30 year US Navy vet. I worked on at least 8 different "platforms" of aircraft. I spent 8 years on this wonderful aircraft over 5 deployments until the Hornet took over (spent 10 years on her). She was the best at sea... and we had our hands full keeping her flying. The flightdeck videos here awesome. That is what is was like day in, and day out... 7 days a week, 16+ hours a day. Would not trade that experience for anything.
@BucketOfFudge No I know F-14 is a great plane I've work with them the F-22 however is a piece of shit. It's like having a ferrari then down sizing to a yugo. The F-22 is the yugo of the fighter jet world the F-14 will be and will always be the ferrari of the fighter jet world.
F-14's and F-22's is like comparing apples and oranges. They have nothing to do with each other. The F-14 was replaced by the F/A-18F Super Hornet by the Navy. The F-22 is stictly an AirForce Bird.
F-14's and F-22's is like comparing appes and oranges. They have nothing to do with each other. The F-14 was replaced by the F/A-18F Super Hornet by the Navy. The F-22 is stictly an AirForce Bird.
A-7 pilots from the Puerto Rico Air National Guard once taught Navy F-14 pilots a thing or two. They were practicing dogfights over hilly Puerto Rico, and the Corsair drivers flew in low, often taking the naval aviators completely by surprise. It took them a while to counteract the tactics used by those who flew the supposedly "inferior" A-7.
Always wondered if the A-7 pilots had self-esteem issues while sharing the decks with the F-14 and F/A-18 ... not that the A-7 wasn't very good in its role, it just looks like an anachronism parked next to the eighties' fighters.
@l3attlel2oyal Quite the opposite, the F-14 pilots had to live with the "shame" of having a back-seater. They had TWO engines and TWO aviators. The A-7 guys were all by themselves with a single engine. It doesn't get any more macho than that.
@davidemerling The guy in the back seat isn't an aviator. He is a Naval Flight officer. They only get a few days stick time in Aviation Preflight Indoctrination. So they can't even really know how to fly the plane. Other than that I agree with what you said. The single seat guys had to play both roles.
@LTJFan01 Yeah, you're right - I was being kind. We of the best jokes while I was cruise went like this. Some NFO was being a smartass about something. Everybody was giving him crap. Then one of the pilots say, "Hey, take it easy on him. He's not wearing glasses so we don't know WHAT'S wrong with him." Hilarious!
At exactly 5:20 into this clip, you'll see my squadron (VA-105 Gunslingers), my aircraft (A-7E Corsair II, tail number 405) and MYSELF preparring and launching our Light Attack & Twilight Pursuit bird off the flightdeck of my ship, the U.S.S. Saratoga CVA-60 in the International waters off of Florida's Atlantic Coast. I'm shown hooking up the bird's launch bar into the catapult block (at 6:24 - 6:36).
4:20 ahhhh look at those tomcats why the fuck did they retire it ..ohhhh its to expensive to mantain then why those our goverment spend all the billions they did on the raptor thank god they stopped making them, and making f35's... the navy had to sacrifise a beautiful fast strong interceptor like the tomcat the navy didn't bother to show the tomcat the respect it diserves and should have gone againts the decom.....
The only reason we stopped using them is because of 'More advanced technology' and their maintenance costs. They may be maintenance savvy, but it's still cheaper to use them than buying 150 F-35s that wouldnt pay themselves off for another sixty years :/
But i say this about everything, from the A-1 to the Tomcat XD
When I was on CV-67 the A-7's (VA-66) would fly the missions and come back with NO GRIPES! We had one A-7 tech in our shop in IM3 Division....He read books most of cruise and worked maybe 25-hrs the whole time underway....
I doubt an F/A-18 can fly a mission with NO gripes! That is only assuming the techs can read the gripe let alone fix it!
I was IM3 on the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) The A-7 was one of my favorites..what a reliable plane.. so reliable, the techs could just nap in the intake for days on end.
lol... it must have to be some kind of underdeveloped people, for you to win with that crap planes...
