The Lockheed P-3 Orion

A little video of the Aging Naval Maritime Patrol Aircraft, the Lockheed P-3 Orion. Song is by the Rolling Stones and is title the Gimme Shelter

Hope you like it, this is the first video I've made

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• airplane
• Lockheed
• lockheed
• P-3
• P-3C
• p-3c
• orion
• Orion

[keith558]

Great Video - I cut my teeth on this A/C and engines - flew center seat and was a flight line mechanic with VP-9 (1975-1979). Now I work on the P-8 Poseidon engines (CFM56-7B). Poetic justice!

[flighsimer]

@keith558 at Boeing or with VX-1 or VX-20? My brother is in VX-1 working on the P-3's engine but he will soon being transitioning to the CFM's.

[jjaagg5050]

My son is an AW with VP-45 and can't wait for the P-8 to be ready. So for you guys testing them, hurry up! LOL! GO NAVY!

[flighsimer]

@jjaagg5050 the pelicans :) when did he go there? that was my brother's squad until he went to dallas and then pax river. So last time he would have actually been there was 06.

He is now one of the guys testing the p-8 though, their squad hasnt recieved theirs yet, but will be recieving it soon. Their sister squad has their p-8's in his squads hangars right now. I got to see it and it is sweet looking!

[flighsimer]

@coo1aid pax river... the only base the p-8's are at...

[freaklemon]

This aircraft, with its unreliable flight directors and unsafe and crappy ASW-31 autopilot, was by far, the best transport category aircraft to hone one's skills as a pilot. I'll never forget shooting a raw, hand flown CAT III visibility (less than 1/8 SM) precision approach into KNXX in the late 90s. That's how precise our hand flying had gotten with dets at sites including Adak, Alaska and Keflavik, Iceland. There's no other training like it and the airlines sought us out.

[noidy26]

I remember as a youth in the early 80's my ole man use to take me on a stroll through

the hangers and up in the cockpit of these birds. Man I miss the days of smelling that

#2 oil. Life of a military brat. Rock on VP-45

[Gwedd]

As a former AW w/5000 hours in P-3's (P-3b & P-3cUII), I agree with the comments below that the P-8 is a waste of effort and treasure that our Navy can ill afford. The Navy should have had LockMart keep the P-3 line open and bought new builds with updated electronics and sensors.

If it ain't broke, don't try and fix it, and the P-3 isn't broke at all.

[Majikart]

I envy all you guys who flew in these awesome military aircraft, Lockheed P-3's are one of my all-time favorite militry aircraft, Go Navy!

[Dollashlong]

My father was a member of various P3 crews in his Navy career...VP4, VP8 and VP11.

Thanks for posting.

[LateNightCable]

I live across the highway from a US Naval Air Station, so I get to see these things circle low over my apartment nearly every day. And F-18's too, but the Orions are the best to watch because they come over low and slow!... Oh yeah, I like the B737, but screw the P-8 Poseidon!

[jonyboy1131]

@warrages1 Wow how long have you worked on them, 3weeks, maybe 4.....I just want you to explain to me, a real sailor, who has worked on A-6's, F-4's, A-4's, and P-3's, W/T56-14 engines (not the old -10's) how you would land that on a flat top, Crash net?, yea...no, whats the next option......I worked out of Barbers, VP-17, 4 years, did some of the first trips to Dodge, 3 west packs, and a pleasant trip to Adak. So again tell me....how do you land it on a flat top?

[centurion180ad]

@83rkt I've been on P3s.

A 737 is fine, for hauling a very narrow loadout profile of people or cargo at a minimum of cost at an exactly optimal altitude & speed for fuel conservation. This is a God awful and insane design for placing into a combat role. Doing this conversion is a death sentence, and a war looser.

If you want more processors on P3, tear out the old electronic systems and put in new ones. If you want better engines & busses, buil a new variant.

[83rkt]

@centurion180ad

Have you flown on the P-8 to make this assessment? The P-8's will run circles around the P-3. My smart phone has more processing capabilities than a P-3. I wasn't excited about the P-8 at first either, but it so much better, especially since there is no cranky FE's to put up with!

[Queenman1]

I was a flight engineer in VP-26 stationed in Brunswick, Maine. These planes are awesome...I do not not think the P-8 will even come close to their performance! Certainly they will not have "time on station' the the P-3's could achieve. And what about the weapon load?? P-3's had a wide variety of weapons to take to the enemy. When I was first in, we had Bullpup missles...scared the hell out of the right seater when they went off! I saw the hell with the P-8...Orions rule!