N aval Aviation F l a g s h i p P u bl i c a t i o n of N a v a l Av i a t i o n

News

The U.S. Navy’s Oldest Periodical, Established 1917

Vo l u m e 9 4 , N o . 2
Summer 2010

C o n t e n t s
Features Departments
12 Special Section: The Big One: Naval Aviation 4 Flightline
Brings Relief to Earthquake-Ravaged Haiti
6 Grampaw Pettibone
18 The Year in Review 2009
8 Airscoop
44 Professional Reading
46 People–Places–Planes

Cover: The F-35B, the short take-off and landing version of the
Joint Strike Fighter, flies above NAS Patuxent River. The aircraft
made its first supersonic flight in June 2010.
(Lockheed Martin photo by Andy Wolfe)

Back Cover: An MH-60S Seahawk with HSC-23 transports a This page: An F/A-18D Hornet assigned to VMFAT-101
pallet of supplies to USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) during a vertical taxis to a catapult aboard the aircraft carrier USS
replenishment with USNS Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE 4) in July Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) during carrier qualifications.
2010. (Photo by MC2 Eddie Harrison) (Photo by Cpl. Justin Wainscott)

Naval Aviation News Summer 2010 1

 Naval N A U.S. Customs and Border Patrol helicopter

Aviation
awaits passengers as a Navy MV-22 Osprey
ews tilt-rotor aircraft lands in the background near
the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
(Photo by MC2 Candice Villarreal)
Director, Air Warfare
Rear Adm. Kenneth Floyd, USN
Editor in Chief
Capt. Patrick Herring, USN
EDITORIAL BOARD
Cmdr. Pauline Storum, USN
Robert Ghisolfi, Naval Air Systems Command
Andrew Bahjat, Director, Air Warfare
Stanton Coerr, Headquarters, Marine Corps
EDITORIAL STAFF
Colin Babb Managing Editor
Ken Collins Art Director
Dave Bradford Design and Layout
Josh Phillips Associate Editor
Special thanks to Omnitec Solutions Inc.
for design and editorial support
COLUMNISTS
Cmdr. Peter Mersky, USNR (Ret.) Book Review Editor
Capt. Ted Wilbur, USNR (Ret.) Contributing Artist
Cmdr. Bryan Dickerson, USN (Ret.) Contributing Editor
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
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contributors should forward articles about their commands only after internal
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2 Naval Aviation News Summer 2010 3
Flightline
From the Air Boss
By Vice Adm. Allen G. Myers, Commander, Naval Air Forces
I am thrilled that Naval Aviation News—which has served
Naval Aviation, in several guises, for 94 of the communi-
ty’s 100 years—will continue to chronicle the achievements
and occurrences of Naval Aviation as well as share the wis-
dom of “Grampaw Pettibone” and the collective experiences
of naval aviators, past and present. As we prepare to kick off
the year-long celebration of the centennial, I am pleased this
outstanding periodical will remain a part of our legacy.
I have long been inspired by the mantra of Fight to Fly! Fly
to Fight! Fight to Win! For the past 32 years, these words
have captured the essence of what Naval Aviation means.
Above all, our profession is our passion. We fight to fly ev-
ery day—for the slot on the flight schedule, for the chance
to get the qual, and to get the next school. Regardless of
our individual roles on the team, we are all passionate about
what we do. We fly to fight! Naval Aviation is a serious
business. We have been entrusted with precious assets—the
treasure of our nation and the lives of its sons and daughters.
We make each and every sortie count, and we do it safely,
efficiently, and effectively each and every day. Above all, we
fight to win because we are warfighters. We are adaptable,
relevant, and flexible, and when called upon we are lethal in
our ability to deliver credible combat power anywhere in the
world, whenever our nation demands it.
4 Naval Aviation News
I am proud to be the Air Boss and entrusted to lead such
a fine team of professionals as we continue our glide scope
toward success through a focus on the four fundamentals
of alignment, respect, readiness, and our warfighting ethos.
We will maintain our alignment being mindful of who we
work for, knowing the resources at our command, and un-
derstanding clearly and unambiguously what our mission is.
Our nation relies on Naval Air Forces to deliver warfighting
capability continuously around the world. We provide the
right levels of readiness through our alignment as a force
to achieve maximum effects, and we will maintain this mo-
mentum through respect for our positions, our command,
and our shipmates. Whether we wear flight gear, utilities,
coveralls, or a suit, we are all volunteers who have chosen to
serve our country and a cause greater than ourselves. Our
team is built on this common bond of respect, and we are
accountable to respect our shipmates, our commands, and
ourselves. Together, we form a ready force. We are ready in-
dividually, by commands, and as families, so we can continue
to answer our nation’s call today and in the future.
As a community, we stand on the shoulders of giants. Our
warfighting ethos transcends each generation of Naval Avi-
ation. We will continue to build on our proud warfighting
legacy, a tale that has been captured on so many pages of this
journal—from our earliest achievements that laid the foun-
dation for the success we enjoy today. For 100 years, Naval
Aviation has served with courage and honor and displayed
a passion to fly that has been fueled by the best training,
maintenance, and support structure the world has known.
I look forward to working with the Naval Aviation team
to build on our rich history, honored legacy and dauntless
spirit to create an even stronger and more cohesive fighting
force.
Fight to Fly, Fly to Fight, Fight to Win!
Summer 2010
Ready for Launch:
Naval Aviation News is back at
the cat as it continues its own
journey toward 100 years of
publication, and it begins the
celebration of Naval Aviation’s
century of excellence in 2011.
After 23 years in the excellent care of the
Naval Historical Center (now the Naval History
and Heritage Command), Naval Aviation News
has returned to the Naval Air Systems Com-
mand. The magazine will now appear in print
quarterly, and will be available online.
Please welcome the new staff: Capt. Patrick
Herring, USN (Editor in Chief) and the
OMNITEC Solutions team; (left to right) Josh
Phillips (Associate Editor); Dave Bradford
(Design and Layout); Ken Collins (Art Director);
and Colin Babb (Managing Editor). (Photos by
MC3 Josue L. Escobosa and Dave Bradford)
Become a fan of Naval Aviation News on
Facebook
5
Grampaw Pettibone
Illustrations by
Knock It Off
A fleet F/A-18 Hornet squadron sent a detachment to
sea for carrier quals. A nugget who had only been in the
squadron five weeks launched at approximately 0130 on
his third flight of the day. The pilot reported to the car-
rier air traffic control center that he was ready for a turn
downwind. Between that turn and the four-nautical-mile
turn to final, the nugget dumped fuel to max trap weight,
made two configuration changes, and, at the carrier air
traffic control center’s (CATCC) request, cycled his Mode
“C” twice. The pilot flew a below-average instrument ap-
proach and showed up on the ball with his wingtip lights
extremely dim, which significantly degraded the landing
signal officer’s (LSO) depth perception.
The pilot, who later reported that he was feeling “a little
exhausted,” flew a poor final approach, which culminated in
an excessive sink rate close to the ramp. The LSO activated
the wave-off lights less than two seconds prior to the jet
striking the ramp. The jet hit 10 feet down the round down,
on centerline, with both main mounts below the edge of the
flight deck. The right main landing gear and tailhook were
damaged by the impact. The hook engaged the three wire,
but the hook point broke. The pilot executed bolter proce-
dures and was instructed to divert to his home field.
When he arrived at the home field, another pilot joined
on him to assess the damage. The right main landing gear
wheel and tire were canted 45 degrees inboard. The pilot
performed a straight landing to the left side of the runway
in accordance with NATOPS. As the jet slowed, it devel-
oped an uncontrollable right drift. The pilot ejected as the
jet departed the runway. The pilot sustained major injuries;
the jet was destroyed.
When they launched, both the mishap pilot and his lead
were on their third flight of the day and more than 12 hours
crew day. Both pilots violated the squadron standard oper-
ating procedures on both counts. Prior to launch, the det.
officer in charge tried to contact the squadron commanding
officer for a waiver for the pilots, but was unable to reach
him. The officer reported this to the pilots, but they elected
to launch and no one stopped them.
6 Naval Aviation News
Grampaw Pettibone says:
Good judgment comes from experience. Unfortunately,
experience often comes from bad judgment. Kids, Ol’
Gramps realizes that mistakes happen, but nothing bakes
my beans like a willful disregard of the rules. Several peo-
ple involved with this one deliberately ignored a host of
standard procedures, and we lost a jet and durn near lost
one of our finest as a result!
This wee lad was set up for failure from the get go. We got
a flight lead who set a poor example by violating squadron
procedures and allowing his wet-behind-the-ears wingie
to do the same. We got an officer in charge who doesn’t
seem to realize what bein’ in charge is all about, and we
got paddles back there on his platform who is willing to
wave a jet he can barely see. Someone should have called
“knock it off!” on this one. Our nugget was fatigued and in
over his head. The officer in charge and lead never should
have let him go flying. What’s more, allowing him to take
an immediate turn downwind and a four-mile hook was a
bad call. That goofy light set up made it perty near impos-
sible for paddles to figure out where that jet was heading.
He should have had CATCC pull the jet off the approach,
fix his lights, and try again.
Make a circle kids and lets learn today’s lesson: When you
are close to the line on a rule, think very carefully before
you take your next step. Think about the example you are
setting and what can go wrong. One of the hardest parts
about being a leader is making the right call when it goes
contrary to getting the job done.
Now you kids skeedaddle, Gramps has some whittlin’ he
needs to finish.
Gramps from Yesteryear... a small fire developed in the aft section. An outside witness
notified the local fire department; the pilot and crew mem-
Would You Believe VFR? ber were examined at a local hospital and released.
The lieutenant ferry pilot was delivering a UH-1N Huey Grampaw Pettibone said:
from NAS Midwest to NAS Atlantic Coast. During one
of his en route stops, a phone call home revealed a close Dad blasted! In spite of all the “tales of woe” we have seen
relative was in the hospital, so he decided to stay overnight about aviators trying to sneak under the weather—they
at a civilian field. Following the visit and six hours’ sleep, he are still doing it! With the type of weather existing and
forecast, it was sheer stupidity—of the highest order—to
and his enlisted crew member arose at 0630, ate breakfast,
attempt this flight VFR.
and arrived back at the field at 0710. The pilot conducted
a preflight and completed a visual flight rules (VFR) flight In addition, this lad, knowin’ that he was going to be fl-
plan to his ultimate destination with a fuel stop en route. yin’ at minimum altitude on this trip, didn’t even bother
to write down the terrain heights or clearances on his
He obtained his weather brief, via the radio of a Cessna 150 preflight card! I don’t believe it!! This pilot’s instrument
on the deck, by contacting the flight service station approxi- experience compares with the least I’ve ever seen for a
mately 35 miles away. The airport manager estimated the gent of his seniority level! To top it off, his unit issued
weather at the field as 200 feet scattered, 400 feet broken, him an instrument card—when he hadn’t met even the
and one-to-two miles’ visibility. (This was substantiated by a minimums. (Sounds like a supervisory problem.) And
pilot report ten minutes after the Huey took off.) The poor- one gent tried to alibi that by pointing out the number
of night helo combat hours the pilot had! I sure don’t
est weather forecast for the route was for a station 20 miles
remember anything in 3710.7F about nighttime substi-
away that was forecasting 800 feet overcast, visibility two tuting for instrument time. The instrument time require
miles, with light rain and fog; occasionally 400 overcast, vis-
in OpNavInst 3710.7F is a minimum, and every aviator
ibility one mile, in light rain and fog. should have more—but at least that!
The lieutenant and crew member manned the aircraft, con- There were just too many things wrong with this whole
ducted pre-takeoff checks, and departed VFR at 0815. The fiasco. Goes to show ya. Accidents don’t just happen, they
Huey climbed to 500 feet on an easterly heading. When are caused!
approximately ten miles out, the pilot spotted a low cloud
layer and descended to 300 feet above ground level to stay
VFR. After passing under the clouds he climbed to 500
feet again. About 15 miles out, another low cloud layer ap-
peared, and the pilot descended to 200 feet and slowed to
80 knots. At this time, the helo entered instrument flight
rules conditions. There was a five-degree disparity between
the pilot and copilot attitude gyro.
At 200 feet, the pilot, now
suffering from an extreme
case of vertigo, descended
again, attempting to regain
VFR conditions. The crew
member saw that the aircraft
was rapidly approaching the
trees and told the pilot of
the impending ground con-
tact. He immediately initi-
ated a high flare, which de-
creased his forward speed.
The aircraft gained a five-to-
ten knot aft motion and hit
the trees, tearing off 15 feet
of the tail boom. The unin-
jured crew left the aircraft as
Summer 2010 7
Airscoop
Edited by Colin E. Babb
F-35B Goes Supersonic
On 10 June, the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter short takeoff/
vertical landing variant flew faster than the speed of sound
for the first time. U.S. Marine Corps pilot Lt. Col. Matt
Kelly climbed to 30,000 feet and accelerated to Mach 1.07
(727 miles per hour) in the off-shore supersonic test track
near NAS Patuxent River. It was the first in a series of
planned supersonic test flights, and was the aircraft’s 30th
test flight overall.
The F-35B went supersonic for the first time on 10 June.
(Lockheed Martin)
Forrestal Is Towed to Meet Destiny
On 15 June, the decommissioned aircraft carrier ex-USS For-
restal (CVA/CV/AVT 59) departed Naval Station Newport for
a three-day cruise to Philadelphia, where it awaits final disposal.
The first of the “super carriers,” the 60,000-ton Forrestal was
commissioned on 29 September 1955, and was in service for
more than 38 years. The ship was offered as a possible museum,
but the Navy failed to receive any viable proposals and took the
Forrestal off donation hold. The vessel will be sunk as a target or
used to create an artificial reef.
The decommissioned aircraft carrier ex-USS Forrestal departs Naval Station Newport for a three-day cruise to Philadelphia.
(Photo by MCCS Melissa Weatherspoon)
8 Naval Aviation News
Poseidon Arrives at Pax
The first test P-8A Poseidon multimission maritime aircraft
arrived at NAS Patuxent River on 10 April. The aircraft,
assigned to VX-20, arrived from Boeing’s Seattle, Wash.,
facilities, where it began flight testing in October 2009. A
second test aircraft arrived on 19 June.
The new P-8A Poseidon receives an escort to NAS Patuxent River.
(Boeing)
King Air Roll Out
On 18 May, Hawker Beechcraft Corp. rolled out the first
special mission King Air 350 for the Marine Corps at the
company’s headquarters in Wichita, Kansas. Six modified
King Air 350 turboprops (military designation UC-12W
Huron) will replace the Marine Corps’ six current UC-12
operational support airlift aircraft.
Fire Scout Makes Catch on First ​
Deployment
On 15 April, the MQ-8B Fire Scout returned to NAS Mayport
from a six-month deployment aboard USS McInerney (FFG 8).
While deployed with 4th Fleet, the unmanned aircraft assisted
with counter-narcotics operations. McInerney launched one of
its two embarked Fire Scouts to test different functions and set-
tings when the aircraft acquired a suspected narcotics “go-fast”
vessel. After three hours of surveillance, Navy and Coast Guard
personnel seized approximately 60 kilos of cocaine.
MQ-8B Fire Scout hovers over McInerney’s flight deck.
(Photo by MC2 Alan Gragg)
The “Green Hornet” conducts its supersonic test flight over NAS Patuxent River. (Photo by Liz Goettee)
Summer 2010
“Green Hornet” Makes Historic Flight
The Navy celebrated Earth Day on 22 April with a super-
sonic test flight of the “Green Hornet,” an F/A-18F Super
Hornet powered by a 50/50 blend of conventional jet fuel
and biofuel. The aircraft took off and flew at greater than the
speed of sound above NAS Patuxent River. The biofuel is
made with camelina, a oil-producing plant native to Eurasia
that can be grown on marginal lands and does not compete
with food crops.
The “Green Hornet” received a 50/50 blend of biofuel ​
and conventional fuel. (Photo by Liz Goettee)
9
First Student Trains with T-6B
The first student naval aviator to train in the T-6B Texan
II took flight at NAS Whiting Field on 18 May. Ensign
Christopher D. Farkas, assigned to VT-3 and TW-5,
teamed with Marine Corps instructor pilot Capt. Michael
Perkins to complete the inaugural flight. The T-6B Texan II
is replacing its long time predecessor the T-34C Turbomentor.
TW-5 anticipates a complete transition at NAS Whiting Field
by 2015.