There is no chance even for the BEST pilot that have ever put a foot on earth to take faster and more correct decisions than a computer. So if someone have the best airplane your chance is to pray ;)
so don't worry about the skillz of our pilots... i told you and before they are some of THE BEST pilots on earth... even with Spitfires they could do an excellent job... and a computer has not the intelligence of a human,,, :)
God everyone is so full of it on these comments ... On your profile your 40 .. you didn't fly corsairs in 87 unless you got out of highschool and finished college by about 10 years old and finished OCS by oh 16 or so LOL
These were pretty good strafe plains. Not as good as the A-10 mind you. But it had the largest 1000r ound or so drum available. Plenty of 20MM lead to put on target.
Sweet. Thank you.
EattherichBuddy 2 months ago
F- Yeah! Only The O.gʻs Know The Corsair!
Branzo29 3 months ago
SLUF's Forever
jeffjoseph 3 months ago
A lot of this footage I had never seen before...especially the white-painted Edwards test aircraft taking off...great post!
deedsie 4 months ago
Try sort out your interlacing issues
TVVeilig 6 months ago
30 year US Navy vet. I worked on at least 8 different "platforms" of aircraft. I spent 8 years on this wonderful aircraft over 5 deployments until the Hornet took over (spent 10 years on her). She was the best at sea... and we had our hands full keeping her flying. The flightdeck videos here awesome. That is what is was like day in, and day out... 7 days a week, 16+ hours a day. Would not trade that experience for anything.
mgwilliams1000 7 months ago
@BucketOfFudge No I know F-14 is a great plane I've work with them the F-22 however is a piece of shit. It's like having a ferrari then down sizing to a yugo. The F-22 is the yugo of the fighter jet world the F-14 will be and will always be the ferrari of the fighter jet world.
wiccanmoonman 9 months ago
only the terrorists unlike this video... :)
kaynie143 10 months ago
VA 82 Marauders, VA 86 Sidewinders, NAS CecilField, USS Nimitz CVAN 68, 75-78
CVAN687478 1 year ago
If only it was supersonic!
AstroChickenII 1 year ago
@AstroChickenII
The YA-7F was!
dogsbd 1 year ago
Gibt es einen deutschen Piloten, der sie geflogen hat?
wiesenbefeuchter 1 year ago
@granthemenway Sunliners suck Took real men to be a RAMPAGER
7dawg9 1 year ago
wiccanmoonman,
F-14's and F-22's is like comparing apples and oranges. They have nothing to do with each other. The F-14 was replaced by the F/A-18F Super Hornet by the Navy. The F-22 is stictly an AirForce Bird.
CorsairIIAT 1 year ago
wiccanmoonman,
F-14's and F-22's is like comparing appes and oranges. They have nothing to do with each other. The F-14 was replaced by the F/A-18F Super Hornet by the Navy. The F-22 is stictly an AirForce Bird.
CorsairIIAT 1 year ago
getting rid of the F-14's was a big mistake the F-22's are junk
wiccanmoonman 1 year ago
A-7 Purple people eater aka ABF's
wiccanmoonman 1 year ago
71 Med cruise on the Forrestal. AQF2 with VA83 Rams. Playing games with the Russians. A couple of Vigilantes cooled their jets.
whemadre 1 year ago
A-7 pilots from the Puerto Rico Air National Guard once taught Navy F-14 pilots a thing or two. They were practicing dogfights over hilly Puerto Rico, and the Corsair drivers flew in low, often taking the naval aviators completely by surprise. It took them a while to counteract the tactics used by those who flew the supposedly "inferior" A-7.
Florhusband 1 year ago
Always wondered if the A-7 pilots had self-esteem issues while sharing the decks with the F-14 and F/A-18 ... not that the A-7 wasn't very good in its role, it just looks like an anachronism parked next to the eighties' fighters.
l3attlel2oyal 1 year ago
@l3attlel2oyal Quite the opposite, the F-14 pilots had to live with the "shame" of having a back-seater. They had TWO engines and TWO aviators. The A-7 guys were all by themselves with a single engine. It doesn't get any more macho than that.
davidemerling 1 year ago
@davidemerling The guy in the back seat isn't an aviator. He is a Naval Flight officer. They only get a few days stick time in Aviation Preflight Indoctrination. So they can't even really know how to fly the plane. Other than that I agree with what you said. The single seat guys had to play both roles.
