Grumman S-2 Tracker

The S-2 Tracker Is 1 Of my best planes where i grew up i remember seeing S-2s working the pattern at the airbase they were at all day u can c S-2s doing Tand Gs it was great i wood never guss i wood Reloading them with fire retardent 4 the CDF its still help fighting fires in CA. Thanks

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I flew stoof (C-1 /S-2) at NAF Naples (1972-1975, appx 1000 hrs). Mostly towing targets for fleet to shoot at and land logistics around Mediterannean. Good bird but agree w / the comments on having rudder boost.

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Flew 500 hours as a plane captain ADR2 in Rosevelt Roads from 75 to 78. Had the C1A version and it was a great plane. Flew SAR and had a couple cat launches and landings on the uss Nimitz. Great plane, lots of fun, and great for a 20 year old cutting his teeth on radials before going to jets. Was fortunate to be in the last ADR class at NTTC in Memphis. Still working jets for P&W. Most of you know who that is.

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I was a Lt in 1959-61 and flew as a pilot from North Island and the Kearsarge. I got to North Island in 59, and stayed in the RAG until VS-21 returned from its Westpac Cruise, then joined the squadron until the split was made to form VS-29 where I served the rest of my tour. I made one Westpac deployment and got my 100 traps before going off to PG school in 61. Most fun flying was working with the destroyers to confirm sonar contacts with MAD. I would put the top of the destroyer's mast on the horizon to lock in about 90 feet off the water and then fly to the contact to look for MAD confirmation. The least fun was trying to fly a decent Julie pattern while listening for the "clicks." Landing at night on a pitching deck also had to qualify as a "least fun" activity. But I rescued a couple of tail hooks before they got tossed overboard after X traps, had them chrome plated and still show them proudly on my nick nack shelf. I have about 20 minutes worth of movies taken with my 8 mm camera of the S2 landing and taking off from the Kearsarge. It has been made into a DVD so if you would like a copy, drop me an e-mail. You will go into my junk folder so be sure to put in an attention geting subject and send it more than once so I will eventually find it. Also, I just had a model built by Russ Busy, a museum-quality model builder, and took a few pictures of it. The model has been modified to make it look exactly like the planes we flew. As soon as I figure out how, I'll post the photos to You Tube. The movie is too long for You Tube.

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Correction to my last comments: it should read ECM /MAD, the SONO system controls were part of the radar station. In addition, the mission was started from the Princeton about 450 miles east of northern Honshu...and after 4 1 /2 hours in the air, was out of range of any air station.

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From Princeton to Shangrila...

I was an AT aircrewman in S2F1 /2 while attached to VS23 in 1958-59. We deployed to WestPac in 1958 aboard the Princeton, CVS37. I'll never forget one dark night while out on a single aircraft special communications mission, we returned to the ship, and no ship in sight. With about an hour of fuel left, and no idea where our ship was, and under strict radio silence, things got a little intense in the cabin. We climbed out to about 10 thousand and fired up the radar for one or two sweeps every few minutes. I was on the APS-38 and found a small cluster of targets about 100 miles from us. We flew to within visual range and saw the USS Shangrila, secured from flight quarters with aircraft cabled down all over the flight deck. We had about 30 minutes of fuel left and tried to contact the ship by flashing code with the handheld Aldus lamp in the cockpit. They came up on UHF Guard frequency and we told them our plight. It took the better part of our 30 minutes to get the deck cleared and the ship made continuous circles to smooth out the 10 to 15 foot swells in case we had to ditch. Finally, we got the Charlie and came down with one engine sputtering, caught the third wire and were aboard. When we stepped out of the plane I heard the ship's bullhorn announce: "You have just saved four souls!" The others on the plane were Lt Phillips, pilot, AT3 James Budd, ECM /Sono, and myself on radar. I don't remember the co-pilots name. My deepest gratitude to all involved that night, the flight crew and the ships crew that made landing possible, and of course, the great Stoof that brought us thru.