Women Aviators Take Command

On 29 July, Rear Adm. Nora Tyson assumed command
of Carrier Strike Group 2 aboard USS George H. W. Bush
(CVN 77). She is the first woman to command a carrier
strike group. On 3 June, Navy Times reported that Capt. Sara
Joyner was selected to be the Navy’s first woman carrier air
group commander. CNO Adm. Gary Roughead announced
the selection at the 23rd annual Women’s Leadership Sym-
posium in Washington, D.C. Joyner is slated to command
CVW-14, which is currently assigned to USS Ronald Rea-
gan (CVN 76), and is likely to join the unit first as deputy
CAG in September 2011 and then assume command 12
to 18 months later, according to Navy spokesman Lt. Nate
Christensen.

Fire trucks spray a bridge of water over two T-6B training aircraft to celebrate their arrival. The aircraft will be used to replace the
venerable T-34C Turbo Mentor plane in flight training for student pilots. (Photo by Jay Cope)

Rear Adm. Nora Tyson is the first woman to command a carrier
strike group. (Photo MC1 Tiffini Jones Vanderwyst)
Mishaps
On 26 October 2009, an AH-1 Cobra assigned to HMLA-
367 and a UH-1 Huey assigned to HMLA-169, both with
MAG-39 and I MEF, collided while on missions over the
southern province of Helmand in Afghanistan. Four Ma-
rines were killed, and two were wounded.
On 28 October 2009, a T-34C Turbomentor assigned to
VT-28 of TW-4 based out of NAS Corpus Christi, Texas,
went down approximately 1.5 miles off the coast of Matago-
rda Island. The Coast Guard recovered the bodies of both
pilots.
On 29 October 2009, a Marine Corps AH-1W Super Co-
bra with MAG-39 based at Camp Pendleton, Calif., collided
with a Coast Guard C-130 Hercules off the coast of San
Clemente Island. All nine crew members of the two aircraft
perished.
On 23 January, a T-34 Turbomaster went down in Lake
Pontchartrain while on approach to Lakefront Airport in
New Orleans. The aircraft was assigned to VT-6 with TW-5
at NAS Whiting Field. The student pilot survived and was
treated for moderate injuries. The body of the instructor
pilot was recovered on 27 January.
On 18 February, an MH-60S Nighthawk assigned to HSC-
26 based at NAS Norfolk crashed on the side of a moun-
tain in West Virginia in more than four feet of snow. The
helicopter was participating in Operation Southern Trooper, an
annual training exercise. All 17 crewmembers and passengers
were rescued successfully.
On 10 March, a Marine Corps F/A-18D Hornet assigned
to VMFA-222 developed a dual-engine fire and crashed
in the Atlantic approximately 30 miles east of St. Helena
Island. Both pilots ejected safely and were rescued by the
Coast Guard.
On 15 March, two single-seat F/A-18E Super Hornet
aircraft were involved in a mid-air collision while on
a routine training mission flying in the Fallon Range
Training Complex in Nevada. Neither pilot was injured.
Both aircraft are assigned to VFA-137 based at NAS
Lemoore, Calif.
On 31 March, an E-2C Hawkeye from VAW-121 on USS
Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) crashed in the North
Arabian Sea when returning from a mission over
Afghanistan. After losing oil pressure in the starboard
engine, the pilot managed to keep the aircraft aloft long
enough for his three crewmen to bail out. The pilot was
posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
On 12 April, a T-39N Sabreliner crashed near Ellijay, Ga.
Rescue crews recovered all four bodies from the crash. The
aircraft was assigned to VT-86 of TW-6 based out of NAS
Pensacola, and was conducting a routine cross-country
training mission.
On 10 June, A Navy T-45C Goshawk training jet assigned
to TW-2 ran off the end of the runway at NAS Kingsville.
The pilot ejected safely and was taken to a local hospital for
treatment of minor injuries.

10 Naval Aviation News Summer 2010 11

The Big One:
Effective crew resource management was critical in the Aircrews and maintainers excelled in employing and maintaining
dynamic flight environment in Haiti. With the rapid in- their aircraft during this intense operational tempo, ensuring all

Naval Aviation Brings flux of aid and military assets from around the world, and
consequent difficulties in coordinating different agencies,
missions were on time and successful. The contribution HMH-
461 (Rein) made to Unified Response was significant: pilots and

Relief to Earthquake-Ravaged Haiti the pilots and aircrews of HMH-461 (Rein) quickly real-
ized they were operating in over-crowded and under-reg-
ulated airspace. This situation required them to be at the
top of their game every time they pulled power in their
aircraft. The demands of operating at high gross weights in
the country’s sweltering heat called for weight and power
numbers to be checked and rechecked constantly to ensure
aircraft were operating within safe power margins.
Flight operations were continuous for HMH-461 (Rein)
until the end of March. The unit conducted a variety of mis-
sions throughout Operation Unified Response. In particular
was the CH-53Es’ transport of special operations sport utility
vehicles to more remote regions of the country. The vehicles
proved to be valuable assets to military and civilian teams that
were on the ground assessing the impact of the disaster and
The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) arrived off the coast of Port-au-Prince within days of the 12 January 2010 earthquake identifying areas in need of more aid. Both CH-53Es and
UH-1Ns transported large numbers of medical professionals
aircrews flew nearly 650 hours, moved almost 3,500 passengers,
and delivered more than 530,000 pounds of relief supplies to
Marines and aid workers on the ground for distribution. In
addition, the squadron’s maintainers performed more than
7,000 maintenance man-hours on the aircraft to ensure all
assets were available to support every mission, every day, for
nearly three months.
The success of this mission also signified a historic deployment
for the heavy lift community. HMH-461 was the first East
Coast CH-53 squadron to assume the command element of
a composite squadron. The performance of the Marines and
Sailors of HMH-461 (Rein) was nothing short of spectacular,
and was in keeping with the professionalism and proficiency
the Marine Corps has come to expect from the “Big Iron.”
Capt. Clarkson is the aviation safety officer for HMH-461.

Iernments
n the late afternoon of 12 January 2010, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake shook the island nation of Haiti. In response and aid workers to areas that were difficult to reach by ground
to the devastation—an estimated 230,000 dead, more than 300,000 injured, and 1 million made homeless—gov- because of Haiti’s damaged roads.
and organizations from around the world sent aid. Naval Aviation played a crucial part in the overall U.S.
response to the disaster—entitled Operation Unified Response—by providing mobility to materiel and personnel that
simply could not be moved any other way. More than 20 Navy vessels and scores of aircraft participated in the
operation. In total, U.S. military forces brought more than 17 million pounds of food, 2.6 million liters of water, and
treated nearly 10,000 patients by the end of March 2010.

Ironhorse Does the Heavy Lifting

By Capt. Paul Clarkson, USMC

O n 12 January 2010 an earthquake devastated Haiti,

bringing chaos to what was already the Western
Hemisphere’s poorest country. The next day, II Marine
Expeditionary Force (MEF) reformed the 22nd Marine
Expeditionary Unit (MEU) with HMH-461 as the avia-
tion combat element and ordered an immediate deploy-
ment to conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster
relief operations. A composite squadron was built around
the CH-53E and its heavy-lift capabilities: Marines from
HMH-461 and HMLA-467 embarked eight CH-53Es,
four UH-1Ns, and detachments from Marine Aviation
Logistics Squadron 29, Marine Wing Support Squadron
272, and Marine Air Control Group 28 aboard USS Bataan
(LHD 5) to form HMH-461 (Reinforced) within 72 hours.
The squadron was placed under the command of Lt. Col.
Sean Salene, commanding officer of HMH-461. HMH-
464 also provided two of the eight Super Stallions that
comprised the aviation combat element.
The extremely brief period of mobilization and the nature
of the mission presented Ironhorse Marines and Sailors
of HMH-461 (Rein) with a tremendous challenge. Flight
operations began on 18 January with the launch of a sec-
tion of CH-53Es conducting a reconnaissance of Haiti’s
devastation. The following day, the squadron launched a
division of CH-53Es and a section of UH-1Ns into an
earthquake ravaged area, assessing the damage and deliver-
ing much needed relief supplies. UH-1Ns and CH-53Es
worked hand in hand throughout the operation. The Hueys
provided vital aerial reconnaissance to leaders and planners,
helping to maximize assistance by identifying tenable land-
ing zones that could facilitate safe landings for CH-53Es
where rotor wash would not harm people on the ground.
“Big Iron” transported palletized cargo that included water,
MREs, and medical supplies to people in need throughout
Haiti. Maintainers and combat cargo loaders who internally
loaded and unloaded five to six pallets per aircraft each time
wheels hit the flight deck and the ramp came down on a
Super Stallion. Marines assigned to 22nd MEU carry bottles of much-needed water onto a CH-53E Super Stallion with HMH-461.
(Photo by MC2 Julio Rivera)

