A-4 Skyhawk vs Mirage III

Those USMC lads had their own website & reunion a few years back however sadly the website has disappeared AFAIK.

33 page PDF of some of their material I have from that website and others such as FAT Albert of the Blue Angels + JATO.

JATO USMC A-4 Skyhawk Chu Lai Catapult Carriers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDkqaC8ick4

Ha. I note the video is in the 'Newdick' story along with the mirror aboard HMAS Melbourne, with an S-2E/G form flyby.

The 'NEWdick' article above has a backside photo of HMAS Melbourne Mirror. This is the front side at FAAM FAA Museum.

THE MORE MIRRORS the merrier in the SEA VENOM era: "Does my flight deck look big in this"? See text in photo....

Via E-mail DRAKEN SKYHAWK HELMET Pics. Video explains AUSTRINGER (could be "AU Stringer" [Australian Journalist?]
OR 'Aust Ringer' [A ringer is a male or female stock worker on an Australian cattle station OR Oz Substitute/FAKE?]

A later RAN FAA A4G pilot was Adrian WILSON callsign WIPEOUT [he would be early-mid 60s now - a 'substitute'?]
Sadly I don't have a photo of his/the LAST A4G RAN FAA OFS Operational Flying School in 1982 when he was about 19-21?

Some of the DRAKEN A-4s were original A4Gs subsequently sold to RNZAF to eventually be converted to A-4K KAHU status.

Perhaps 'Australian FAKE A-4' is what the logo is getting at? I give in. [A4G RAN FAA Royal Aust Navy Fleet Air Arm]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgRzN9wovfE [logo modelled on an RNZAF classic photo of Kahu? A-4K firing rockets]

That Pitcha frum: New Zealand’s Fast Jet - Volume Four Number Four Winter 2001

THE ROYAL AIR FORCE AIR POWER REVIEW [COVER PHOTO]

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles ... 2FD704.pdf [file no longer there of course]

Surfaris - Wipe Out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p13yZAjhU0M


_____________________________________________________________________________

Wipe Out (The Surfaris); drum cover by Sina [excellent!] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQeC_6bOFqs

Via e-mail former A4G 883 now DRAKEN in new camo scheme.

I like that scheme!

You really have to hand it to MD, the little Skyhawk packed a punch. Speaks volumes its still around, and it still manages to look elegant, yet deadly.

To think it didn't even need folding wings on the carrier. Single engine, yet could carry such a heavy external load and it brought so many of its pilots home safe. Every inch of her was put to good use, and it's performed well for every country that's flown it. Especially liked the footage of Argentine Skyhawks motoring around Port Stanley at low level during the Falklands conflict.

Magnificent engineering achievement, and its pilots/maintainers loved her. At least the one's I've spoken to over the years...

Back in the dim dark age of late 1969 HMAS Albatross aka NAS Nowra held an Air Day to celebrate the 21st for the FAA:

https://archivesonline.uow.edu.au/nodes/view/3605 [follow links on left side for more SNIPpets]

Youse will see MOI take off first in a VAMPIRE that later flew in a MIXED formation (link to that video follows). After the flyby I landed to take off again as a wingman for a low key formation Vampire display, landing in formation. I never did see what anyone else did on that day or on rehearsal days. ALL NEWS TO ME. I was a MIDSHIPMAN ffsake.

The three A4Gs in formation are the RAMJETS of VC-724 the training squadron. VF-805 do the pretend formation bombing. Remember at this time we had only TEN A4Gs (8 single & 2 trainers) when stores/serviceability was being worked up too.

The title screen shows the view from the left side of mixed form next to the A4G. I am flying the Vampire in the left seat whilst the right hand seat has the camera middie pilot Murray Smythe. In 1974 I was wingie again in Macchi Form air day.
The Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm is as old as I am old. GordHelpUs

Nowra Air Day 1969 Mixed + Form Macchi 1974 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mueKRfbkXw

NAS Nowra Air Day 12 Oct 1969 A4G Skyhawks, F.A.W. Mk. 53 Sea Venom, T34A Vampires RAN Fleet Air Arm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaeUsSTGTjs

Another DRAKEN USA paint scheme on ex-A4G side number 871 (earlier a USN A-4F in Vietnam altered to A4G status). 50 years ago whilst arresting aboard HMAS Melbourne inside Jervis Bay with serious swell rolling the carrier in strong winds 871 crossing right to left (not lined up thankfully on right) rolled left to be lifted up again & taxi away with minor dents.

Go here for the video: viewtopic.php?f=22&t=58323&p=464109&hilit=tool#p464109

Blue Angels 1982: Rise Above (NEW DOCUMENTARY) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h693FLkNtlM

On previous page this thread there are some TOPGUN Magic A-4s so I thought to add some more from TOPGUN mag'n PDF.

“A VC-13 TA-4J engages an F-4 during a classic ACM training encounter in 1980. The unit was one of two Fleet Composite Squadrons established in 1973 to provide adversary training. Their crews were trained at TOPGUN. All US Navy” THE REAL TOPGUN 2022

Via E-mail DRAKEN SKYHAWK HELMET Pics. Video explains AUSTRINGER (could be "AU Stringer" [Australian Journalist?]
OR 'Aust Ringer' [A ringer is a male or female stock worker on an Australian cattle station OR Oz Substitute/FAKE?]

A later RAN FAA A4G pilot was Adrian WILSON callsign WIPEOUT [he would be early-mid 60s now - a 'substitute'?]
Sadly I don't have a photo of his/the LAST A4G RAN FAA OFS Operational Flying School in 1982 when he was about 19-21?

Some of the DRAKEN A-4s were original A4Gs subsequently sold to RNZAF to eventually be converted to A-4K KAHU status.

Perhaps 'Australian FAKE A-4' is what the logo is getting at? I give in. [A4G RAN FAA Royal Aust Navy Fleet Air Arm]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgRzN9wovfE [logo modelled on an RNZAF classic photo of Kahu? A-4K firing rockets]

That Pitcha frum: New Zealand’s Fast Jet - Volume Four Number Four Winter 2001

THE ROYAL AIR FORCE AIR POWER REVIEW [COVER PHOTO]

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles ... 2FD704.pdf [file no longer there of course]

As the world turns so stuff turns up including this No.16 A4G OFS photo with THE WIPEOUT WILSON? 2nd from our left.

No.16 A4G OFS 1982 L to R: SBLT Mark Pearsall, SBLT Adrian Wilson, FLT LT Gary Standen RAAF, LCDR Hugh Slade RN & SBLT Ray Wittman

STANDEN was a MIRAGE IIIO pilot on exchange (with the future CDF Mark Binskin flying the MIRACLE) whilst SLADE soon went back to the UK to participate in the Falklands War with the hastily recreated SHAR squadron 809. The OFS did not complete because soon enough the RAN FAA FIXED WING component was to FOLD. AND 'sirYESsir!' that is 871 in the frame.