500 Carrier Landings

[Maverickson]

It's all about Nylon! Unfortunately, By 1969 most U.S.N. flight personel preferred nylon flight jackets to leather. As the Skipper, dad still wore his G-1 on occasion. From time to time I did see dad in one of these puffy looking nylon flight jackets. This is a good close up of a nylon navy flight jacket. In this picture my father is seen holding up a cake in the VA-152 ready room to comemmorate one of his squadron mates 500 carrier landings aboard the USS Forrestal.

These guys were getting a break during a Mediteranian deployment. Less than a year after this photo was taken VA-152 was to be called back to Vietnam for a final combat tour on Yankee Station aboard the USS Shangri-La. They did four combat deployments in a six year period.

The next photo was again taken in late 1969. This time from the flight line in front of the squadron hanger #23 at NAS Alameda. You are looking at a photo of my father's airplane. In addition, this photo was made just shortly before "The Mavericks" joined the USS Shangri-La. Just subsequent to this photo, the squadron was allowed to change the color scheme of the airplanes. These planes were to become very flashy to be going into combat. Those brightly colored fighting machines can be viewed from the squadron web page http://www.skyhawk.org/5e/g149959/html/149977a.htm, http://www.skyhawk.org/6e2/html/va-152_aj-513.htm http://www.skyhawk.org/6e2/html/va-152- ... ldiess.htm as they looked when deployed in hostile waters aboard the Shangi La. A model airplane company used the likeness of the squadron's planes for their A-4 Skyhawk decal kit. I believe it is still available.

Enjoy the photos!

Dave

 

[Weasel_Loader]

Love the photos. The WEP jackets sure were unique compared to other nylon jackets in use by the Air Force.

The photo of the A-4 is really nice too. Especially the tiny BDU-33 practice bombs loaded on the centerline stations. We still use those practice bombs to this day. Simple 25lb 'ers with a small spotting charge in the nose. Believe it or not, they are the most dangerous bombs we load and cause the most injuries each year. :roll:

 

[Willy McCoy]

Yuppers, that's a very fine aircraft there. Your dad had a nice ride! Thanks!

 

[greyhound52]

I really like the Wep jacket. Great jacket and can be used in a number of conditions. Picked up this late 1950s model which is more gold tone then green. Great photos btw.

 

[bw-8]

Yuppers, that's a very fine aircraft there. Your dad had a nice ride! Thanks!

A-4s were still in use when I was on active duty during the early 90s. You could tell which ones were used in Vietnam by the bullet hole patches in the fuselages!

Beautiful Winter jacket Greyhound! I don't think that I've ever seen one with an AER as opposed to a WEP designation. Any idea as to its date of mfr? :ugeek:

 

[Maverickson]

I have done some more research on these nylon G-8 WEP jackets. According to father's old squadron mates they called these jackets "poopy suits". I have found that these highly unusual jackets were originally developed as a liner for a survival suit once used by the navy. By the midsixties these jackets became very popular and eventually the flight jacket of choice. These BUWEP or WEP nylon jackets were simply warmer than there leather counter part and as told, with the advent of this nylon jacket most G-1 jackets were only worn by the aviators once they got out of the cockpit. As explained, to me by a retired career naval aviator, at that time these poopy suits were by far the most comfortable and warm nylon flight jacket then available. This statement probably holds up even today!

This fact is greatly emphasized in the picture I previously posted of my father's squadron VA-152 aboard the USS Forrestal. Again, this is a 1968 group photograph. As seen they still wore the G-1 but the majority of the personell wore the (poopy suit). Subsequent to my posting this same previously posted photo I found this more perfect copy and I would like to share it with the forum members.

Apparently these WEP or the older AER nylon poopy suits as illustrated by Greyhound are no longer a USN issue jacket. However, according to Flight Suits they brought them back by popular demand. I found them at the Gibson & Barnes website http://www.flightsuits.com/jackets_g8wep.html.

I do not beleive that these nylon jackets will ever surpass the mystic of the leather flight jacket but on the other hand it might be worth a look!

 

[Willy McCoy]

Most G-8's fit well in the arms and torso for tall people. The bitch is the cuffs are such a different design that acquiring them is difficult. I just picked up a '72 WEP from from Vintage Trends size large for $45. They had it listed in the flyers jacket section and not in the WEP section. Great jackets for daily use.

 

[Maverickson]

I have magnified a portion of another forty year old photgraph of this same bunch of naval aviators from VA-152. This photo definitely defines the transition between the nylon and leather used by the Navy at that time. The G-1s in this photo would have been from the last of the good collectable 7823C series jackets.

I hope you enjoy the photos.

 

[Maverickson]

I was recently contacted by one of my Father's squadron members. As explained, he was fresh out of flight school and one of the three "nuggets" to the squadron. Here is the fellow and his name is Jim Powell and this portioned photograph of Jim came from the group photo seen above.

Jim was gracious enough to provide me with some photos of the same WEP that he was wearing when that group photograph was taken on board the USS Forestall some forty one years ago.

As seen, although my Father never kept a copy of the Maverick patch he did in fact have the artist rendition of what the patch was to become. I found this drawing of the Maverick Cow while going through his squadron papers. At the time my father was given command of VA-152 they were know as The Friendlies. Soon after they were known as The Mavericks and or the 152nd Light Bombardment & Twilight Pursuit Squadron.

After speaking with Jim Powell he promised to get me in touch with some of the other Mavericks he knew that were left milling around out there. As I explained to him that I was anxious to find a later photograph of my father wearing his original flight jacket. We shall see!

 

[Maverickson]

My recent correspondence with Jim Powell over his late 1960s era flight jacket must have initiated a sentimental journey. As our conversations must have inspired Jim to send me more than just photos of his squadron jacket but also to recount an experience he had that concerned my late Father. You fellows can visit the website http://www.tailhook.org/Sp09catwalk.pdf on page 21 that Jim just posted recanting one of his Maverick experiences he shared that was instigated by my late Father.

After giving some thought towards Jim's rendition of his experience I also remember my Father relating to me something along the same lines as Jim's Sea Story. However, there actually was an exception to this story which was left out and to this end I will add, as once explained to me by my Father, "my Skyhawks were continuously breaking the speed of sound as we made our fly bys over the yacht Christina that shook the walls of that ship and was felt by all those aboard".