12 Naval Aviation News Summer 2010 13

Osprey Provides a New Tool
During its deployment to Haiti aboard USS Nassau
(LHA 4), the 24th MEU’s air combat element (VMM-
162 [Rein]) included 12 MV-22 Ospreys alongside its
usual complement of CH-53E Super Stallion, UH-1N
Huey, and AH-1W helicopters. The Ospreys were the
first to serve with the 24th MEU, and the first tilt-rotor
aircraft to participate in humanitarian and disaster
relief operations.
“The Ospreys provide a greater lift, they’re faster, and
go farther than its predecessor and other similar air-
craft,” said Lt. Col. Robert C. Sherrill, the commanding
officer of VMM-162 (Rein). “Those characteristics are
powerful in a situation when the time is of the essence,
whether it’s taking casualties back to the ship for
medical attention or relaying supplies. This aircraft
provides a lot of depth as an [MEU] aviation element.”
MV-22s with VMM-162 aboard USS Nassau (LHA 4) were the first
Ospreys to use their unique capabilities in disaster relief missions.
(Photo by MC2 Jason R. Zalasky)
The Nassau Amphibious Ready Group, which also
included USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19) and USS Ash-
land (LSD 48), was diverted to Haiti on 19 January
from its regularly scheduled deployment to the
5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility. The group
departed Haiti on 7 February having transported
more than 55,000 lbs. of food, 14,600 liters of
water, medical supplies, and 1,000 passengers.
Medical and dental personnel from the 24th MEU
treated more than 100 Haitians on the island of
Gonave, and 16 Haitian earthquake victims were
treated aboard shipboard medical facilities.
14
A Whole New Experience
By Lt. Cmdr. Michael Hansen, USN
T he earthquake that struck Port-Au-Prince brought a
new mission to HSL-46 Det. 3’s Screamin’ Seagulls.
The day after the earthquake, we found out that the work
up we were scheduled to be part of the following week now
was going to be a disaster relief mission starting sooner. An-
ticipating around-the-clock operations, we added two pi-
lots and five air crew members to the normal det. manning,
which consists of six pilots and three air crew members. Just
two days after the quake, we found ourselves embarking on
USS Normandy (CG 60) late on a Friday night for an early
morning departure. Most of the air crew had little or no
experience with humanitarian assistance or disaster relief
missions, mountain flying, or the practical application of
confined-area landings.
During the transit, as det. officer in charge, I directed that
extensive training be conducted in all areas we might ex-
pect to be tasked. While the air crew conducted training,
the maintenance side of the house was hard at work strip-
ping the aircraft of all non-essential equipment to maximize
space available for transport. Once we arrived on station in
Haiti, we received a quick brief from CVW-17 on how op-
erations were being conducted. That evening, we launched
an aircraft to survey the area and find the landing zones
(LZs) discussed in the brief. When that crew returned, they
briefed the other air crew on what to expect, and how to find
the LZs being used. The following morning the first crew
headed to downtown Port-Au-Prince to begin the humani-
tarian mission.
The first day included a lot of troop transport and food and
water delivery. An SH-60B can normally carry a maximum
of two passengers along with one air crew member, but many
waivers were in place and up to eight troops with full gear
were transported along with two air crew member to aid
with confined-area operations. Aircraft initially conducted
operations by calling an overhead E-2C for tasking while
inbound. Our instructions were to report to Port-Au-Prince
airport for tasking, but occasionally we were assigned other
LZs to work. If we reported to the airport, we were loaded
with troops, food, or water, and sent out to an LZ. Initially,
all the LZs were in the Port-Au-Prince area, but each day
more zones were added that were further away. We would
fly into a grassy area beside the runway and jump in line. The
ground troops stationed at the airport were quite efficient
as they staged supplies and lined up the helos. The end helo
would be loaded and sent out, and the next aircraft in line
would reposition to the vacant loading spot to be supplied
and tasked.
Naval Aviation News
On those occasions when the E-2C had other taskings for
us, it was usually a medevac mission. We would report to
Hawkeyes, Greyhounds,
an LZ, pick up a patient, and deliver that person wherever and Clippers Contribute
a bed was available. Most often that meant USNS Com-
fort (T AH 20), but, if it was full, Bataan and Carl Vinson,
or even Sacred Heart, a hospital 45 minutes to the north,
In addition to the many Navy and Marine Corps
rotary-wing aircraft that deployed for Operation
Unified Response, E-2C Hawkeyes from VAW-125,
would take our patients. Subsequent missions included nu-
C-2A Greyhound aircraft from VRC-30 and -40,
merous medevac flights, more food and water distribution,
and aircraft from nearly every VR logistics support
troop transport, survey flights, and even a few “angel” flights,
squadrons deployed to the Caribbean to provide
in which expired patients were returned home for burial.
command support and disaster relief supplies to
These were very different from the normal SH-60B mission
the people of Haiti.
of surface search and coordination. At times, LZs became
unusable because of the Haitians gathering near them in Reserve C-40A Clippers and other logistics support
anticipation of getting desperately needed food and water. aircraft transported nearly 2.5 million pounds of
In at least one instance, one of our crews had to quickly de- cargo to Guantanamo Bay, where C-2As and other
part an LZ before unloading their supplies as they were be- aircraft transshipped the supplies to Port-au-Prince
ing rushed. The crew was able to move a safe distance away airport. From there, water, food, and medical
and unload their supplies. “It was an honor to be there and supplies were dispensed around the earthquake-
exciting to make basic on-site risk management decisions,” damaged zone.
said Lt. Brian Mowry, “even as a young helicopter aircraft
commander.”
For many of us, this was a very motivating way to start our fly-
ing careers. Four of the det.’s eight pilots had never deployed
as pilots, and only the officer in charge had more than one
deployment as an aviator. In the end, the Seagulls flew 146
hours over a period of less than three weeks transporting 107
medevacs, 416 military and media members and other pas-
sengers, and more than 90,000 pounds of food, water, medical
supplies, and other cargo. Because of necessary preparations
for the spring deployment of Normandy and Det. 3, we were
brought home in early February. Altogether, Navy aircraft
and helos flew more than 4,300 hours and transported nearly
4.5 million pounds of relief supplies to the Haitian people
between January and the end of March. C-2A Greyhounds VRC-40 (above) and VRC-30 were able to bring
cargo to Carl Vinson and Port-au-Prince airport when larger
I could not have been more pleased with the way all members
aircraft had trouble landing. E-2Cs from VAW-125 (below) based
at Guantanamo Bay provided command-and-control support to
of the detachment stepped up, adapted to the demands of Unified Response.
the mission, exercised effective operational risk management (Photos by MC2 Adrian White and Sgt. Michael Balz)
and executed flawlessly, despite dynamic and challenging
situations. The crew of Normandy provided excellent support
throughout. The ship/air integration was terrific, and really
made it all possible.
Despite the news cameras and happy families waiting for
us at home, the most important thing that we all took from
this was the knowledge that our actions in Haiti will im-
pact that country for years to come. It was an honor to have
taken part in this tremendous effort to bring assistance to
the people of Haiti in their time of need.
Lt. Cmdr. Hansen is the air boss for HSL-46 Det. 3.
Summer 2010 15
Making a Lasting Impact
By MCSN Erin L. Boyce, USN
As news channels across the nation announced the devas-
tation delivered by the earthquake in Haiti, ABCM (AW/
SW) Peggy Carrington, leading chief of the air department
aboard Bataan, was wrapping up post-deployment stand-
down leave. Just 28 days earlier, as Bataan pulled pierside
to her homeport of Norfolk, Carrington had congratulated
her Sailors on a successful deployment. The 22nd MEU and
HSC-22 had completed 2,200 sorties and participated in
several international naval exercises in the Mediterranean
Sea and Indian Ocean.
The crew was weary and still rekindling relationships with
family and friends, but when Carrington heard news of the
quake, she had a feeling Bataan would surge and the air de-
partment would play a major role. Carrington, along with
other air department leaders, began recalling Sailors and
preparing them for Haiti.
“We pulled our divisions together and told them to pack
up and prepare for a three-month deployment,” said Car-
rington. “They had 48 hours to prepare. We issued camel-
baks and the proper flight deck gear. We made sure their
families were taken care of, that there were no issues.”
The ship departed mid-Atlantic waters on 14 January—48
hours after the earthquake shook Haiti’s capital city of Port-
au-Prince and outlying areas.
Bataan and the 22nd MEU were on-station four days later
with a complement of Navy and Marine Corps aircraft—
MH-60S Knighthawks, UH-1N Hueys, and CH-53E Sea
Dragons—tailored for humanitarian assistance and disaster
relief missions.
The moment the shores of Haiti were in reach, Bataan’s
“Blue/Green Team” had aircraft overhead conducting aerial
assessments. Because of the natural barriers created by the
earthquake, many Haitians couldn’t be reached by ground
forces. So the Navy/Marine Corps team established nine
landing zones, and the rotary-wing aircraft went to work.
“The MH-60s and CH-53s had the ability to fly into land-
ing zones and other remote locations that were hard for the
ground support to reach because of the washed out roads or
unserviceable docks or damaged airports,” said Carrington.
In those early stages of Operation Unified Response, the
flight deck saw a flurry of activity—relief supplies began
moving ashore and search-and-rescue helicopters returning
from the newly established landing zones began touching
down with Haitians in need of urgent medical care. In less
than two days, 23 patients were medically evacuated to the
ship’s hospital.
16
“It was ridiculously busy the first few days in Haiti,” said
ABFAN (AW) Ryan Multerer. “It was helos in and out,
transporting people to medical. There were injured people
on almost every helo that landed; at least 10 people a day
flew in needing medical attention. We had to transfer this
one guy who wasn’t breathing onto a [helicopter] to get
him over to the USNS Comfort. I felt I saved that guy’s
life that day. If we weren’t there in a quick fashion, the
outcome could’ve been different.”
AM2 Pierre Doreus, assigned to HSC-26, helps a
Haitian girl fill out her immunization card at a clinic
in Grand Goave, Haiti. The clinic was set up by the
U.S. Public Health Service and Sailors, Marines, and
embarked staff from USS Bataan.
(Photo by MC1 Christina M. Shaw)
Naval Aviation News Summer 2010
Bataan’s flight deck remained open for business until 24
March, 10 weeks after the ship arrived in Haiti. Through
nearly 2,000 flight hours, the ship and 22nd MEU delivered
nearly 620,000 liters of water, more than 4.5 million pound
of relief supplies, medically evacuated 97 patients to Bataan,
and provided transport for another 524 Haitian patients to
and from Comfort, Carl Vinson, and hospitals throughout
Port-au-Prince.
“If we didn’t have [the Navy -53s and -60s], we wouldn’t be
able to help out Haiti as much as we did,” said ABF Brandyi
Phillips, one of Bataan’s tower operators. “The pilots and air
crew from those squadrons were already trained, so when-
ever it came time to help with the relief it came naturally to
them, and we had no issues. The ship’s crew had flight quar-
ters everyday for the past seven months [of deployment].”
Even in January and March, temperatures in Haiti hovered
well above 90 degrees, and on the flight deck and in the
hangar bay, two of the ship’s hottest spaces, Bataan’s avia-
tion team continued to push toward mission success with-
out complaint.
“It was very hot outside and the hours were very long,” said
Multerer. “We had to be on deck at 0500 every day till 1900
in the blazing heat, but none of that mattered because in the
long run we were saving lives.”
Working alongside on the flight deck and hangar bay, Bata-
an’s combat cargo team accounted for and loaded every
person, piece of equipment, and shipment of supplies that
left the deck. In many instances cargo would arrive aboard
Bataan for further distribution to other ships in the areas of
operations, and the team did everything necessary to main-
tain a safe, quick, and continuous flow.
“Everyone had a hand in the loading and unloading of air-
craft,” said Lt. Matthew Martin, Bataan’s assistant air offi-
cer. “Even with vertical replenishments, everybody chipped
in—ship’s crew, air department, jerseys of all colors. Bataan
helped the people of Haiti, and we were all motivated and
excited for the mission.”
Carrington’s story was similar to that of all the leaders spread
throughout the ship, MEU, and every squadron involved in
Operation Unified Response. They couldn’t have known an
earthquake would strike Haiti on 12 January. But when it
happened, they had their Sailors and Marines prepared, and
they made a lasting impact on an entire country.
Seaman Boyce serves with Bataan’s public affairs department.
17
Year in Review 2009
By Mark L. Evans and Dale J. Gordon
With special assistance by Andrew R. McKee and Ellen M. Stolarski

N aval Aviation overcame enormous challenges in battle and against natural disasters during 2009. The achievement of
fighting insurgents, terrorists, pirates, and narcotics traffickers while still providing humanitarian assistance to victims
of natural disasters confirmed the value of Naval Aviation to national security. Sailors and Marines adapted to these trials by
integrating new theories and technologies.
In addition to naval aircraft flying an average of 30 percent of coalition sorties over Afghanistan and supporting efforts to
curtail the flow of illicit narcotics, the year witnessed two extraordinary phenomena: an epidemic of piracy across the globe,
and a virulent storm season in the Pacific. The continued lack of law and order in Somalia bred an increase in pirate attacks
around the Horn of Africa, and naval aircraft and vessels coordinated operations with allies to protect mariners and ensure
the free international passage through the strategically vital area. A series of tropical storms and typhoons ravaged multiple
countries across the Pacific Ocean, challenging the resources of U.S. and allied forces. Naval aircraft and ships rescued people
trapped by the devastation who were otherwise inaccessible to relief workers on the ground.
New weapons entered the Navy’s arsenal. The fleet gained a carrier as USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) was commissioned,
and prepared another when the keel was laid for Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). MV-22B Ospreys made their first deployment
to Afghanistan. The first of the P-8A Poseidons was rolled out, EA-18G Growlers and E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes received
approval to enter production, and F-35 Lightning IIs took to the sky during first flights. The Navy accepted the final E-2C
Hawkeye 2000, and bid farewell to its last H-3 Sea King. Unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) flew in increasingly diverse and
difficult environments.
“The Year in Review” chronicles the highlights of Naval Aviation accomplishments during 2009.

2008 Addenda
November
4 The Navy certified F/A-18E/Fs to fly at altitudes between
flight levels 29,000 and 41,000 feet. The authorization af-
fects all of the Super Hornets produced from Lot 22 and
beyond—approximately 340 aircraft.
21 The Navy accepted the delivery of G4, the first EA-
18G Growler maintenance trainer, BuNo 166858, at NAS
Whidbey Island. The service intends to procure 88 opera-
tional Growlers to replace EA-6B Prowlers.
2009
Januar y
2 The Navy announced its decision to base P-8A Posei-
dons at NAS Jacksonville with a fleet replacement squad-
ron, NAS Whidbey Island with four squadrons, and MCB
Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay with three squadrons. In addition,
periodic Detachments will operate periodically from NAS
North Island.
5 The US 5th Fleet announced that aircraft from CVW-11,
embarked on board USS Nimitz (CVN 68), had flown more
than 2,058 sorties over Afghanistan since Nimitz had arrived
in the 5th area of operations on 18 September 2008.
8 Combined Task Force (CTF) 151 was established at Ma-
nama, Bahrain, to conduct counter-piracy operations.
9 The Boxer (LHD 4) Amphibious Ready Group, with the
13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) embarked, deployed
from NS San Diego to the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans
and the Arabian Sea. Three UH-1Ys from the air combat ele-
ment of the 13th MEU made the initial deployment of the
Yankees. The group returned on 1 August.
9 PP-3, the first pilot production VH-71 Presidential He-
licopter, arrived at Lockheed Martin’s facility at Owego,
N.Y., to begin the integration and final production process.
The aircraft flew for the first time on 13 January.
10 George H. W. Bush was commissioned at NS Norfolk.
The ship completed builder’s sea trials from 13 to 16 Febru-
ary, and acceptance sea trials from 7 to 10 April.
13 The John C. Stennis (CVN 74) Carrier Strike Group,
with CVW-9 embarked, deployed from NB Kitsap to the
Western Pacific and Indian Oceans and the Arabian Sea.
The cruise included the maiden deployment of HSM-71,
the first operational squadron equipped with MH-60Rs.
Aircraft from the wing flew more than 7,250 sorties during
the deployment. The group returned on 10 July.
Sailors aboard George H. W. Bush man the rails during
14 The Navy signed a record of decision concerning the the carrier’s builder trials in February 2009. The ship,
Mayport Homeporting Environmental Impact Statement, commissioned on 10 January 2009, is the U.S. Navy’s
newest aircraft carrier and the last of the Nimitz class.
(Photo by MC2 Nathan A. Bailey)