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Maintained and flew as aircrew in S2-F-1s -2s and -3s.from
1959 to 1962 in VS-36 at Norfolk and from the USS Randolph. I knew Ace Eastman but i dont think i ever had a flight with him. Mostly i flew with a D.I. Worrell. Great pilot. Sadly we lost both one of our best pilots and my shop Chief on a night flight during an (ORI) Operational readiness inspection. I think the pilots name was Cook.
During a search the next couple of days a few pieces of wreckage and a couple of helmets were found, but no personnel. Still i loved flying in the S2-F and will never forget the experience.

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The S-2 is the primary airtanker / Firefighting aircraft for CALFIRE (California State Wildland Fire Control Agency)
They have upgraded their entire fleet to turbo props.

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Robert W Overton
VS-37 1969-1970
Rate AN
Plane Captain on S2D /E

Enlisted 12 /10 /1968 and was aboard USS Hornet (CVS-12). I was assigned to VS-37 02 /10 /1969 on WestPac (Yankee Station). I was discharged on 09 /10 /1970. I was a civilian employee for the Department of the Navy. I have retired from DON after 41 years 11 months of service as 11 /01 /11. 23 years of service was with PMA-264 Production Sonobuoy Program. I was a Plane Captain and worked on flight deck doing preflight inspections on S2D /E aircraft and enjoyed my time on the flight deck very much..."

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I flew #4 seat off of Kearsarge, CVS33 during the 66 WestPac. I was in VA-29. Great memories and even better liberty.

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I was an aircrewman in VS-31 flying from the Wasp from 1966-1967. We had fun with Russian trawlers, including a time with my friend Glenn Gibson that involved opening the bombay doors and dropping a lunch box, the contents of which will remain unidentified.

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I served as a yn with vs31 anti-submarine squadron stationed at quonset pt R.I. we were attached to the wasp cvs 18 out of southboston navy yard. served in the squadron from, nov 1961 to nov 1963. would like to here from anyone that was in the unit during this time.

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VT-28 NAS Corpus Christi 1966-1968 AMH-2. Loved working on these birds. Los of great memories. Thinking back I wonder if one could still climb into the hatch and out onto the wing to drive those wing fold pins down with a hammer and punch to get the wings to fold up. And oh yes, the props never stopped turning.Made many friends that I still think about often. Love to here from some of them

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was stationed at NAS WHIDBEY 68-72. wE had two s-2s anyone from there at that time give a shout. nas ships company

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Was a AO with VS38 from 1954 -1958 made 2 Westpacs 1955 on the Bing Ding USS Badoeng Strait CVE116 and 1957 on the Princeton CVS37.great times, great memories, great plane.

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I was a plane captain on the S2 in VT-31 NAS Corpus Christi for about 3.5 years, flew around 900 hrs in the back seat. Made over 20 traps on the Lexinton CVA-16 while pilots were training. An awesome experience for a young man. Went on from there to become a profesional pilot flying Corporate Jets. Loved the Navy, VT-31 and the S2, if anyone out there was int VT-31 from 1963 through 66, please e-mail me. Need good pictures also. Thanks.

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Opps ! I forgot to mention that I was in VS-31 Squadren.

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I was at Quonset Point in 1960 & 1961, did duty with the Wasp and made a few trips to Gitmo. The stoof was a great aircraft, I was a plane captain and was lucky enough to catapult off the Wasp and spend a time doing dives on a rocket and bomb run. It was my last cruse before getting out so the pilot granted my request to go up. It was a blast. Had some real good time with my shipmates Bob Smarch and Joe Lewis Mitchell, great guys. God Bless the Navy and God Bless America

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I was in VS-30 at NAS Boca Chica Key West from 1962-65. I am looking for information /history of the squadron from 1954-60 while they were deploying....Thank You

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I was an AT and Aircrewman with VS-36 from the fall of 1959 to summer 1961 and flew with the best of the best in the S2F-1, -2 and -3. Tough birds and like a Timex watch "took a beating and kept on ticking". Flew with most of the pilots in the squadron but really enjoyed Lt Tom Eades and LTCDR Norm Donahue.

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