LTJFan01 8 months ago
@LTJFan01 Yeah, you're right - I was being kind. We of the best jokes while I was cruise went like this. Some NFO was being a smartass about something. Everybody was giving him crap. Then one of the pilots say, "Hey, take it easy on him. He's not wearing glasses so we don't know WHAT'S wrong with him." Hilarious!
davidemerling 8 months ago
VA-46 Clansmen. Cecil Field, FL and Med cruise 88 on the Mighty Ike
troncaltek 1 year ago
At exactly 5:20 into this clip, you'll see my squadron (VA-105 Gunslingers), my aircraft (A-7E Corsair II, tail number 405) and MYSELF preparring and launching our Light Attack & Twilight Pursuit bird off the flightdeck of my ship, the U.S.S. Saratoga CVA-60 in the International waters off of Florida's Atlantic Coast. I'm shown hooking up the bird's launch bar into the catapult block (at 6:24 - 6:36).
RicMc101 1 year ago 9
@RicMc101
so its a great remberance for you right? i love the A-7 Corsair, specially since i watch the movie,,the last countdown,, with Kirk Douglas.
MAN394631 1 month ago
4:20 ahhhh look at those tomcats why the fuck did they retire it ..ohhhh its to expensive to mantain then why those our goverment spend all the billions they did on the raptor thank god they stopped making them, and making f35's... the navy had to sacrifise a beautiful fast strong interceptor like the tomcat the navy didn't bother to show the tomcat the respect it diserves and should have gone againts the decom.....
KEEPitGREEN4201 1 year ago
Nice video of a great plane!!!
Thanks
HighlordToretto 1 year ago
No afterburners unlike our late F-8 crusaders (Philippine Air Force)
markvinas31 2 years ago
VA86 Sidewinders, VA82 Marauders, USS Nimitz CVAN 68 75-78, NAS Cecil Field, Jacksonville
CVAN687478 2 years ago
It's the best bomber of it's size.
And, you could still put missiles on it and fly it like a fighter. O.o
Also, this what comes in the middle of the night going trans sonic and clearing a way for special ops and shit O.O
it doesnt get enough Recognition. Like the F111.
peepeevagi 2 years ago
@peepeevagi Well said. The F-111 should still be in service. What a waste.
jonesy97 1 year ago
The only reason we stopped using them is because of 'More advanced technology' and their maintenance costs. They may be maintenance savvy, but it's still cheaper to use them than buying 150 F-35s that wouldnt pay themselves off for another sixty years :/
But i say this about everything, from the A-1 to the Tomcat XD
peepeevagi 1 year ago
@jonesy97 It is still in service... the Australians use it to firebomb strongholds of those damned alien rabbits...
l3attlel2oyal 1 year ago
Not getting enough respect here, people.
This SLUF brought my dad home every time.
oriskany 2 years ago
When I was on holiday in Crete, two Greek F-16s was flying over the beach almost every day.
trainfan01 2 years ago
Who cares.
nkx1 2 years ago
Comment removed
Skoggy99 2 years ago
someone
trainfan01 2 years ago
What a BUFF
d3u1d4e 2 years ago
Thats actually a SLUF
trainfan01 2 years ago
SLUF is correct, for those who dont know, look it up lol.
hoplite1766 2 years ago
short little ugly fucker....omg i aint heard that since i was in the navy lol
freightshaker007 2 years ago
When I was on CV-67 the A-7's (VA-66) would fly the missions and come back with NO GRIPES! We had one A-7 tech in our shop in IM3 Division....He read books most of cruise and worked maybe 25-hrs the whole time underway....
I doubt an F/A-18 can fly a mission with NO gripes! That is only assuming the techs can read the gripe let alone fix it!
irondragsportster 2 years ago
I was IM3 on the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) The A-7 was one of my favorites..what a reliable plane.. so reliable, the techs could just nap in the intake for days on end.
bobba2k 2 years ago
in HAF we will keep em flying until 2015
I ensure you that these birds can still kick ass!!!
tasoscorsair 2 years ago 9
In most cases, I get more joy looking at the older aircraft (especially WWII ones ) than I do looking at more modern fighters
Historystartsnow 2 years ago 3
@Historystartsnow I couldn´t agree with you more. Old planes had personality unlike nowadays flying computers.