18 Naval Aviation News Summer 2010 19

implementing the service’s preferred alternative to home-
port a single nuclear-powered aircraft carrier at NS May-
port.
21 Following an environmental study, the Navy decided to
continue the current level of training on the Southern Cali-
fornia Range Complex. Two days later, the service announced
the signature of a record of decision concerning the Atlantic
Fleet Active Sonar Training Environmental Impact State-
ment/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement. Based on
the study and the effectiveness of the measures in place, the
Navy selected the “No Action Alternative” to continue the
current protections.
24 USS Green Bay (LPD 20) was commissioned at Long
Beach, Calif.
31 During the deactivation of Sea Control Wing Atlantic
and VS-22 at NAS Jacksonville, the Navy also retired the
last 10 active S-3Bs from fleet service. Some of the Vikings
were transferred to VX-30 at Naval Air Warfare Center
Weapons Division (NAWCWD) at Point Mugu, Calif.,
and others to NASA.
Fe b r u a r y
21 The Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) Carrier Strike
Group, with CVW-7 embarked, deployed from NS Norfolk
to the Mediterranean and Arabian Seas and Indian Ocean.
Aircraft from CVW-7 flew more than 4,600 sorties—in-
cluding 2,010 combat missions over Afghanistan—during
the cruise. The group returned on 30 July.
23 The Airborne Strategic Command, Control, and Com-
munications program office accepted the first modified
E-6B Block 1 Mercury at the L-3 Integrated Systems
Group facility at Waco, Texas.
25 BF-2, the second short takeoff/vertical landing F-35B
Lightning II, made its first flight at Fort Worth, Texas. To-
gether with a conventional takeoff and landing F-35A, and
BF-1, the first F-35B, Lightning IIs had logged a total of
84 flights.
March
6 Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter announced the
name of the third littoral combat ship as Fort Worth (LCS
3). On 23 March, Marinette Marine Corp., of Marinette,
Wis., was selected as the company to build Fort Worth.
8 The Navy launched and christened the auxiliary dry cargo
ship Wally Schirra (T-AKE 8) at General Dynamics-Nation-
al Steel and Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, Calif. The ship is
named in honor of naval aviator and astronaut Capt. Walter
M. Schirra Jr.
20
An F/A-18F Super Hornet with the Jolly Rogers of VFA-103
embarked aboard Dwight D. Eisenhower flies alongside
an Air Force B-1B Lancer after a close air support mission
over Afghanistan. Dwight D. Eisenhower deployed to 5th
Fleet’s area of responsibility from February to July 2009.
(Photo by Lt. Marques Jackson)
10 Following a review of additional information received
since 1991, the Navy changed the status of Capt. Michael
S. Speicher from “Missing/Captured” to “Missing-In-Ac-
tion.” On 17 January 1991, Aircraft 403, BuNo 163484,
an F/A‑18C, piloted by Speicher from VFA‑81, embarked
aboard USS Saratoga (CV 60), had launched for a night
strike over Iraq. An (apparent) Iraqi surface-to-air missile
shot down 403, making Speicher the first U.S. casualty of
Operation Desert Storm.
12 Secretary of the Navy Winter announced the name of
the fourth littoral combat ship as Coronado (LCS 4).
15 Space shuttle STS-119 Discovery launched from pad
39A at John F. Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The crew mem-
bers included retired Naval Reserve Capt. John L. Phillips
and Navy Cmdr. Dominic A. Antonelli. The mission includ-
ed the delivery of the final pair of power-generating solar
array wings and the S6 truss segment to the International
Space Station. Discovery returned to Kennedy on 28 March.
18 Lockheed Martin announced the Navy’s certification of
the terminal phase capability of the Aegis ballistic missile
defense system. By 2010 the system had been installed in
18 ships. In addition, USS Lake Erie (CG 70) had begun
the installation of the subsequent spiral of the system, im-
proving on board computing capabilities and including the
Standard Missile-3 Block IB.
Naval Aviation News
19 Maj. Joseph T. Bachmann was the first Marine to pilot
AA-1, an F-35A Lightning II, at Lockheed Martin’s facili-
ties at Fort Worth, Texas. The Lightning II took off at 1129
and landed at 1244, logging the 90th mission of the jet’s
flight test program.
20 USS New Orleans (LPD 18) and USS Hartford (SSN
768) collided in the Strait of Hormuz, at approximately
0100. Fifteen sailors aboard the submarine received mi-
nor injuries; there were no casualties aboard New Orleans.
The impact ruptured two ballast tanks and a fuel tank on
New Orleans (which spilled about 25,000 gallons of diesel
fuel) and damaged the sail, periscope, and port bow plane
of Hartford. Both vessels made Al Manama, Bahrain, un-
der their own power. New Orleans underwent repairs in dry
dock, returning to sea on 12 May. The submarine was re-
paired in the United States.
20 The Boxer Amphibious Ready Group apprehended six
suspected pirates in the Gulf of Aden. At about 0430 Phil-
ippine-flagged motor vessel Bison Express sent a distress
call concerning its apparent pursuit by a skiff containing the
suspects. An SH-60B from HSL-46, embarked aboard USS
Gettysburg (CG 64), spotted the crew members of the skiff
throwing objects overboard, and a team from the cruiser
boarded the vessel. The suspects were taken to Boxer for
questioning.
Summer 2010
23 Dwight D. Eisenhower launched its first sorties over
Afghanistan during this deployment, and assumed duties
as Commander, Task Force 50. The ship had relieved USS
Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), with CVW-8 embarked, in
the Gulf of Oman.
29 A skiff carrying seven pirates attacked German oiler
Spessart (A 1442) in the Gulf of Aden. Three task forces
representing seven nations, including Boxer, an SH-60B
from Spanish frigate Victoria (F 82), and a Spanish P-3M,
pursued the suspects. An AH-1W Super Cobra and a UH-
1Y Huey, embarked aboard Boxer, proved instrumental in
delaying the escape of the pirates until a German boarding
team from Greek frigate Psara (F 454) took the culprits into
custody for transfer to German frigate Rheinland-Pfalz (F
209).
31 USS Tarawa (LHA 1) was decommissioned at NB
San Diego.
April
8 Pirates briefly captured U.S.-flagged motor vessel Maersk
Alabama about 300 miles from the Somali coast. The 21
crew members recaptured their ship along with one of the
pirates, but the three surviving pirates kidnapped the vessel’s
skipper, Capt. Richard Phillips, and held him hostage on
the Maersk Alabama’s 28-foot lifeboat. On 12 April, SEAL
snipers on board destroyer Bainbridge (DDG 96) killed the
pirates, rescuing Phillips. The forces involved in the rescue
included amphibious assault ship Boxer and a ScanEagle
UAS. Four suspected pirates in a skiff attempted to board
Maersk Alabama again in early November, but the ship re-
pulsed the attackers.
10 DoD announced that the final decision concerning the
potential home porting of an aircraft carrier at NS Mayport
would be made during the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review.
16 The Navy accepted the delivery of amphibious assault
ship Makin Island (LHD 8) at Northrop Grumman Ship-
building, Pascagoula, Miss.
18 Destroyer USS Stockdale (DDG 106) was commissioned
at Port Hueneme, Calif. The ship honors Medal of Honor
recipient Vice Adm. James B. Stockdale (1923–2005), the
highest ranking naval prisoner held by the North Vietnamese.
18 Theodore Roosevelt returned to NS Norfolk from a de-
ployment to the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and Arabian
Gulf. The carrier’s aircraft had flown 3,105 sorties over
Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
The ship had deployed on 8 September 2008.
21
21 USS Rodney M. Davis (FFG 60) returned to NS Everett
from a counter-narcotics deployment to the Eastern Pacific.
The ship and its embarked SH-60B from HSL-43 Det. 2
intercepted and seized six tons of cocaine and 160 pounds
of marijuana, and disrupted shipments of 18 tons of cocaine
and three tons of marijuana.
25 T1, the initial P-8A flight test aircraft, completed its
first flight near Seattle, Wash. The Poseidon took off from
Renton Field at 1043 and landed at Boeing Field at 1414.
The Navy intends to purchase 108 production aircraft, with
the initial operational capability in 2013.
29 The Navy accepted the delivery of the final refurbished
F-5N Tiger II at St. Augustine, Fla. The service had pur-
chased 44 retired Swiss Air Force F-5E Freedom Fighters
over a six-year period for $50 million to replace F-5E Tiger
IIs in the dedicated adversary role. The fighters are expected
to serve in squadron inventory until at least 2015.
May
5 Hangar 511, a 277,000-square-foot facility capable of
accommodating up to 33 P-3C Orions, opened at NAS
Jacksonville. The hangar is the largest of its kind to support
the maritime patrol community, and will also house P-8A
Poseidons.
11 Space shuttle STS-125 Atlantis launched from pad 39A
at John F. Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Crew members in-
cluded retired Navy Capts. Scott D. Altman and Gregory
C. Johnson. The mission was the final flight to the Hubble
Space Telescope. Atlantis touched down at Edwards AFB
on 24 May.
11 The Navy accepted the delivery of George H. W. Bush
from Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, Newport News, Va.
13 CTF-151 defeated a piracy attack in the Gulf of Aden.
At approximately 1530, cruiser Gettysburg and South Ko-
rean destroyer Munmu the Great (DDH 976) responded to
a distress call from Egyptian-flagged motor vessel Amira,
which reported being attacked about 75 nautical miles
south of Al Mukalla, Yemen. An SH-60B from HSL-46
Det. 9, embarked aboard Gettysburg, located a dhow sus-
pected of serving as a “mother ship” for pirates. A team from
the cruiser discovered a variety of weapons aboard the dhow
and apprehended its 17 passengers for questioning.
13 The Bataan (LHD 5) Amphibious Ready Group, with
22nd MEU embarked, deployed from NS Norfolk to the
Mediterranean and Arabian Seas and the Indian Ocean.
The group returned on 8 December.
22
15 The under secretary of defense for acquisition, technol-
ogy, and logistics issued a stop work order to Lockheed
Martin Systems Integration, Owego, N.Y., for Increments
I and IV of the VH-71A Presidential Helicopter contract.
On 1 June the Navy issued a letter of termination to the
company for Increments I and II, affecting all activities as-
sociated with the helicopter’s systems design and demon-
stration requirements.
18 George H. W. Bush completed flight deck certifications
in Atlantic waters through 29 May. On 19 May, the ship
recorded its first recovery and launch of aircraft. At 1407,
Salty Dog 121, an F/A-18F, BuNo 166449, crewed by Lt.
Patrick M. McKenna and Cmdr. Beau V. Duarte of VX-23
from NAS Patuxent River, trapped aboard at 1503 the ship
catapulted the Super Hornet for its return flight to NAS
Patuxent River.
18 USS Freedom (LCS 1) completed its second and final
series of acceptance trials off the Virginia capes through 22
May.
23 An SH-60B from HSL-45 Det. 4, embarked aboard
USS Lake Champlain (CG 57), spotted a skiff in distress
in the Gulf of Aden. The Seahawk directed the ship to the
Naval Aviation News
area, which rescued 52 people who had been adrift in the
vessel for about seven days.
26 An SH-60B from HSL-46 Det. 9, embarked aboard
Gettysburg, responded to Yemeni motor vessel Alaseb. The
dhow’s engine had failed two days previously, leaving it
adrift in the Gulf of Aden. The Seahawk directed the cruiser
to the area, which towed Alaseb and its 11 passengers to a
rendezvous with the Yemeni Coast Guard for repairs.
28 The Combined Maritime Forces at Manama, Bahrain,
revealed that 27 successful and 85 unsuccessful pirate at-
tacks had occurred from 1 January to 28 May 2009.
28 The Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) Carrier Strike Group,
with CVW-14 embarked, deployed from NAS North Is-
land to the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans and the Ara-
bian Gulf.
30 D1, an E-2D Advanced Hawkeye test aircraft, crewed
by Lt. Cmdr. Lawrence Nance of VX-20 and civilian test
team members Tom Boutin, Ray Collazo, and Bill Zegarski,
flew from the Northrop Grumman Manufacturing Center,
St. Augustine, Fla., to NAS Patuxent River in preparation
for initial operation and test evaluation.
An MV-22B Osprey from VMM-263, 22nd MEU,
takes off from the flight deck of Bataan in June
2009, during the tilt-rotor aircraft’s first at-sea
deployment. (Photo by MC3 Ryan Steinhour)
Summer 2010
June
CWO Michael S. Adams Jr., the first helicopter pilot to
complete his training in the Flying Chief Warrant Officer
program and to deploy, reported to HSC-22, embarked
aboard Bataan.
The Navy accepted the delivery of the 400th F/A-18E/F
Super Hornet.
1 A P-3C of VP-5 received orders to Augusto Severo Air-
field in Natal, Brazil, to assist in the search for survivors and
wreckage of Air France Flight No. 447, an Airbus A330-
203 that had crashed into the Atlantic during a flight from
Rio de Janeiro to Paris, killing all 228 people on board. The
Navy concluded its support of search-and-rescue operations
on 13 July.
2 A Naval Research Research Laboratory experimental fuel-
cell-powered UAS achieved a flight endurance milestone when
it completed a six-hour flight test.
2 The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Federal Cir-
cuit affirmed the 5 May 2007 decision by Judge Robert B.
Hodges, Jr., U.S. Court of Federal Claims, sustaining the
government’s default termination of the A-12A aircraft
contract. On 7 January 1991, then-Secretary of Defense
Richard Cheney had canceled the Avenger, basing his ac-
tion upon the inability of the principal contractors, Gen-
eral Dynamics and McDonnell Douglas, to design, develop,
fabricate, assemble, and test A-12As within the contract
schedule. The decision requires the contractors to repay the
government more than $1.35 billion in principal for funds
advanced under the contract plus interest accrued—a total
of $2.8 billion on this date. The Boeing Co. (which owns
McDonnell Douglas) and General Dynamics have appealed
the ruling.
3 Lockheed Martin Corp. received a $2.1-billion contract
modification to produce 17 F-35 Lightning IIs in the third
lot of low-rate initial production.
5 T2, the second P-8A flight test aircraft, completed its
first flight near Seattle, Wash. The Poseidon took off from
Renton Field at 1032 and landed at Boeing Field at 1328.
11 The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye program reached Mile-
stone C, receiving approval to begin low-rate initial production.
15 An F-35 signature test Lightning II equipped with
production-representative very-low-observable airframe
structure and coatings was rolled out at Lockheed Martin
Corp., Fort Worth, Texas.
23
19 Marine 1st Lt. Michael Brown became the 30,000th naval
helicopter pilot when he received his wings of gold with
TAW-5 at NAS Whiting Field.
25 An MV-22B from VMM-263 of the 22nd MEU,
embarked aboard Bataan in the Red Sea, conducted the
first ship-to-shore emergency medical evacuation by de-
ployed Ospreys.
July
2 The Navy declared the AGM-84K Standoff Land Attack
Missile-Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) operationally ef-
fective against land-based moving targets following an op-
erational evaluation.
6 Ronald Reagan launched its first sorties over Afghanistan
during this deployment, and assumed duties as Commander,
Task Force 50. The carrier’s aircraft flew more than 1,600 com-
bat sorties from the ship in support of Operation Enduring
Freedom. Ronald Reagan relieved Dwight D. Eisenhower.
7 A P-3C and a British warship from CTF-150 coordi-
nated the seizure of 10 tons of narcotics with an estimated
value of $70 million from a dhow in the Gulf of Aden,
about 150 miles southeast of Salalah, Oman.
10 Makin Island sailed from Northrop Grumman Shipbuild-
ing, Pascagoula, Miss., on a voyage around South America to
its commissioning. During the transit Makin Island inaugurated
the ship’s flight operations by Army CH-47 Chinooks attached
to Joint Task Force Bravo, CH-46Es and CH-53Es, and Coast
Guard HH-60Js and HH-65s. The ship arrived at San Diego
on 14 September.
11 The keel for Fort Worth was laid at Marinette Marine
Corp., of Marinette, Wis.
15 Space shuttle STS-127 Endeavour launched from pad
39A at John F. Kennedy Space Center. The crew members
included Marine Col. Douglas G. Hurley. This 29th mission
to the International Space Station included five spacewalks
and the launching of the Naval Research Laboratory’s satel-
lite suite, the Atmospheric Neutral Density Experiment 2.
Endeavour returned to Kennedy on 31 July.
15 The Naval Test Pilot School at NAS Patuxent River ac-
cepted the delivery of the first F/A-18F Super Hornet from
VFA-106 at NAS Oceana, Va. During June the school had
completed its transfer of five F/A-18Bs to VFA-125 and
VX-23.
17 The keel of America (LHA 6), the fourth U.S. naval
vessel to carry the name, was laid at Northrop Grumman
Shipbuilding Ingalls, Pascagoula, Miss.
24
25 The first four C-130Ts of VR-62 arrived at NAS Jack-
sonville following the disestablishment of their previous
station, NAS Brunswick.
28 CNO Adm. Gary Roughead welcomed the F-35C
Lightning II to the fleet during a ceremony at Lockheed
Martin’s plant at Fort Worth, Texas.
29 DoD rated the EA-18G as operationally effective and
recommended the aircraft for introduction to the fleet.
30 The P-8A Poseidon was rolled out during a ceremony
at Boeing’s manufacturing facility at Renton, Wash. CNO
Adm. Gary Roughead delivered remarks.
31 The Nimitz (CVN 68) Carrier Strike Group deployed
from San Diego for the Western Pacific. The group returned
on 26 March 2010.
August
1 Consolidated Maintenance Organization 10, the final
such command in service, was disestablished at NAS
Whidbey Island.
2 The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology positively iden-
tified the remains of Capt. Michael S. Speicher. Bedouins
had directed a recovery team from Multi-National Force-
West to two sites in the Iraqi desert approximately 62 miles
west of Ramadi in Anbar province, where the remains were
removed for examination over 22 to 29 July. Speicher was
interred at Jacksonville Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Fla.,
on 14 August.
5 EA-18G Growlers from VAQ-129 and -132 completed
their first traps aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75)
at sea.
7 Typhoon Morakot struck central and southern Taiwan,
triggering severe flooding and mudslides that claimed hun-
dreds of lives. HSC-25 Det. 6 helped move food, water,
and medical supplies from sea to shore to assist Taiwanese
relief efforts.
13 BF-2, the second F-35B, was the first Lightning II to be
refueled aerially using a probe-and-drogue refueling system
from a KC-130 near Fort Worth, Texas.
18 USS Carr (FFG 52), with an SH-60B from HSL-42
Det. 8 embarked, intercepted a go-fast vessel and its three
crew members in the Caribbean, seizing 46 bales of cocaine
amounting to more than one ton of the material with an
estimated import value of $22 million. Carr transferred the
vessel, two of the suspects, and their illicit cargo to Venezu- An aviation boatswain’s mate directs
elan frigate General Soublette (F 24) on 23 August. an EA-6B Prowler with VAQ-139 on
Ronald Reagan during flight operations
in the Gulf of Oman in August 2009.
(Photo by MCSN Amanda L. Ray)
Naval Aviation News Summer 2010 25
21 The Navy accepted the delivery of New York (LPD 21) at
Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, Avondale, La. New York
had completed acceptance trials on 24 July.
25 The keel was laid for Washington Chambers (T-AKE 11)
at General Dynamics–National Steel and Shipbuilding Co.,
San Diego, Calif. The ship is named for Navy Capt. Wash-
ington I. Chambers (1856–1934), who arranged the world’s
first aircraft flight from a ship when aviator Eugene B. Ely
flew off the cruiser Birmingham (Cruiser No. 2) at Hampton
Roads, Va., on 14 November 1910.
26 Somali pirates aboard Taiwanese-flagged motor vessel
Win Far 161, anchored south of Garacad, Somalia, fired an
apparent large-caliber weapon at an SH-60B from HSL-49,
embarked aboard USS Chancellorsville (CG 62). The pirates
missed the Seahawk, and the helo did not return fire and re-
covered aboard the cruiser. The pirates had seized the vessel
An SH-60B with HSL-46 Det. 4 lands aboard Lake Champlain.
On 23 May 2009, a Seahawk from Lake Champlain spotted a
skiff in distress in the Gulf of Aden. The Seahawk directed the
ship to the area, which rescued 52 people.
(Photo by MC2 Daniel Barker)
26
and more than 30 crew members near the Seychelles Islands
on 6 April, and were suspected of using Win Far 161 as a
mother ship in multiple incidents, including the attack on
Maersk Alabama.
27 The first two T-6Bs arrived at TAW-5 at NAS Whit-
ing Field, beginning the turnover from T-34Cs for primary
flight training.
28 The Navy announced the delay of the release of an environ-
mental impact statement that examines five sites in Virginia
and North Carolina concerning an outlying landing field to
support aircraft operating from and in transit to NAS Oceana
and NS Norfolk. The decision was made to include F-35Cs in
the review process.
28 Space shuttle STS-128 Discovery launched from pad
39A at John F. Kennedy Space Center. The crew included
Naval Aviation News
retired Army Col. Patrick G. Forrester, who had graduated
from the Naval Test Pilot School, and Marine Col. Fred-
erick W. Sturckow. This 30th mission to the International
Space Station included the delivery of the Leonardo Multi-
Purpose Logistics Module. Discovery landed at Edwards
AFB on 11 September.
September
1 The Navy accepted the delivery of auxiliary dry cargo ship
USNS Wally Schirra (T-AKE 8) at General Dynamics-Na-
tional Steel and Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, Calif.
16 The Navy announced that it would chose one of the two
designs of the littoral combat ship, canceling the existing sea
frame construction solicitation for 2010. The service would
award a single prime contractor and shipyard a fixed incen-
tive contract for up to 10 ships of the class (two for 2010).
Summer 2010
17 Super Typhoon Choi-Wan struck Alamagan and Agri-
han, about 146 nautical miles north of Saipan in the Mari-
anas Islands. Two MH-60Ss from HSC-25 Det. 1, em-
barked aboard USNS Alan B. Shepard (T-AKE 3), delivered
relief supplies.
18 Nimitz launched its first sorties over Afghanistan during
this deployment, and assumed duties as Commander, Task
Force 50. The ship relieved Ronald Reagan.
21 The Navy accepted A-205, the final production E-2C
Hawkeye 2000, at Northrop Grumman St. Augustine Man-
ufacturing and Flight Test Center, St. Augustine, Fla.
21 The Navy announced the decision for “full fielding” eval-
uation of the T-Hawk micro air vehicle, which assists explo-
sive ordnance disposal Sailors and Marines. The delivery of
90 systems was expected by the end of the year.
22 Construction began on William McLean (T-AKE 12)
at General Dynamics-National Steel and Shipbuilding
Co., San Diego, Calif. The ship’s name honors William B.
McLean (1914–1976), who helped conceive and develop
the heat-seeking Sidewinder air-to-air missile .
22 The EA-18G Growler attained initial operational
capability.
25 Tropical Storm Ketsana (known as Ondoy in the Philip-
pines) struck central Luzon in the Philippines, killing more
than 250 people around the Manila area and rendering tens
of thousands homeless. On 27 and 28 September, U.S. and
Filipino service members rescued 52 people from rising
flood waters in the capital. On 4 October, USS Harpers Ferry
(LSD 49) and USS Tortuga (LSD 46), with elements of the
31st MEU embarked, arrived to provide humanitarian relief.
28 The Navy announced the completion of two steps in
the introduction of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch
System (EMALS). The first phase of highly accelerated life
testing gauged the EMALS launch motor’s ability to oper-
ate in simulated at-sea conditions, and the second phase of
system functional demonstration commissioning replicated
full-scale launching capabilities.
29 The Boeing Co. concluded a 42-month risk reduction
program for the GBU-40 Small Diameter Bomb when an
F-15E Strike Eagle dropped one of the weapons at Eglin
AFB. The bomb is under development for Air Force and
Navy aircraft.
29 An 8.3-magnitude earthquake struck 125 miles
south of Apia on American Samoa, generating a tsuna-
mi with 15-to-20-foot waves that inundated the eastern
coast of Samoa and parts of Tonga, killing more than
160 people. USS Ingraham (FFG 61), with an embarked
27

