Douglas A-3 (A3D) Skywarrior

Not about the aircraft but would like to hear more about Admiral Earl Yates with whom I served at Quonset Point NAS, R,I. from Earl Blaker, 16.08.2012?????

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Joined VAH-4 out of ADJ school in June65 went on carrier quals in Aug, then West pac as a P /C abord the tiny Ti. Learned a lot about that plane and to this day I can still sit in the pilots seat and start her up. After I left the squadron in 67 got out of the Navy but inlisted the reserves in 78 and worked and flew on P-3 until I retired in 96.

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I flew A3D from 1957 to 1962 and had more hours than anyone in it. Have special plaque from Douglas. Seedbed hurricane Ester, flew over Soviet Union, have over 100 traps on Roosevelt in VAH-11.

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Fun Skywarrior memories: First night car quals on a 27C. Black moonless night recoveries to a pitching, heaving & rolling deck with the fuel low level light illuminated . Max weight JATO takeoffs out of Cubi P.I. Night refueling rendezvous. Midnight dropping of parachute equipped frogman Marine Recon team out of the bombay. California to Yankee Station transpacs. My aircraft featured on the cover of LIFE magazine after USS Forrestal disaster. The camaraderie of some great and trusting enlisted aircrewmen (especially when asked to go back in the bombay to free a jammed refueling hose). Catastrophic engine failure with later second engine flame out culminating in a disconnect manual control "dead stick" landing and arrestment at Whidbey (had to be towed off the runway). Lots of other interesting experiences but overall, a great aircraft that always brought my crew back safely.

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A3D Transcontinental Flight

I remember it vividly even though it happened over 50 years ago! I was in the Equipment and Interiors (E & I) Design group. E & I designed anything that interfaced with the pilot, …from ejection seats, instruments to air conditioning and pressurization I was the engineer helping to design bleed air systems on the new A3D-2P and -2Q (ECM) versions. The early A3D's were usually ferried from Los Angeles to the Jacksonville FL NAS. Having your name on any world aviation record is still quite an honor, and holding the record for fastest USA Trans-Continental flight was possible for the A3D in those days. There were faster jet fighters and bigger jet bombers, with longer range, but the A3D was the fastest jet that could go Coast-to-Coast. Several ferry flight pilots tried for that Trans-Continental speed record in those days. The delivery fight from LAX on the Pacific ocean to NAS Jacksonville on the Atlantic ocean. was the shortest distance for the ocean-to ocean Trans-Continental hop.

These Trans-Continental flights were originally timed from lift-off on one coast to touch-down at the other coast. The FAI (French Aeronautique Institute) times them and keeps the aircraft records. The FAI now also allows an alternative elapsed flight time from a high speed pass over the tower on one coast to the time of a tower pass at the other coast…… rather than the original lift-off to touch-down. This particular A3D pilot was trying to beat the world record, and he started with the high speed pass over the LAX tower. The LAX tower informed him that he was not clean, his skag (tail bumper) was not retracted. The Skag is designed to retract when the airplane's weight goes onto the landing gear, but apparently this one was wired backwards. TheA3D pilot "jostled" the landing gear retraction handle….. But that was the wrong thing to do. He was flying much too fast to drop the gear! The nose gear and one main gear dropped down, but not the other main wheel failed to deploy. …and its wheel well door blew off with all its hydraulics and back-up pneumatics plumbing.

The A3D pilot tried several maneuvers trying to "throw" the un-retracted wheel out of the wheel well, but to no avail. He took the plane out over the desert, dumped most of the fuel and put it on an autopilot circle and the flight crew bailed out.

Edwards AFB notified George AFB that an A3D was going to crash in the desert... and they could send some of their F-100 fighters for a little clay pigeon target practice. They also said to shoot it down if it threatened anything in the desert. As the A3D approached the desert floor, the ground-effect lifted the nose a bit and the landing was not catastrophic. The plane broke up but the crew compartment was hardly damaged. I heard that it had three bullet holes in its tail, but nothing serious.

Douglas picked it up and trucked it back to El Segundo where we had probably the best crew compartment "Mock-Up" in the aviation engineering business.

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Spent 4 yrs. AMS2 in the RAG outfits, Teaching other AMS' about the Whale, Many,many Carrier Quals. Still like the old Bird.

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My first assignment out of AT /A school was VAH-123 then to Heavy 4 Det Charlie in Aug of 65, worked as a tweet and PC, loved flying every chance I could. then in June of 68 transferred to Det Bravo. In Oct of 68 I was transferred to Heavy Ten then went to shore duty at NAS North Island OPS. Went to VAQ-308 in Feb of 71, and C /N school. in Feb of 75 went to the Air Force as a C-141 Flight Engineer. Loved the 141 but still missed flying the Whale. Retired after the Gulf War in 91.

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I was stationed at Whidbey Island and initially assigned to VAH 123 and then transferred to VAH 2. I was there from May 1959 until April 1960 andI was an AT and worked primarily on the UHF communication gear,along with nav gear. I never was on flight status while there, but have many memories of my time there. As I recall, the "bird" was somewhat trouble prone, and the comment by one of the earlier writers about the radar controlled rear gunnery system was absolutely true. I think that system was called the AERO 21, and it seldom was operation
One bad memory that I have is the death of CDR Porter When the A3D he was flying crashed during a training flight. He was a fine C.O.and the best officer I served under during my stay in the Navy.