Badger071 7 months ago
what is HAF?
molinobeer 2 years ago
Hellenic Air Force !!!
pantofla13 2 years ago
you still have those planes working??? they'r junk!!!
molinobeer 2 years ago
they are still pwning the enemy... so...even scrap...they're good !!!
BTW HAF has some of the best pilots alla over the world, and they don't need some special equipment to defend their land !!!
pantofla13 2 years ago
who are the enemies?
molinobeer 2 years ago
nowadays...Turks(Mongols)... And even the god don't know who IDIOT would want to come over a war with GREECE!!!
pantofla13 2 years ago
lol... it must have to be some kind of underdeveloped people, for you to win with that crap planes...
There is no chance even for the BEST pilot that have ever put a foot on earth to take faster and more correct decisions than a computer. So if someone have the best airplane your chance is to pray ;)
molinobeer 2 years ago
Hellenic means Greek, if you know what Greece is....
tasoscorsair 2 years ago
yes, i know.. i'm mediterranean to ;)
molinobeer 2 years ago
so don't worry about the skillz of our pilots... i told you and before they are some of THE BEST pilots on earth... even with Spitfires they could do an excellent job... and a computer has not the intelligence of a human,,, :)
greetings my meditteranian friend ;)
pantofla13 2 years ago
no prob m8..
Hey, how can i say I love to my girlfriend in greek?
molinobeer 2 years ago
s'agapw :P
pantofla13 2 years ago
where are you from? I thought you were an american.
tasoscorsair 2 years ago
i'm from Portugal.. know?
molinobeer 2 years ago
:-D I cant forget 2004 and also the best place to go for vacations outside Greece!!!!
tasoscorsair 2 years ago
@tasoscorsair indeed. masterpiece of american engineering
JohnF30Music 1 year ago
@tasoscorsair so an agly fightjet but so nice
youmartissimo 6 months ago
Comment removed
smoothskiing2000 2 years ago
God everyone is so full of it on these comments ... On your profile your 40 .. you didn't fly corsairs in 87 unless you got out of highschool and finished college by about 10 years old and finished OCS by oh 16 or so LOL
smoothskiing2000 2 years ago
great vid though
smoothskiing2000 2 years ago
Great vid !
WarbirdFactory 2 years ago
i was in va-81 at nas cecil field
ejectmbsa 2 years ago
Greece was flying these a few years ago.
Auggie56 2 years ago
the stil fly them.......
metallicaras 2 years ago
The USAF also opperated A7ds for a few years then USAFR in Tucson AZ. These were great attack plane from what I've hear.
MOJONIXION 2 years ago
These were pretty good strafe plains. Not as good as the A-10 mind you. But it had the largest 1000r ound or so drum available. Plenty of 20MM lead to put on target.
Alcochaser 2 years ago
@ 2:54, those are A-6s flying in formation
sventology 2 years ago
That's just part of the video. I have no clue why they included them...
Historystartsnow 2 years ago
@Historystartsnow because fighters back then were to beautiful things
KEEPitGREEN4201 1 year ago
When I was a kid my dad commanded an A-7 squadron. I got to go out to sea and stand at the LSO station while my dad landed.
RobertGary1 3 years ago
VA 86 Sidewinders, VA 82 Marauders, USS Nimitz CVAN 68, 74-78
CVAN687478 3 years ago
NAS JAX Cecil Field
CVAN687478 3 years ago
My dad was responsible for a squadron of these planes on the USS Oriskany in 1970. He always spoke very highly of this plane's capabilities.
oriskany 3 years ago
one cool plane but F-14 Tomcat is better
bensundowner 3 years ago
You can't compare a close support plane with an interceptor ;-).
gerodinis 3 years ago
lol of course!
Historystartsnow 3 years ago
awesome bird...awesome vid...thanks for posting.
jjjazzycraig 3 years ago