SH-60B, arrived the following day and helped members of
the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Army
National Guardsmen assess the damage. In addition, a
Coast Guard HC-130 flew aerial surveillance missions.
30 A 7.6-magnitude earthquake rocked the Padang area of
western Sumatra, Indonesia, killing more than 750 people
and triggering landslides that wiped-out villages and blocked
roads. USS Denver (LPD 9), with elements of the 31st MEU
embarked, and USS McCampbell (DDG 85) arrived on 9 Oc-
tober to support international relief efforts. Three CH-53Es of
HMM-265 from Denver, and two SH-60Bs of HSL-51 Det.
5 from McCampbell delivered relief supplies and rescue workers.
Additional aircraft including two SA-330J Pumas from USNS
Richard E. Byrd (T-AKE 4) reinforced these operations. The
Navy concluded its humanitarian assistance on 16 October.
October
1 The Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Demonstrator
(BAMS-D) returned from its first eight-month deployment
to Central Command. The BAMS-D, which utilizes the
RQ-4A Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle, flew more
than 60 sorties totaling more than 1,000 hours. A second
BAMS-D deployed prior to the return of the first.
An F/A-18F Super Hornet with the Black
Aces of VFA-41 refuels from an Air Force
KC-10 tanker. The Black Aces deployed with
the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group to 5th Fleet
in July 2009 and returned in March 2010.
(Photo by Lt. Graham Scarbro)
28
1 Carrier Strike Group 1 was established at San Diego. The
group operated temporarily without its flagship, USS Carl
Vinson (CVN 70), which had completed its midlife refuel-
ing and complex overhaul at Newport News Shipbuilding,
Va., on 11 July, and commenced a supplemental restricted
availability until 3 December.
2 Electronic Attack Wing, Pacific Fleet, declared VAQ-132
the first operational EA-18G Growler-equipped electronic
attack squadron “safe for flight operations” at NAS Whid-
bey Island.
2 Typhoon Parma (known as Pepeng in the Philippines)
struck Luzon in the Philippines. Harpers Ferry and Tortuga,
with elements of the 31st MEU embarked, responded. Ten
CH-46Es operating from the two ships were among the
aircraft that provided airlift support to U.S. and Filipino
service members and relief workers.
4 USS Wasp (LHD 1) deployed from NS Norfolk to the
U.S. 4th Fleet. The ship served as a forward operating base
with the Security Cooperation Marine Air-Ground Task
Force, Joint Interagency Task Force-South, the Drug En-
forcement Administration, and Coast Guard Law Enforce-
ment Detachment 405 during counter-narcotics operations.
Wasp returned from her deployment—the first of its kind to
that fleet—on 22 December.
5 N-8 and N-9, two MQ-8B Fire Scouts, BuNos 167791 and
167792, respectively, made the first deployment of the UAS
during a counter-narcotics deployment with HSL-42 Det. 7
Naval Aviation News
aboard USS McInerney (FFG 8) from NS Mayport to the
Caribbean. The ship made first interception of drug smug-
glers using Fire Scouts—during a post-maintenance check
flight—on 3 April 2010. McInerney returned on 15 April.
7 USS Hawes (FFG 53), with HSL-48 Det. 10 embarked,
returned to NS Norfolk from a counter-narcotics deploy-
ment to the Caribbean and Western Atlantic. The ship’s
operations resulted in the seizure of 200 barrels of cocaine.
7 An EA-6B Prowler, piloted by Cmdr. Vincent Johnson,
the executive officer of VAQ-135, became the 100,000th air-
craft to launch from Catapult No. 1 aboard Nimitz at sea.
9 The Naval Research Laboratory’s Ion Tiger, a hydrogen-
powered fuel cell unmanned aerial vehicle, flew 23 hours, 17
minutes, setting an unofficial flight endurance record for a
fuel-cell powered flight, during a test at Aberdeen Proving
Ground, Md.
15 T1, the first P-8A test aircraft, crewed by Lt. Roger
Stanton and Boeing pilot Doug Benjamin, completed the
first flight of a Poseidon by a Navy pilot over Puget Sound.
The mission initiated a 36-month formal naval flight test
Summer 2010
program by VX-1 and -20 and the Boeing Co., evaluating
three Poseidons: T1, T2, and T3.
15 USS Anzio (CG 68), with an SH-60B from HSL-48
Det. 7 embarked, seized approximately four tons of hashish
with an estimated street value of $28 million on board a skiff
in the Gulf of Aden about 170 miles southwest of Salalah,
Oman.
18 Independence (LCS 2) completed builder’s trials in the
Gulf of Mexico. The ship completed acceptance trials dur-
ing early November.
19 USS Jarrett (FFG 33) returned to San Diego from a
counter-narcotics deployment to the Eastern Pacific. The
ship’s operations resulted in the apprehension of nine smug-
glers and the seizure or disruption of more than nine tons
of narcotics with an estimated street value of $266 million.
20 The Navy accepted the delivery of its final T-45C—the
221st Goshawk delivered—at the Boeing plant in St. Louis,
Mo.
29 Lockheed Martin announced the completion of the first
of a series of flight tests for the Paveway II Plus laser guided
bomb guidance kit.
November
6 Ten MV-22Bs from VMM-263 of the 22nd MEU
launched from Bataan to Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, for
the first deployment of Ospreys to that country. The air-
craft lifted off in three waves and made the 510-nautical-
mile flight in slightly more than two hours, transferring to
VMM-261—attached to the 2nd Marine Expeditionary
Brigade.
7 USS New York (LPD 21) was commissioned at New York
City. Approximately 7.5 tons of steel salvaged from the
wreckage of the World Trade Center was integrated into
the ship’s construction.
29
9 The Boeing Co. announced its award by the Air Force
of a $72-million contract for more than 2,900 Joint Direct
Attack Munition tail kits for delivery to the Air Force and
Navy in 2011 and 2012.
12 The Navy opened the EMALS armature at a system
functional demonstration site at Joint Base McGuire-Fort
Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.
December
4 Nine officers at Navy Personnel Command were among
the first Sailors to receive the professional aviation mainte-
nance officer warfare designator.
7 Hurricane 17, the final MH-53E Sea Dragon stationed at
NAS Corpus Christi, departed for Norfolk.
11 H-3, the last operational Navy UH-3H Sea King, BuNo
154121, was retired at Hangar 109, NAS Patuxent River,
and transferred to HMX-1 for use as a trainer.
17 The keel of Coronado (LCS 4) was laid at General Dy-
namics Austal USA, Mobile, Ala. The following day the
Navy accepted the delivery of Independence at Mobile.
29 BF-2, the second F-35B, piloted by Maj. Joseph T.
Bachmann, USMC, flew from Fort Worth, Texas, to NAS
Patuxent River.
Mark L. Evans is a historian, Dale J. Gordon an archivist, and
Andrew R. McKee and Ellen M. Stolarski are interns in the His-
tories and Archives Division of the Naval History and Heritage
Command.

14 The keel was laid for Gerald R. Ford at Northrop Grum-

man Shipbuilding, Newport News, Va. The ship is named in
honor of Gerald R. Ford Jr., who served as assistant naviga-
tor aboard USS Monterey (CVL 26) during World War II
and subsequently became the 38th President of the United
States.

14 AF-1, the first optimized F-35A, piloted by Lockheed

Martin test pilot David Nelson, made its inaugural 89-min-
ute flight at Fort Worth, Texas. This was the fourth Light-
ning II to begin flight operations.

