I think I asked before, but: are there any copies of this video still out there? This sure brings back memories of watching flight ops from the "crows nest" on the 011 and 09 levels! Can almost smell the JP-4!!!
Hello. My name is Rodney Chapman. I was attached to VAH-7 from December 1960 until January 1964 when the squadron departed for the "around the world" cruise with USS Bainbridge and USS Long Beach, We made 2 Med deployments aboard USS Enterprise: 1962 (Missiles of October) and 1963 (JFK assassination).
Also attached were AKCS Chuck Trovinger, AKC E Wrightson Harville, AK1 Bill Boggs, AK! Joe Kwasny, AK2 E. Dauz, AK2 John Suggs, AK3s Rod Chapman, Dan Tabaka, Norm Schirmer, Willie Collar, Tom Leckey.
If anyone out there remembers any of these, or may know where they are, please email me at dublin98@bellsouth.net
Also, If there are still photographs suitable for making up a shirt, I'd love to see it! I recently had some shirts made by an outfit named scottees67@gmail.com. This is a bit of history I wish to keep on remembering since tie Vigilante has been long gone!
BTW, the cost of a Vigie (including J79GE8 w/afterburner) was 17 Million bucks! Cheap by todays standards considering what an aircraft of that size could do!!
Back then that plane was the fastest in the fleet. same engines as the f14. I worked the flight deck, checking the afterburner on launch..... what a rush.. Launched off the sara,America,an JFK.. young an dumb,, now old an gray..enjoy!!!!!
Great product. Works as it should. Unplug the old and plug in the new and all is well. Takes 5 minutes tops to install.