NAS Memphis - 1981

[PRB]

I've been scanning my old photos into the computer. I'm up to 3000+ now, and am starting to see a “dent” in the stack... Here's some pics I took while going to “A-School” at NAS Memphis in the summer of 1981, when it really was a Naval Air Station. There were lots of cool planes there back then. I never was much of a photographer. Just an airplane nut.

 

[papab]

Paul,
That really brings back memories. I went to "A" school for jet mech back in January 1970. Remember those old wooden barracks? They had one they turned into rec area with one floor of nothing but pool tables. And the "Club"..........Sarturday nights..

Went from there to NAS Albany Ga. then to my Squadron-RVAH-9-Vigilantes..

Rick

 

[PRB]

I do indeed remember those old barracks. When I got there, they were being used as temp barracks for new arrivals, before being assigned a permanant barracks. I stayed there a week or so. While I was there, they stuck this RVAH-7 A-5 on a stick outside the chow hall.

 

[papab]

Thanks for posting thses pictures----->Crawled down those intake ducts many times on the ship

The Vigi was a great aircraft to work on---many memories



BTW Paul, what "A" school did you go to?

Rick

 

[PRB]

I was an AQ. Went to AQ A school, then to that other one AFTA (Advanced something Avionics). Then they sent me to an A-7E squadron. Never got so see RA-5s in action. Very interesting airplane. Speedy too!

 

[papab]

I was an AQ. Went to AQ A school, then to that other one AFTA (Advanced something Avionics). Then they sent me to an A-7E squadron. Never got so see RA-5s in action. Very interesting airplane. Speedy too!

The Vigi with the two GE J79-10 engines would deliver 17,000 lbs of thrust at sea level

During an air show in Rota ,Spain I watched an F-4 try to chase and catch up with our Vigi-No way! And the F-4 was flying with the same engines

Another time when we were respotting the flight deck of the Forrestal after a launch the call came out on deck that our Vigi was approaching from port...

Just as i turned my head in that direction our plane appeared,went completely vertical over the deck and our pilot pulled the dump tube which was below the right engine-must have been a 100 foot flame-watched her until she dissappeared from sight.........The pilot was CMDR Ramskill, if the engines worked and the radio worked he loved to fly-fantastic pilot and person. He passed away several years ago....

Clay Ramskill RIP
:salute:

Rick Brown

 

[Roadburner440]

They let you guys park on the ramp with the airplanes! They would freak out if we did that now.. Tell us the cars are carrying FOD onto the flightline and all. Definately looks like a different Navy back then though. Granted the P-3's still look the same here at NAS Jacksonville, so I guess they haven't changed much. Thanks for uploading the photos... By the way, what is that twin engine passenger plane? All we have now are the C-9's & C-40's. Never seen anything that looked like that before.

 

[PRB]

The twin engine plane is a C-131, the navy version of the Convair CV-240. Recips! Dang, that must mean I'm old! They didn't let cars actually onto the flight line. I don't think. Some of those photos do seem to suggets otherwise. Looks like some cars are parked right in front of the hangar doors. That never happened at Lemoore, where I was stationed after A school.

 

[PRB]

The Vigi with the two GE J79-10 engines would deliver 17,000 lbs of thrust at sea level

During an air show in Rota ,Spain I watched an F-4 try to chase and catch up with our Vigi-No way! And the F-4 was flying with the same engines

Another time when we were respotting the flight deck of the Forrestal after a launch the call came out on deck that our Vigi was approaching from port...

Just as i turned my head in that direction our plane appeared,went completely vertical over the deck and our pilot pulled the dump tube which was below the right engine-must have been a 100 foot flame-watched her until she dissappeared from sight.........The pilot was CMDR Ramskill, if the engines worked and the radio worked he loved to fly-fantastic pilot and person. He passed away several years ago....

Clay Ramskill RIP
:salute:

Rick Brown

I would have loved to see some of those planes. Did the A-5 have just one stage of afterburner? I've heard that when the F-8, for example, goes to AB, to goes "friggen-ka-BOOM!", because it has only one stage, unlike modern plannes which have 5 or so. That would be cool!

 

[Flyboy208]

I was an AQ. Went to AQ A school, then to that other one AFTA (Advanced something Avionics). Then they sent me to an A-7E squadron. Never got so see RA-5s in action. Very interesting airplane. Speedy too!

AFTA = Advanced First Term Avionics ... Mike :salute:

 

[PRB]

AFTA = Advanced First Term Avionics ... Mike :salute:

That's it! LOLOL. Thanks Mike. Been a while! That was a good school. Sort of heavy in math, which I kind of liked anyway. Didn't get to use it much after being sent to a squadron to work o-level maintenance, though.

 

[papab]

I would have loved to see some of those planes. Did the A-5 have just one stage of afterburner? I've heard that when the F-8, for example, goes to AB, to goes "friggen-ka-BOOM!", because it has only one stage, unlike modern plannes which have 5 or so. That would be cool!

Three stage burner on the Vigi

Here is a great link for the Vigi:
http://www.bobjellison.com/RA5C_Vigilante.htm

The F-14 had a 5 stage burner

Was on the Forrestal in 1972 when the first F-14 trapped and then shot of the front cats off of Norfolk-We were on carrier quals at the time!
Rick

 

[Railrunner130]

If memory serves, it's just called Millington these days. I dropped some troops off there about five years ago. We didn't stick around, but it looked to be in half decent shape. No clue as to the barracks, etc. though.

 

[papab]

If memory serves, it's just called Millington these days. I dropped some troops off there about five years ago. We didn't stick around, but it looked to be in half decent shape. No clue as to the barracks, etc. though.

It was called Millington back when I was there...
Rick

 

[Navy Chief]

I went through AME "A" School at Millington the winter of '72. Coldest winter they had seen there in quite some time. I remember marching across the street to the school house. They put us in old barracks. Believe they were brick, but old, nonetheless.

A year or so later, while stationed at Patuxent River, I went with a det onboard the Saratoga to certify the ships ACLS system. Seems like I remember they would actually trap an aircraft, drop it down an aft elevator, with engines running. Then taxi it through the hangar, loading the aircraft with ordnance, refuel, and then up a fwd elevator, and taxi to the cat! I distinctly remember the amount of noise in the hangar. It was incredible!

NC

 

[Willy]

I go down there at least once a month. The airfield side is now in civilian hands as Millington Regional Airport. The part that the Navy has kept across Navy Road is now Naval Support Activity MidSouth. BuPers is now there, detailers and all. My old command of EPMAC was moved there after Katrina made New Orleans untenable. EPMAC and the Detailers should have always been close to each other anyway.

Still a few old aircraft mounted on sticks around the base.

 

[TARPSBird]

I've heard that when the F-8, for example, goes to AB, to goes "friggen-ka-BOOM!", because it has only one stage, unlike modern plannes which have 5 or so. That would be cool!

Yep, single-stage A/B, none of that modern multi-zone stuff. And when all that fuel spray ignited it scared the crap out of rookie flight deck personnel who weren't familiar with the old 'Saders.

 

[Roadburner440]

Thanks for telling me what type of bird that was. After Googling, and spending a couple hours looking at pictures of the C-131 that was a beautiful aircraft. Is ashame the Navy always gets rid of the good stuff.