... and if it is is this how they are getting the power... I think I read/heard something about the E/A-18s having problems with supplying enough electricity for all of the added electronics?


Yes dumb question but remember the source

Nice!

Nice day for that action.

There's a reason why, but I can't say.  

It's a generator for the pod.
Google up ALQ-99.

I'll be seeing that plane up close and personal like next year. VAQ-138 is in the CAG that comes to my ship.

you dirty RAT...

I see now

Why four names on the cockpit? I get VAQ CO and XO.

Must be the new 4 seater version, 2 of which are for midgets. They throw the rocks as they fly by.

Did I read it right, the second set is a Commodore and Deputy (Commodore?)...but they are both Capt's(O-6's?)....Isn't a Commodore a British Naval rank? I assume it's a position title, I just don't know what.



That + decipher the (Crew Chief?) info on the front landing gear door....Why the Home city? What the hell is a PCOY?





Fuckin' squids make all this shit confusing on porpise.

Having worked with and spent time after work with Army and Navy folks.... I can say they Army folks can not only out drink Navy folks they can handle the liquor better

http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2008/q2/080604b_nr.html





 

I thought thats what CAG was? Commander of Air Group?  

 

pretty sure that the CAG runs all the airplanes on the carrier whereas a VAQ is a squadron of the air group.

Naval Aviation lesson of the day.  

That bird is called the "CAG" bird.

CAG = Carrier Air Group, an old school term, the new name is Carrier Air Wing = CVW

In this case CAG = Carrier Air Wing Commander.

The Navy identifies their aircraft by a permanent number, the BUNO.  BUNO = Bureau Number, another old school term.
Before 1960 the aviation side of the Navy was set up by bureau's, BueWeps, BueAir, BueDev, BueOps, etc etc.

BUNO's are kind of like USAF Serial numbers except you can't date a Navy / Marine / Coast Guard aircraft by the BUNO's.

Naval aircraft are also identified by two sets of numbers / letters that can change, the MODEX Number and the Tail Number.

The MODEX number identifies (should, not always) what aircraft it is in the air wing.

Fighter MODEX numbers start with 1 and 2, attack aircraft start with 3 and 4, 5 is for electronic attack, 6 is for early warning or anti-sub, the list goes on.

The last "number" is the Tail Number (in most cases it's a set of letters, in some cases it's a combo of letter and numbers and sometimes it's all numbers).

The "00" in the 500 series is the CAG bird (usally marked up with the CAG's name), the 01 is the CO / XO's bird, 03, 04 and so on are usually assigned to the pilots in rank position or job position in the squadron.


This bird has the tail marking of NL, NL is the tail code for CVWP (the wing that all electronic attack aircraft in the Navy belong to), CVWP is out of Whidbey.


This is a VAQ-141 jet with the tail code AJ, AJ = CVW-8, at this time CVW-8 is assigned to the USS Theodore Roosevelt.
It's marked as the CAG bird for VAQ-141, CVW-8



This is a VAQ-132 jet with the tail code NL, it's marked as the CAG bird for CVWP NAS Whidbey.

VAQ-132 was established as an EA-18G squadron before VAQ-138.

Both squadrons (-132 & 138) are in the same wing - CVWP.

This wing does not use the "2" series of numbers.

Can't have two sets of the same aircraft running around with the same MODEX numbers in the same wing, so the second squadron uses 10 (510).
If there were to be three squadrons of the same same it would be 20 (520) and so on.

Why 4 names on the bird?

There are 5 aircraft in an EA-18G squadron, that means that there are only 5 places to put the squadron Pilot's/NFO's names on the bird.
There are at least 20 pilots/NFO's in each EA-18G squadron.

In the case of the CAG bird it's normal to double up the names, some squadrons double up the other planes, some don't.
Personal preference of each squadrons commanding officer.

Lesson over.

You forgot to tell us that "N" tail numbers are Pacific Fleet while "A" are Atlantic. No, couldn't use "P" for Pacific, not the Canoe Crew.

US Naval Officer ranks


TitleFleet Admiral
Admiral
Vice Admiral
Rear Admiral (upper half)
Rear Admiral (lower half)
Captain
Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant
Lieutenant Junior Grade
Ensign

Rear Admiral (lower half) used to be "Commodore" until 1985.

In todays Navy Commodore is a title and not a rank.
In the old days a CAG was usually a Commodore (Admiral).

When you address a US Navy air wing commander you address that person as "Commodore".
Captain is acceptable.
Hey you usually does not work.

Just like the commanding officer of a Naval ship, no matter their actual rank they are addressed as "Captain".

So what does VAQ stand for?

Electronic Attack Squadron
 










 

I didn't want to confuse the issue - Aircraft assigned to Naval Air Station Whidbey have the tail letters of 7G, HOWEVER, the NAS Whidbey SAR unit uses FW tail letters.
They don't follow the AP / AL tail code numbering convention.