15 BF-1, the first F-35B, piloted by Lockheed Martin test

pilot Jon Beesley, flew from Fort Worth, Texas, to NAS
Patuxent River. The flight initiated a series of Lightning II
arrivals at Patuxent River for testing, including BF-1’s sub-
sequent first hovers and vertical landings.

16 Space shuttle STS-129 Atlantis launched from pad

39A at John F. Kennedy Space Center. The 31st flight to
the International Space Station was the final crew rota-
tion mission to the facility. The crew included Marine
Col. Charles O. Hobaugh, Marine Lt. Col. Randolph J.
Bresnik, retired Navy Capt. Michael J. Foreman, and Navy
Capt. Barry E. Wilmore. Atlantis returned to Kennedy on
27 November.

16 The Ion Tiger completed a flight of 26 hours, one minute,

into the following day. The achievement bettered the record
of 9 October, setting an unofficial flight endurance record for
a fuel cell-powered flight.

20 The Navy released a draft environmental impact state-

ment concerning the military build-up on Guam and the
Northern Marianas Islands. The construction of a deep-draft
wharf and shoreside infrastructure improvements to support
a transient nuclear-powered carrier at Apra Harbor, Guam,
and the expansion of aviation facilities ashore for Marines
transferred from Okinawa are among the proposed actions.

23 DoD approved the EA-18G for full-rate production,

authorizing the procurement and production of 54 Growlers
remaining in the current program of record.
In December, the first nine Sailors received the Navy’s new professional
24 USS Makin Island (LHD 8), the eighth and final vessel aviation maintenance officer warfare designator. Requirements include
a minimum of 24 months at both an organizational and intermediate-
of the Wasp class, was commissioned at NAS North Island. level maintenance activity while assigned in an aviation maintenance
officer billet and one operational deployment of at least 90 days.
(Photo by MC1 LaTunya Howard)

30 Naval Aviation News Summer 2010 31

 Major Aviation Command Changes in 2009
Commissionings
George H. W. Bush (CVN 77).......................................................................................................................... 10 Jan
Makin Island (LHD 8).....................................................................................................................................24 Oct
Decommissionings
Kitty Hawk (CV 63)....................................................................................................................................... 12 May
Tarawa (LHA 1)..............................................................................................................................................31 Mar
Establishments
Navy Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 5 Det. FSU 5....................................................................................... 3 Jun
Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Force 7th Fleet Det. Atsugi ................................................... ..........1 Aug
Commander, Carrier Strike Group 1..................................................................................................................1 Oct
Naval Aviation Forecast Det. Pearl Harbor, Hawaii........................................................................................14 Oct
Disestablishments
Consolidated Maintenance Organization 11.................................................................................................. 12 May
Naval Aviation Forecast Detachment, Bahrain.................................................................................................. 1 Jun
Consolidated Maintenance Organization 2...................................................................................................... 1 Aug
Consolidated Maintenance Organization 10.................................................................................................... 1 Aug
Consolidated Maintenance Organization Det. VQ...........................................................................................1 Aug
Two HH-60H Seahawk helicopters, assigned to the Indians of HS-6, armed with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, fly in formation to a
NAS Atlanta, GA.............................................................................................................................................30 Sep live fire exercise on the Oki Daito Jima range near Okinawa on 30 August 2009. HS-6 is a part CVW-11 and is embarked aboard
USS Nimitz (CVN 68). (Photo by MC2 Jason Graham)
Activations
HSM-70 Spartans...............................................................................................................................................1 Feb
HMLA-469 Vengeance.................................................................................................................................... 30 Jun
Major Carrier Strike Group Deployments in 2009
Deactivations
Commander, Sea Control Wing, Atlantic Fleet...............................................................................................31 Mar
CSG-11 CSG-7
WestPac WestPac
VS-22 Checkmates..........................................................................................................................................31 Mar 31 Jul 09-26 Mar 10 29 May 09-10 Oct 09
Redesignations Nimitz (CVN 68) Ronald Reagan (CVN 76)
CVW-11 (Tail Code: NH) CVW-14 (Tail Code: NK)
HS-2 to HSC-12 Golden Falcons....................................................................................................................... 1 Jan
Squadron Aircraft Squadron Aircraft
HMM-365 to VMM-365 Blue Knights............................................................................................................ 15 Jan VFA-41 F/A-18F VFA-113 F/A-18C
HSL-47 to HSM-77 Saberhawks.......................................................................................................................1 Feb VFA-14 F/A-18E VFA-22 F/A-18F
HS-5 to HSC-5 Nightdippers...........................................................................................................................28 Feb VFA-86 F/A-18C VFA-115 F/A-18E
MCAF Kaneohe Bay to MCAS Kaneohe Bay.............................................................................................. 22 May VFA-97 F/A-18C VFA-25 F/A-18C
VAQ-135 EA-6B VAQ-139 EA-6B
HMM-264 to VMM-264 Black Knights........................................................................................................ 29 May
VAW-117 E-2C VAW-113 E-2C
HS-3 to HSC-9 Tridents..................................................................................................................................... 1 Jun HS-6 HH/SH-60F HS-4 SH-60F
HMM-161 to VMM-161 Grey Hawks...............................................................................................................8 Oct VRC-30 Det. 3 C-2A VRC-30 Det. 1 C-2A
HSL-40 to HSM-40 Airwolves.........................................................................................................................1 Nov Chosin (CG 55) Chancellorsville (CG 62)
Pinckney (DDG 91) Decatur (DDG 73)
Sampson (DDG 102) Gridley (DDG 101)
Rentz (FFG 46) Howard (DDG 83)
Bridge (T-AOE 10) Thach (FFG 43)
32 Naval Aviation News Summer 2010 33
 CSG-2 CSG-5 CSG-8 CSG-3
Indian Ocean/Mediterranean Sea/North Arabian Sea WestPac Mediterranean Sea/North Arabian Sea WestPac/North Pacific
8 Sep 08-18 Apr 09 10 Jun 09-3 Sep 09 21 Feb 09-30 Jul 09 13 Jan 09-10 Jul 09
Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) George Washington (CVN 73) Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) John C. Stennis (CVN 74)
CVW-8 (Tail Code: AJ) CVW-5 (Tail Code: NF) CVW-7 (Tail Code: AG) CVW-9 (Tail Code: NG)
Squadron Aircraft Squadron Aircraft Squadron Aircraft Squadron Aircraft
VFA-31 F/A-18E VFA-102 F/A-18F VFA-143 F/A-18E VFA-154 F/A-18F
VFA-213 F/A-18F VFA-27 F/A-18E VFA-103 F/A-18F VMFA-323 F/A-18C
VFA-15 F/A-18C VFA-192 F/A-18C VFA-83 F/A-18C VFA-146 F/A-18C
VFA-87 F/A-18C VFA-195 F/A-18C VFA-131 F/A-18C VFA-147 F/A-18E
VAQ-141 EA-6B VAQ-136 EA-6B VAW-121 E-2C VAQ-138 EA-6B
VAW-124 E-2C VAW-115 E-2C VAQ-140 EA-6B VAW-112 E-2C
HS-3 HH/SH-60F/H HS-14 HH/SH-60F/H HS-5 HH/SH-60F/H HSC-8 MH-60S
VRC-40 Det. 1 C-2A VRC-30 Det. 5 C-2A VRC-40 Det. 2 C-2A HSM-71 MH-60R
Monterey (CG 61) Cowpens (CG 63) Bainbridge (DDG 96) VRC-30 Det. 4 C-2A
Nitze (DDG 94) Shiloh (CG 67) Scranton (SSN 756) Antietam (CG 54)
The Sullivans (DDG 68) Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) Gettysburg (CG 64) Kidd (DDG 100)
Mason (DDG 87) John S. McCain (DDG 56) Vicksburg (CG 69) Preble (DDG 88)
Fitzgerald (DDG 62) Stout (DDG 55)
Stetham (DDG 63) Halyburton (FFG 40)
Lassen (DDG 82) Big Horn (T-AO 198)
McCampbell (DDG 85) Sacagawea (T-AKE 2)
Mustin (DDG 89)

Two F/A-18E Super Hornets with the Blacklions of VFA-213 launch from USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71).
(Photo by MC2 Remus Borisov)

34 Naval Aviation News Summer 2010 35

 Major Amphibious Assault Ship Deployments in 2009
Iwo Jima (LHD 7)
Mediterranean Sea/Indian Ocean
26 Aug 08-27 Mar 09
HMM-264 (Rein) (Tail Code EH)
Squadron Aircraft
VMA-231 Det. AV-8B
HMM-264 CH-46E
HMH-461 Det. CH-53E
HMLA-167 Det. AH-1W/UH-1N
HSC-25 Det. (RB)1 MH-60S
Boxer (LHD 4)
WestPac/Indian Ocean
09 Jan 09-01 Aug 09
HMM-163 (Rein) (Tail Code YP)
Squadron Aircraft
VMA-214 Det. AV-8B
HMM-163 CH-46E
HMH Det.2 CH-53E
HMLA-267 Det. AH-1W/UH-1Y
HSC-21 Det. 3 (VR)1 MH-60S
Essex (LHD 2)
WestPac
26 Jan 09-07 May 09
HMM-262 (Rein) (Tail Code ET)
Squadron Aircraft
VMA-211 AV-8B
HMM-262 CH-46E
HMH Det. CH-53E
HMLA Det. AH-1W/UH-1N
1
HSC-25 Det. (RB) MH-60S
Bataan (LHD 5)
Mediterranean Sea/Indian Ocean
13 May 09-08 Dec 09
VMM-263 (Rein) (Tail Code EG)
Squadron Aircraft
VMA-542 Det. AV-8B
VMM-2633 MV-22B
HMH-461 Det. CH-53
HMLA Det. AH-1W/ UH-1N
HSC-22 Det. 4 (AM)1 MH-60S
36
Essex (LHD 2)
WestPac
12 Jun 09-18 Aug 09
HMM-265 (Rein) (Tail Code EP)
Squadron Aircraft
VMA-513 AV-8B
HMM-265 CH-46E
HMH Det. CH-53E
HMLA Det. AH-1W/UH-1N
HSC-25 Det. (RB)1 MH-60S
Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6)
WestPac/Indian Ocean
24 Sep 09-14 Apr 10
HMM-166 (Rein) (Tail Code YX)
Squadron Aircraft
VMA-513 Det. AV-8B
HMM-166 CH-46E
HMH Det. CH-53E
HMLA Det. AH-1W/UH-1N
HSC-23 Det. 3 (WC)1 MH-60S
Wasp (LHD 1)
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba/Caribbean
04 Oct 09-22 Dec 09
Squadron Aircraft
HMH-461 (CJ) CH-53E
HSC-28 Det. (BR) MH-60S
(Endnotes)
1 While on deployment, HSC squadron detachments are
assigned to the amphibious assault carrier rather than to the
embarked Marine helicopter squadron (reinforced). The det.
helicopters therefore retain their own squadron tail codes.
2 The four CH-53E Sea Stallions flew off Boxer on 3 Mar to
augment Marine Aircraft Group 26 at Al Asad Airbase, Iraq.
3 The 10 MV-22B Ospreys of VMM-263 were launched from
Bataan on 6 Nov and flown to Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, to
be transferred to VMM-261 and serve as part of the 2nd Marine
Expeditionary Brigade’s aviation combat element.
The multi-purpose amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD
7) arrives at Port Everglades for the start of Navy Week Port
Everglades. (Photo by Scott Lehr)
Naval Aviation News Summer 2010 37
 Major Land Based Deployments 2009

Al Asad Airfield, Iraq Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan

VAQ-133 Det. 25 Jan 09-06 Aug 09
09 Nov 09-06 May 10 VAQ-134 Det. 04 May 09-04 Nov 09
VAQ-142 Det. 15 Jan 09-09 Aug 09
Ali Air Base, Iraq
VP-4 Oct 08-31 May 09
Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar
VP-8 Dec 08-10 Jun 09
VP-10 Det. May 09-Dec 09
VQ-1 Det. 3 Jan 09-16 Dec 09
VR-48 18 Feb 09-02 Aug 09
VR-51 01 Feb 09-01 May 09
Atsugi, Japan
VR-56 28 Apr 09-18 Jun 09
VR-57 29 Jul 09-17 Sept 09
VAQ-133 Det. 09 Sep 08-12 Mar 09
CGAS Borinquen, Puerto Rico
VAW-77 Jan 09-Mar 09
VAW-77 Jul 09-Aug 09
Comalapa, El Salvador
VAW-77 Apr 09-Jun 09
Oct 09-Nov 09
Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles
VQ-1 Det. 02 Apr 09-05 Sept 09
Djibouti
VP-10 Det. May 09-Dec 09
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
VAW-125 12 Jan 09-12 Apr 09

PO2 Jojuan James, right, and PO2 Chris Schoene, both members
of the Red Lancers of VP-10, play soccer with a boy from a small
village outside Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, in November 2009. The
Sailors volunteered to team up with the U.S. Army’s 4-78th Civil
Affairs Special Operations Battalion (Airborne) to donate balls
and clothes to local children, and to provide a portable movie
projector to watch movies. (Photo by MC1 Larry Foos)

Kadena AFB Okinawa, Japan NAS Sigonella

VQ-1 Det. 27 May 09-09 Dec 09
VTC-12 10 Jan 09-20 Jan 09
MCAS Iwakuni Japan
VQ-1 Det. 04 Jun 09-02 Aug 09
Seychelles
VP-10 Det. May 09-Dec 09
Sailors from various flightline sections conduct a launch evolution for an EA-6B Prowler assigned to VAQ-142 in May 2009 during the
squadron’s deployment to Al Asad, Iraq. During the launch evolution, all flight line sections of the squadron are involved in preparing
an aircraft for take off. (Photo by Lance Cpl. Victor F. Cano)
VQ-1 Det. 19 Mar 09-15 Apr 09
VR-56 Det. B 29 Nov 09-02 Jan 09
VR-56 Det. C 30 Mar 09-03 Jun 10
VR-57 13 Feb 09-17 Apr 09
VR-62 30 Aug 09-10 Dec 09
NSA Bahrain
VR-64 27 Nov 09-31 Dec 09
Western Pacific
VR-59 29 Mar 09-02 Aug 09

