After MiG-29KR Crash, Kuznetsov aircraft flying from airbase, not carrier

a reply to: hounddoghowlie

I was at NAS Jacksonville. I just went to Cecil to hitchhike.

a reply to: JIMC5499

did you fly out to Mayport, we use to escort the loads onto the carriers from Yellow Water.

a reply to: hounddoghowlie

No. We were attached to the Forrestal's Air Wing from 85 on. I got out in 87. I was offered a fly on or off several times, but I lived in Jacksonville Beach and it didn't make sense.

COD rides suck. Land without seeing and catapult facing aft. No thanks.

A close second is back seat traps. I flew with a fellow instructor doing some "good deal" instructor traps and had to jump in the back seat, since I was going to get my traps from an already embarked T-45. It's painfully hard to sit in the back seat, with flight controls, and let somebody else land me on the boat. ***shiver***

Best time was the 72,000 Lb cat shot in a fully loaded Tomcat. Those are good times.

a reply to: cosmania

To get to spend a few hours on Vulture Row watching operations, I would have taken it in a New York Second. If we had gotten on board, they were even going to extend their time on the ship by about three hours to let us have extra time on board.