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I was stationed at Whidbey Island and initially assigned to VAH 123 and then transferred to VAH 2. I was there from May 1959 until April 1960 andI was an AT and worked primarily on the UHF communication gear,along with nav gear. I never was on flight status while there, but have many memories of my time there. As I recall, the "bird" was somewhat trouble prone, and the comment by one of the earlier writers about the radar controlled rear gunnery system was absolutely true. I think that system was called the AERO 21, and it seldom was operation
One bad memory that I have is the death of CDR Porter When the A3D he was flying crashed during a training flight. He was a fine C.O.and the best officer I served under during my stay in the Navy.

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Vah 13, Sanford & Whidbey,1961-64. Plane Captain on 138973-GP /NH 608. An ATN2 when discharged. The only "tweety bird" on the line crew, but it got me the title "Bingo". Pilots on a RON wanted to take my Plane cause they knew I could fix electronics as well as a /f, hydraulics and such - or so they told me. Two westpacs on Kitty Hawk in 62 /63 and lots of cats & traps in 2nd, 3rd & 4th seats. Shook down Kitty Hawk in 1961 and ended up in Cuba making fresh water for Guantanamo after castro cut the pipe. The A3D was a great A /C developed so no raid like the Doolittle raid would ever have to be attempted again. Delighted to see the preservation efforts around the country. Hats off to all who served, particularly the A3D crews!!! Crossfire Center, This is Rockbridge 608, Over!!

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I was stationed at Whidbey Island, attached to VAH-123, I was really happy the U.S. Navy assiged me there, I was Aviation Structural Mecanic, Safty Equipment, I personally loved the A-3's, though changeing out the four explosive cartridges in the bomber, for the lower escape hatch, was at times scary. I served from 1965 to 1968 in that squadron, with three training temporary duties to the U.S.S. Midway, Enterprise and Constilliation. I wish I could turn time back, I regret now, not reupping, with another A-3 Squadron. I'm honored and proud of my service to my country, the U.S. Navy, and this squadron. I have a picture on my wall, of one of the TA-3B's I serviced.

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First real duty station out of boot. Vah-123 Remembewr chief "Thummel"? Called him "Thumper" VAH-4 det Bravo X2 and one other I can't recall. Torqed many a tailhook, flew a few sortees, Cold times when the Pueblo was hijacked. Many Many wonderful memories..Lost some friends on an ill fated Mining run... Loved West-Pac. Went to another squadron in Alemeda carairewron or something like that.. Ate lots of tomatoes when a whale took out the back 40 in Pt Mugu....another West-Pac another thousand stories. God Bless all

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My brother Kenneth H. Whitman served aboard the Sarh with VAH-9 between1960-1963 as a AQ2 Aviation Fire Control Tech, second class. (exactly what were his duties?) That is all we know about his service. He died suddenly1 /18 /1964 at 24 years of age leaving no records of his service, photos, etc. I would like to know SOMETHING of his service, what his duties were, where else he served, and would appreciate contact with anyone who may have known Kenny.

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My father by the same name flew the A3 in the 1960's. He was stationed on Whidbey Island, VAH 10 and VAH 123..If you knew him please drop my a line!

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Started flying in the A3 1960 at VCP63 in San Diego as tail gunner with the radar controled guns which never panned out.Next to FASRON in Whidbey Is for atomic weapons training then Crewman Navigator school.First Whidbey squadron was VAH6 and was flying into Vietnam for refueling and also mine laying practice.On to Vah123 as navigation instructor then VAH2,VAH10 until retirement in 1970.Lost a lot of friends in that A /C over the years.A great A /C but shit happens and they called it A3D all 3 dead for a reason.

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Correction: ....As we lost one A /C EVERY YEAR with the crew in it..........

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I should not be surprised there are some old A-3 vets still around. I started flying with VAH-123 in 1962 as right seat P /C. About a year later I was with HATRON 8 on the USS Midway as a Flight Deck P /C. I returned to VAH-123 to attend Crewman Navigator school. Finished just in time for deployment to the Tonkin Gulf in Feb 1965. We dropped 500 lb bombs for a few months before the aircraft were found to be overstressed by the repeated bombs being catted and then the basic were went ashore which put us in air refueling bussiness with our 5 tanker equipped birds.
One incident was worth noting. We had a Lt B /N who jettisoned 6 500lb-ers on the flight deck by pulling the emergency bomb door handle instead of pushing to close the doors. I was in the aircraft but it wasn't my normal crew.
At least he got 6 direct hits on an aircraft carrier!
I ended that cruise with 3 Air Medals and a Navy Commendation with a Combat V.
Back to VAH-123 as a Right Seat P /C. Jim Reese coined the term "Zoomie" and it stuck. As we lost one aircraft with the crew in it, the flying was exiting and dangerous.
Later on I served in VQ-1, VQ-2 as Flight crew EWOP and P /C.
It was a fine A /C and usually took pilot error to bring one down. I'm too old to do it again but if I could relive those days I would. Maybe correct a few errors of my own.

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