38 Naval Aviation News Summer 2010 39

 Major Independent Helicopter Deployments in 2009 Aircraft Stricken in 2009
Squadron Aircraft Ship or Station Date BuNo Action Date Type Name BuNo Action Date Type Name
160821 13-Apr AH-1W Super Cobra 158552 6-Mar HH-1N Iroquois
HSC-9 HH-60H San Antonio (LPD 17) Jan 09-Feb 09 160824 5-May AH-1W Super Cobra 158286 6-Mar HH-1N Iroquois
HSL-43 Det. 2 SH-60B Rodney M. Davis (FFG 60) Nov 08-21 Apr 09 165050 12-May AH-1W Super Cobra 158256 6-Mar HH-1N Iroquois
162563 17-Jun AH-1W Super Cobra 158272 7-Apr HH-1N Iroquois
HSL-37 Det. 1 SH-60B Chafee (DDG 90) 24 Feb 09-24 Aug 09 163926 14-Jul AH-1W Super Cobra 158551 7-May HH-1N Iroquois
HSL-43 Det. 2 SH-60B Lake Erie (CG 70) 16 Nov 09-13 Apr 10 165055 7-Aug AH-1W Super Cobra 158259 20-May HH-1N Iroquois
165332 22-Oct AH-1W Super Cobra 158766 4-Jun HH-1N Iroquois
HSL-43 Det. 3 SH-60B Sampson (DDG 102) 31 Jul 08-26 Mar 09 165333 26-Oct AH-1W Super Cobra 158248 16-Jul HH-1N Iroquois
HSL-44 Det. 10 SH-60B Simpson (FFG 56) 05 Apr 09-06 Oct 09 164596 29-Oct AH-1W Super Cobra 158264 28-Jul HH-1N Iroquois
162575 7-Dec AH-1W Super Cobra 165117 20-May HH-60H Seahawk
HSL-45 Det. 2 SH-60B Gary (FFG 51) 2008-08 Apr 09 165045 7-Dec AH-1W Super Cobra 149815 6-Mar KC-130F Hercules
HSL-45 Det. 3 SH-60B McClusky (FFG 41) 5 Oct 09-TBA 154020 28-Jan CH-46E Sea Knight 148894 28-Jul KC-130F Hercules
156450 26-Feb CH-46E Sea Knight 160628 6-Mar KC-130R Hercules
HSL-46 Det. 2 SH-60B Halyburton (FFG 40) Feb 09-Jul 09
153975 6-Mar CH-46E Sea Knight 166363 6-Apr MH-60S Seahawk
HSL-46 Det. 3 SH-60B Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) May 09-Jul 09 157723 6-Mar CH-46E Sea Knight 166389 14-Jul MV-22B Osprey
153960 6-Mar CH-46E Sea Knight 158568 7-May N P-3C Orion
HSL-46 Det. 4 SH-60B Vicksburg (CG 69) Feb 09-Jul 09
154849 12-May CH-46E Sea Knight 148889 6-Mar N P-3D Orion
HSL-46 Det. 5 SH-60B DeWert (FFG 45) Sep 09-18 Mar 10 154789 12-May CH-46E Sea Knight 696160 25-Feb OH-58C Kiowa
HSL-46 Det. 9 SH-60B Gettysburg (CG 64) Feb 09-Jul 09 157651 28-Jul CH-46E Sea Knight 161585 6-Feb P-3C Orion
156445 28-Jul CH-46E Sea Knight 160766 9-Sep P-3C Orion
HSL-48 Det. 2 SH-60B Underwood (FFG 36) 01 Jan 09-03 Apr 09 154828 28-Jul CH-46E Sea Knight 160141 8-Jan S-3B Viking
HSL-48 Det. 5 SH-60B Leyte Gulf (CG 55) 01 Jan 09-11 May 09 153956 28-Jul CH-46E Sea Knight 159747 3-Mar S-3B Viking
153350 28-Jul CH-46E Sea Knight 160588 6-Mar S-3B Viking
HSL-48 Det. 7 SH-60B Anzio (CG 68) 13 May 09-05 Dec 09 157670 28-Jul CH-46E Sea Knight 160161 6-Mar S-3B Viking
HSL-48 Det. 10 SH-60B Hawes (FFG 53) 05 Apr 09-05 Oct 09 156464 28-Jul CH-46E Sea Knight 160153 6-Mar S-3B Viking
156457 28-Jul CH-46E Sea Knight 160134 6-Mar S-3B Viking
HSL-60 Det. 2 SH-60B Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) 05 Nov 08-06 Apr 09 156429 28-Jul CH-46E Sea Knight 159744 6-Mar S-3B Viking
156422 28-Jul CH-46E Sea Knight 162344 15-Apr SH-60B Seahawk
155315 28-Jul CH-46E Sea Knight 162109 16-Apr SH-60B Seahawk
154850 28-Jul CH-46E Sea Knight 161553 1-Jun SH-60B Seahawk
154829 28-Jul CH-46E Sea Knight 161570 17-Jul SH-60B Seahawk
154805 28-Jul CH-46E Sea Knight 162137 14-Aug SH-60B Seahawk
154792 28-Jul CH-46E Sea Knight 161566 9-Nov SH-60B Seahawk
153377 28-Jul CH-46E Sea Knight 161554 19-Nov SH-60B Seahawk
157724 28-Sep CH-46E Sea Knight 164088 20-Feb SH-60F Seahawk
153380 14-Oct CH-46E Sea Knight 164448 29-Apr SH-60F Seahawk
157703 12-Nov CH-46E Sea Knight 164455 17-Jul SH-60F Seahawk
157649 12-Nov CH-46E Sea Knight 164451 17-Jul SH-60F Seahawk
156473 12-Nov CH-46E Sea Knight 163287 17-Jul SH-60F Seahawk
156439 12-Nov CH-46E Sea Knight 163284 17-Jul SH-60F Seahawk
154015 19-Nov CH-46E Sea Knight 164082 28-Jul SH-60F Seahawk
164488 27-Oct E-2C Hawkeye 164443 17-Nov SH-60F Seahawk
160709 30-Apr EA-6B Prowler 159705 6-Mar T-2C Buckeye
161347 2-Jun EA-6B Prowler 159173 6-Mar T-2C Buckeye
158801 15-Aug EA-6B Prowler 158909 6-Mar T-2C Buckeye
159912 17-Sep EA-6B Prowler 158601 6-Mar T-2C Buckeye
161774 22-Oct EA-6B Prowler 158321 6-Mar T-2C Buckeye
161948 26-Mar FA-18A Hornet 160521 16-Sep T-34C Turbo Mentor
162470 22-Jun FA-18A Hornet 162247 28-Oct T-34C Turbo Mentor
162826 4-Dec FA-18A Hornet 161198 10-Sep UC-12B Huron
163093 18-Dec FA-18A Hornet 160448 15-Jul UH-1N Iroquois
An SH-60B Seahawk with the Battle Cats 163507 8-May FA-18D Hornet 159190 26-Oct UH-1N Iroquois
of HSL-43 flies a routine training flight 160829 28-Jan HH-1N Iroquois 151550 22-Oct UH-3H Sea King
near San Diego, Calif. 160834 6-Mar HH-1N Iroquois
(Photo by PM1 Edward G. Martens)

40 Naval Aviation News Summer 2010 41

 Aircraft Accepted in 2009 ABH2 Dustin Shipman with Pre-Commissioning Unit New York (LPD 21) directs an MV-22 Osprey as it lands on the flight deck.
This was the first aircraft to land on the New York, commissioned on 7 November 2009. (Photo by MC1 Corey Lewis)

BuNo Quantity Type Name

165840 - 165843 4 MV-22B Osprey
166010 - 166014 5 T-6B Texan II
166507 1 TE-2C Hawkeye (Trainer Model)
166508 1 E-2C Hawkeye
166540 - 166567 28 MH-60R Seahawk
166736 - 166747 12 MV-22B Osprey
166868 - 166872 5 F/A-18E Super Hornet
166886 - 166892 7 F/A-18F Super Hornet
166896 - 16690 5 EA-18G Growler
166901 - 166908 8 F/A-18E Super Hornet
166915 - 166923 9 F/A-18F Super Hornet
166928 - 166933 5 EA-18G Growler
167100 - 167106 7 T-45C Goshawk
167791 - 167792 2 MQ-8B Fire Scout
167799 - 167806 8 UH-1Y Venom
167809 1 AH-1Z Viper
167824 - 167850 27 MH-60S Seahawk
167902 - 167903 2 MV-22B Osprey
167927 - 167985 3 KC-130J Super Hercules
167986 - 168249 1 MQ-8B Fire Scout
168245 -168249 5 UH-72A Lakota