I think tail number was the wrong term for me to use, I meant the large NL on the vertical stabilizers.

VFQ = EAS?

 

pretty sure the USN got into coded language because their equipment is so very visible.

















 

NL = Tail Numbers.

I understand all that. Just like the army marks its vehicles according to battalion/company/platoon/section/tasking.

PCOY = Plane Captain of the Year.

A Navy / Marine / Coast Guard Plane Captain is the person who works for the Line Division (300 Division), Work Center 310 (Plane Captains).

Navy Plane Captains are almost like USAF Crew Chiefs, except that Navy Plane Captains come from the various Naval Aviation enlisted rates vice the Air Force, where Crew Chief is an actual MOS.

AM = Aviation Structural Mechanic, AM3 = Aviation Structural Mechanic Third Class (E4).

AM3 J.A.CMAR is the best of the best in the line shack (work center 310), he probably went out there as an E-Nothing from Boot Camp, went TAD (cleaning shitters or mess cranking at least once), never worked in his actual rate as a structural mechanic (work center 120, Airframes) and made third class in his rate.

If the Navy were to follow their own squadron identification convention then an EA-18G based squadron would be a VFAQ squadron.

Naval squadron convention:
VA-123
V = Fixed Wing
A = Attack
45 = squadron identifier number

VAQ-123
V = Fixed Wing
A = Attack
Q = Electronic Warfare

Since the F-18 is actually an F/A-18 then an EA-18G based squadron should be VFAQ-123.

Naval squadrons that transitioned from the F-14 to the F/A-18 went from being VF-123 to VFA-123.

 

Nice work here KA3B.
I can add, FA18 driver =FAG, Fighter Attack Guy

Methinks KA3B still sits on EAWS boards...

Years and years of playing NATOPS Trivial Pursuit.

The C-130 DC cargo winch switch can be swapped with the CDS release switch - T/F ** FALSE

What is the weight limit (PSI) for the walkway, the airstair and the cockpit floors?  **86 lbs per square inch

How is the speedbrake manually operated on the KA-3B and what does the Crewchief have to ensure before operating?  **Depressing the hydro-electrical speed brake Weston valve "extend" button - ensuring that the seat pack/parachute lanyard is disconnected before actuating the harness release handle.  

What is the travel of the rudder actuator on the E-6B when the yaw dampener has been actuated and will the yaw dampener automatically disconnect if rudder peddle travel exceeds 70% of travel? **That's a secret.

You release the SEWARS Koch fittings after bailout right before you hit the water - T/F  **True

I got some guesses!!

Notice how that spoon-carrying Airedale Wingnut fag still hasn't got back to tell you how fucked-up your wrong answers are?





 

Thanks for the pix!  That's a bad-ass Growler.

(I still miss the F-14 though)...

Hehe, we are getting a former ground pounder Prowler squadron on my upcoming deployment. VAQ-133.*

They haven't gone to sea in a pretty long while.

Glad I ain't in that 050 workcenter, they are going to be busy.


*For those who don't know, since the Air Force got rid of their EF-111, the Navy has had a few squadrons designated to deploy in support of Air Force missions, i.e. these days to Bahgram Afghanistan, or Al Asad, Iraq.
Pre OIF I, it was Incirlik Turkey, or Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
These squadrons did not go to aircraft carriers, like the other squadrons do. VAQ-133 was one of these squadrons, and has been since 1996.

I still miss Bender

The C-130 DC cargo winch switch can be swapped with the CDS release switch - T/F ** FALSE

What is the weight limit (PSI) for the walkway, the airstair and the cockpit floors?  **86 lbs per square inch

How is the speedbrake manually operated on the KA-3B and what does the Crewchief have to ensure before operating?  **Depressing the hydro-electrical speed brake Weston valve "extend" button - ensuring that the seat pack/parachute lanyard is disconnected before actuating the harness release handle.  

What is the travel of the rudder actuator on the E-6B when the yaw dampener has been actuated and will the yaw dampener automatically disconnect if rudder peddle travel exceeds 70% of travel? **That's a secret.

You release the SEWARS Koch fittings after bailout right before you hit the water - T/F  **True

Most of the mid and senior level officers did their JO tours on boat squadrons.  The junior pilots have CQ'd at least twice.  The biggest adjustment will be for the senior level JO's ECMO's that will be expected to provide leadership/experience when they have none.

This is why ECMOs are referred to as "Window Lickers" right?



 

Self Loading Baggage.

Thanks for the pictures!!!
I thought SSBN was for Ship Submersible, Balistic Nuclear
Whereas SSN was Ship Submersible Nuclear, as in Fast Attacks, and that is about my knowledge of Naval ship stuff