42 Naval Aviation News Summer 2010 43

Professional Reading
By Cmdr. Peter B. Mersky, USNR (Ret.)
Brewster F2A Buffalo Aces of World War 2
Kari Stenman and Andrew Thomas. Botley, Oxford, U.K.:
Osprey Publishing, 2010. 96 pp. Ill. $22.95.
O ne of the most famous least-known fighters of the
war, the portly Brewster F2A Buffalo had an unusu-
al career among front-line aircraft during World War II.
Originally built to operate from U.S. carriers, its brief career
aboard ship was marked by poor performance, terribly weak
landing gear, and a general reputation for falling short of
expectations. Its pilots, however, liked the way it handled
in the air and bemoaned the need for more horsepower and
heavier armament.
The Buffalo—the name came from the British, who were
fond of replacing the mundane government designations of
the American aircraft and other equipment they encoun-
tered with colorful titles—was the first U.S. monoplane car-
rier aircraft, but has never enjoyed a book devoted to it (dis-
counting an inadequate soft cover book of the 1960s). Its
history usually can be found in abbreviated form in larger
works, such as a companion volume on Finnish aces in this
same Osprey series or other books devoted to Navy aircraft.
Thus, this new book (No. 91 in Osprey’s aces series) is espe-
cially welcome, combining the writing talents of two estab-
lished experts along with a team of artists to bring the little
Brewster fighter’s wartime story to light.
An F2A-2 Brewster Buffalo with VF-2 circa 1940. The Buffalo was the U.S. Navy’s first monoplane aircraft, but was quickly replaced by
the more capable F4F Wildcat in early 1942. (National Naval Aviation Museum Collection)
44
Because of the Buffalo’s extensive overseas employment,
the narrative focuses on action outside American service.
Flying with the British and the Finns, the Buffalo saw ac-
tion in such diverse arenas as Singapore and Burma against
the Japanese and over the snow-covered forests of Finland
(against first the Soviets, then later the Finns’ erstwhile
German allies). With the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps,
however, the Buffalo experienced the briefest of front-line
service; its only combat use in U.S. service was at the Battle
of Midway in June 1942. The F2A’s main adversary was the
Zero, the premier naval fighter of the day. Contrary to many
published reports of the time and in subsequent histories,
however, the Buffalo managed to give a fairly reasonable ac-
count of itself before being overwhelmed by numbers and
superiority of design.
Royal Air Force pilots managed only a few kills in the Brew-
ster, as did Dutch pilots in the Netherlands East Indies. The
book describes the hopeless defense put up by Royal Air
Force Buffalos against the Japanese onslaught on Malaya.
Looking at the rotund fighters, it is difficult to imagine them
being able to offer a credible resistance against the cream of
the Japanese Navy and Army air forces. Somehow, however,
Commonwealth pilots stood their ground—at least for a
while. It was the Finns who found the fighter to be an ace-
maker, with 37 Finnish pilots achieving at least five kills or
more. The top score of 39 kills was attributed to a Finnish
Brewster pilot (as part of his overall wartime score of 75).
Part of the reason for the Finns’ impressive tally is attributed
Naval Aviation News
to the fact they flew the Model 239, the export version of
the Buffalo, which was some 1,500 pounds lighter than the
F2A-3 equipping VMF-221 at Midway. Finnish pilots also
benefited from considerable combat experience as a result of
their Winter War in 1940 with the Soviet Union.
There are the obligatory tables of aces and their kills, and
the cover illustration by Mark Postlethwaite, not to men-
tion Chris Davey’s outstanding profiles, are among the best
I have seen in the series.
The Two Thousand Yard Stare: Tom Lea’s World War II
Tom Lea. Brendan M. Greeley Jr., ed. College Station, Texas:
Texas A&M University Press, 2008. 228 pp. Ill. $40.
A n ambitious large-format book, this overview of one
of the most well-known American combat artists of
World War II presents many recognizable paintings and
drawings along with less-familiar works. Combined with
well-written supporting text from the artist as well as by
editor Brendan Greeley, the paintings display Tom Lea’s
capabilities as well as the great distances and many places
he visited during the war. The examples of Lea’s work are
shown in various media, from the pencil sketches used to
prepare for his more finished studio works, to the actual fi-
nal pieces that were in oil or watercolor—in all of which he
was a master. Lea seemed the most involved when he was
depicting people: as individuals in the cockpit of a battered
fighter, on the bridge of a ship, or in the jungles of a Pacific
island; or as groups relaxing on the flight line, waiting for
the next mission, or suiting up for that coming flight. It is in
these examples that his skills as an illustrator shine through.
Thomas Calloway Lea (1907-2001) was born and raised in
El Paso, Texas. He trained as a muralist before the war, and
his work included notable murals throughout the South-
west commissioned under the Works Progress Administra-
tion in the 1930s. During the war, Lea achieved his great-
est notoriety while as a combat artist and correspondent
with Life magazine depicting the Pacific island campaigns.
Above all, Lea was a portrait artist, and his stunning, realis-
tic depictions of America’s combat servicemen, famous and
not-so-famous, are a who’s who of the so-called “Greatest
Generation.” Often shown in a rumpled uniform and with a
five-o’clock shadow on their jowls, these men appear as they
fought their war. The book’s title and cover come from Lea’s
most well-known painting—depicting the battle of Peleliu
in 1944—of a shell-shocked infantryman staring into obliv-
ion, his eyes a set of unfocused black circles showing little
left underneath after all the man had seen of war. 
For the aviation side, his portrait of an F4F Wildcat pilot
brings the air war in close and personal. Lea also showed the
rough and tough side of other aviation venues, especially the
China / Burma / India Theater, most closely associated with
Summer 2010
the Flying Tigers and the enduring Chinese people who of-
ten worked side by side with their aviator protectors. As Lea
said in 1944, “China hit me right between the eyes.” Besides
the Pacific, he also visited the European action, producing
riveting portraits of the pilots and ground crews who flew
and serviced the fighters and bombers that took the war to
the Germans. Like the combat participants he depicted,
Lea’s tour up front left him with his own demons. He may
not have fired weapons, but he saw the war for what it was:
brutal, bloody, and utterly relentless.
This large book is an excellent compilation and well deserv-
ing of being included in anyone’s library.
The Martin P5M Patrol Seaplane
Capt. Richard Hoffman, USN (Ret.). Simi Valley, Calif.: Steve
Ginter, 2007. 169 pp. Ill. $34.95.
N umber 74 in Steve Ginter’s Naval Fighter series, this
book gives a mainly pictorial look at the last U.S. Navy
flying boat to see squadron service, the P5M Marlin. Ap-
pearing just after World War II, this large twin-engine
“boat” was a development of the earlier PBM Mariner, dis-
pensing with the Mariner’s twin-tail layout. The Marlin saw
service with a number of U.S. squadrons, as well as with
France’s Aeronavale.
Serving throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, the P5M
(designated P-5 after 1962) saw limited combat duty in
the first half of the Vietnam War. The last aircraft retired
in November 1967, with VP-40. The lack of details about
the P-5’s Vietnam service is disappointing, and that story
remains to be written.
Following the series’ established format, this book includes
lots of photos, mostly black and white (except for the two
outside covers), as well as a number of NATOPS and main-
tenance manual pages and brief descriptions of each squad-
ron. There is also the regular discussion of model kits of the
subject aircraft, which appears to be limited to only one, a
good one by the Japanese company Hasegawa.
A Martin P5M-1 Marlin with VP-42 circa 1958. Marlins were the
last “flying boats” to serve in the U.S. Navy.
45
People–Places–Planes
Edited by Josh Phillips
Milestones
A U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet completed the first
captive carriage test of the AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weap-
on C-1 variant at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons
Division (NAWCWD) at China Lake on 4 March.
During a routine 3 April test flight, an MQ-8B Fire Scout
vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial vehicle sup-
ported its first drug interdiction with USS McInerney (FFG
8) and a U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement det.
Fleet Readiness Center East delivered the last H-53E to
come out of desert retirement to HMT-302 on 7 May.
USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77), the Navy’s 10th and fi-
nal Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, conducted its first vertical
replenishment with the dry cargo and ammunition ship
USNS Lewis and Clark (T-AKE 1) on 18 May.
During flight operations the crew of USS Enterprise (CVN
65) briefly celebrated as the 1,000th landing or “trap” since
the ship got under way for flight-deck certification and car-
rier qualifications was completed on 27 May.
Vice Adm. Allen G. Myers IV, at right, relieves Vice Adm. Thomas
J. Kilcline Jr. as Commander, Naval Air Forces, during a ceremony
aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) 1 July. The ceremony marked
the conclusion of Kilcline’s 37-year career as a naval aviator.
(Photo by MC2 Adrian T. White)
46
The first test version of the F-35C, designed for use aboard
Navy aircraft carriers, made its initial, 57-minute flight on
6 June.
Awards
In 2009, the Grandmasters of HSL-46 won several awards,
including the Commander, Naval Air Forces Atlantic, Battle
Effectiveness Award; the Sikorsky Golden Wrench Award;
the Commander, Helicopter Maritime Strike Wing U.S.
Atlantic Fleet, Talon Award; the CNO Safety Award; and
a Commander, Helicopter Maritime Strike Wing, U.S. At-
lantic Fleet, nomination for the Arleigh Burke Fleet Trophy.
The commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command presented
the 2008 Battenberg Cup to the crew of the amphibious
assault ship, USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) on 2 November 2009.
Fleet Readiness Center East was announced in February
as one of 25 winners in the 2009 CNO’s Environmental
Awards, and one of two commands chosen in the sustain-
ability industrial installation awards category.
USS Bataan (LHD 5) was announced as a 2009 Force
Health and Wellness Unit Award, or Green “H,” winner
March 12 by Commander, Naval Surface Forces, the ship’s
third consecutive award. The Green H goes to commands
who demonstrate commitment to the health and welfare of
their Sailors and Marines throughout the year.
USS Denver (LPD 9) was selected for the second consecutive
year for the annual CNO Ship-Helicopter Safety Award in
May, honoring the ship with the most outstanding aviation
safety record for 2009.
The F/A-18 & EA-18G program office’s (PMA-265)
Green Hornet team won the CNO’s Environmental Excel-
lence Award in May.
Scan Pattern
The Navy search and rescue team assigned to NAWCWD
China Lake delivered a late Christmas present to Ruben
and Crystal Arroyo on 28 December 2009 as the crew saved
the couple’s teenage son, who was lost in the Eastern Sierra
Nevada Mountains after he spent the night alone in sub-
freezing temperatures.
Elements from Enterprise and the Dragonslayers of HS-11
conducted an emergency medical evacuation from the Military
Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS Kanawha
(T-AO 196) on 22 May.
Naval Aviation News
An F/A-18C Hornet with the Rampagers of VFA-83 flies over the Kajaki Dam reservoir in Afghanistan in May 2010. VFA-83 was
embarked aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), which supported operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet’s area of responsibility
from 2 January to 28 July 2010. (Photo by Lt. Cmdr. Ben Stickney)
As part of interoperability operations with the French Navy,
a maintenance crew for the French aircraft Rafale F3 per-
formed a 4 June jet engine swap-out on board USS Harry S.
Truman (CVN 75).
Approximately 4,500 sailors and Marines, seven ships, 60
amphibious assault vehicles, 16 air-cushioned landing craft,
and numerous fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft participated
in “Dawn Blitz,” the weeklong amphibious assault exercise
in June at Camp Pendleton, the largest such exercise since
the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks.
In an induction ceremony held 1 June at Pakistan Naval Station
Mehran, Karachi, U.S. and Pakistani officials commemorated
the delivery of two P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft to the
Government of Pakistan from the United States. The aircraft
will enhance the Pakistan Navy’s maritime patrol operations.
On the Move
A team of 30 people from U.S. Southern Command de-
ployed to Haiti in support of U.S. relief efforts in the after-
math of a devastating earthquake 12 January.
Eighty Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion
(NMCB) 7 deployed to Haiti from Gulfport, Miss., and 14
Seabee divers from Underwater Construction Team (UCT)
1 deployed from Virginia Beach, Va., 15 January. NMCB 7
Seabees removed debris, cleared roads, and provided con-
struction support. The battalion received the tasking the day
Summer 2010
before and immediately began preparations to get the 690
short tons of cargo ready to roll.
Bataan and embarked Marines from the 22nd Marine Ex-
peditionary Unit (MEU) completed support to Operation
Unified Response and departed Haiti 24 March after 10
weeks on station.
USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) departed the waters near
Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 11 March. The ship arrived in Haiti
18 January, six days after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck
the Caribbean nation.
Following a three-day cross-country delivery flight from
Camp Pendleton, a freshly overhauled UH-1N Huey ar-
rived at NAS Patuxent River in April to become the only
maritime science and technology test bed helicopter in
DoD.
USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44), the flagship for Africa Part-
nership Station West, along with an embarked international
staff, arrived in Dakar, Senegal, 6 April for the start of the
second and final phase of the ship’s Africa deployment.
The Navy’s first littoral combat ship, USS Freedom (LCS 1),
concluded its successful maiden deployment with arrival at
its homeport of San Diego, 23 April. The deployment, the
first for its class, came more two years ahead of schedule,
taking the ship to three countries and through the U.S. 4th
Fleet and U.S. 3rd Fleet areas of responsibility.
47

Rear Adm. Timothy S. Matthews, second from right, Commander,
Fleet Readiness Centers, and Assistant Commander for Logistics
and Industrial Operations, Naval Air Systems Command, gets a
tour of VAQ-132 at NAS Whidbey Island during a “Boots on the
Ground” event on 23 June 2010. Boots on the Ground is designed
to give leaders the opportunity to interact directly with a com-
mand’s various components. (Photo by MC2 Nardelito Gervacio)
The George Washington (CVN 73) Carrier Strike Group
(CSG) departed Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, on 18
May to conduct carrier qualifications in preparation for its
upcoming annual deployment cycle.
USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) departed NAS North Island
for sea trials on 18 May. The event marks the first time that
Ronald Reagan has been underway since 21 October 2009,
when it completed its fourth deployment in four years.
The Peleliu (LHA 5) Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) en-
tered the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations on 30 May as part
of its regularly scheduled Western Pacific deployment.
VP-26 Tridents made history on 8 June when the squad-
ron’s last P-3C Orion arrived at its new home at NAS Jack-
sonville.
Ships based at NB San Diego and NAS North Island began
deploying on 15 June to the waters off Hawaii for the bien-
nial Rim of the Pacific exercise, 23 June through 1 August,
including Ronald Reagan, USS Benfold (DDG 65), USS
Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), USS Chancellorsville (CG
62), USS Cleveland (LPD 7), USS Comstock (LSD 45), USS
Devastator (MCM 6), USS Freedom (LCS 1), USS Hopper
(DDG 70), USS McClusky (FFG 41), USS Pioneer (MCM
9), and USS Sampson (DDG 102).
Change of Command
Capt. Patrick R. Cleary relieved Capt. Kevin J. Kovacich
at a 24 September 2009 change of command ceremony for
CVW-8.
48
Rear Adm. David H. Buss relieved Rear Adm. John N.
Christenson of his position as commanding officer of CSG-
12 on 20 October 2009 at Naval Station Norfolk.
Cmdr. Markus Gudmundsson relieved Cmdr. Robert Os-
terhoudt as commanding officer of VFA-41 on 23 October
2009 on board USS Nimitz (CVN 68).
Cmdr. Herschel W. Weinstock relieved Cmdr. Robert H.
Buckingham during a change of command ceremony for
HSC-3 on 5 November.
Capt. Pete Hall relieved Capt. Enrique Sadsad as command-
ing officer of NAS Whiting Field on 5 November 2009.
Cmdr. John L. Kelsey relieved Cmdr. William A. Bulis as
the commanding officer of VT-21 on 5 November 2009 at
NAS Kingsville.
Cmdr. Gilbert J. Miller relieved Cmdr. James K. Mitchell as
commanding officer of VR-48 on 6 November 2009.
Cmdr. Jeffrey S. McIrvin relieved Cmdr. Philip R. Dupree
from his duty as commanding officer of VAQ-209 on 7 No-
vember 2009.
Cmdr. Brad Garber relieved Cmdr. Douglas Thompson
from his command of HSL-46, on 20 November 2009.
Cmdr. Mathew Frost relieved Lt. Col. Clay Stackhouse to
assume command of HT-28 on 4 December 2009 at NAS
Whiting Field.
Cmdr. Paul C. Ostrowski relieved Cmdr. Romeo A. Rosario
as commanding officer of VR-56 on 5 December 2009.
Cmdr. William A. Hearther relieved Cmdr. Dennis R.
Crews as commanding officer of VT-31on 10 December
2009.
Cmdr. Timothy M. McGuire (USCG) assumed the duties
of commanding officer for VT-2 from Cmdr. Warren N.
Lipscomb III (USN) on 18 December 2009.
Cmdr. Brady Bartosh took the reigns of VX-31 from Capt.
Eric Holmberg during a change of command ceremony on
15 January at NAWS China Lake.
The Aircrew Systems Program Office (PMA-202) received
a new commander on 16 January, as Capt. Roger W. Ligon
assumed command from acting program manager Cmdr.
Ralph Lee.
Cmdr. Larry A. Sidbury relieved Cmdr. Daniel K. Buckon
as the commanding officer of VFA-31 on 5 February at
NAS Oceana.
Cmdr. Peter A. Yelle relieved Cmdr. Carden F. Warner III,
at a 25 March change of command ceremony for the Elec-
tronic Attack Weapons School.
Rear Adm. Mark I. Fox relinquished command of Naval
Strike Air Warfare Center to Rear Adm. John W. Miller in
an April ceremony at NAS Fallon.
Naval Aviation News
Capt. Christopher W. Plummer assumed command of NAS
Pensacola in April following the dismissal of Capt. William
P. Reavey.
Cmdr. Chris A. Middleton relieved Cmdr. Darryl L. Walker
of command of VAQ-139 at NAS Whidbey Island on 22
April.
Cmdr. Jason R. Hammond relieved Cmdr. Richard A. Wiley
as the commanding officer of VRC-30 on 29 April.
Cmdr. Sil Perrella relieved Cmdr. Stephen McKone as com-
manding officer of HSL-51 during a 3 May ceremony.
Lt. Col. Brian M. Kennedy took command of HMLAT-303
from Lt. Col. Mark E. Sojourner on 7 May.
HSM-70 held its inaugural change of command ceremony
on 14 May, as Cmdr. Kenneth G. Kopp relieved Cmdr. Wil-
liam S. Walsh.
Vice Adm. David Architzel took the helm of Naval Air Sys-
tems Command from Vice Adm. David Venlet during an
18 May change of command ceremony at NAS Patuxent
River.
Capt. Mark Storch passed the NAWCWD reigns to Capt.
Mat Winter on 19 May. An assumption of command cer-
emony took place in June.
Cmdr. Christopher P. Fordham relieved Cmdr. Kenneth R.
Johansen as commanding officer of VR-58 on 22 May.
Lt. Col. R.A. Carson relinquished command of HMH-462
to Lt. Col. E.W. Daniels on 26 May aboard MCAS Miramar.
Summer 2010
Cmdr. Kevin Aanestad relieved Cmdr. Arthur delaCruz of
command for VFA-22 on 27 May.
Cmdr. Jay A. Gagne took the helm as commanding officer
of HSC-85 from Capt. Michael S. Newman on 12 June.
Cmdr. Thad Dobbert handed over the reins of VT-10 to
Cmdr. Kevin Quarderer on 8 July at NAS Pensacola.
Cmdr. Thomas A. Long relieved Cmdr. Kenneth E. Hob-
mann as commanding officer of VR-55, 30 Jan.
Reunions
The 2010 reunion for USS Sellers (DDG 11) will be held
30 September-3 October 2010 in Norfolk, Va. For more
information, please contact Delta Hinson as soon as pos-
sible at 2901 Bamberg Pl., Virginia Beach, VA 23453. He
can be reached by phone at 757-615-7089 or by email
at seldewcarwas@aol.com, or on the web at http:// www.
mlrsinc.com/sellers.
The former crewmen of the USS Tarawa (CV/CVA/CVS
40) will be holding their next reunion in April 2011 in Bal-
timore, Md. If you served on Tarawa, please contact Cliff
Gardner, 465 Gardiner Rd., Lot 35, W. Kingston, RI 02892;
by phone at: 401-539-1149; or on the web at: http://www.
mlrsinc.com/tarawa or http://www.usstarawavets.org.
The 62nd reunion of USS Hornet (CV 8, CV/CVA/CVS 12)
will take place in Tucson, Ariz. on 20-24 October 2010. For
more information contact Carl and Sandy Burket at P.O.
Box 108, Roaring Spring, PA 16673. You can also call 814-
224-5063 or email hornetcva@aol.com. Please visit the re-
union web site at http://www.usshornetassn.com.
The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ron-
ald Reagan (CVN 76) arrives at Joint Base
Pearl Harbor-Hickam to participate in Rim
of the Pacific 2010 exercises. (Photo by
MC1 Shawn D. Torgerson)
49
Naval Aviation News
Summer 2010