A bunch of very dark Navy planes over San Diego ...

[WIX_Archive]

Contrast is a bit heavy with this set of photos.


US Navy F4U-4 VF-783 over San Diego area c 1953


F4U-4's of VF-783 over San Diego area c 1953


F6F-5 Hellcat and F8F-1 aircraft of ATU-2


F6F-5 FAIRBETUPAC over San Diego area c 1953


F6F-5's of FAIRBETUPAC over San Diego area c 1953


AD-3 AD-4Qs of Composite Squadron Thirty-Five (VC-35) near San Diego.


Three (3) F4U-4 aircraft of VF-783


Sixteen (16) TBM-3E's of Scouting Squadron Twenty-Three (VS-23) in flight formation out of San Diego.


TBM's in flight over San Diego area c 1953

[p51]

I have often wondered which was easier to find in the sky: Camo/OD/bare metal of USAAF/USAF planes or the dark blue of the navy ones?

[raconnel]

Great shots, thanks!
FAIRBETUPAC - Fleet Air <something> Training Unit Pacific?

Ah! Fleet Air Best Ever Training Unit Pacific!

Richard

[Craig59]

Great shots, thanks!
FAIRBETUPAC - Fleet Air <something> Training Unit Pacific?

Ah! Fleet Air Best Ever Training Unit Pacific!

Richard

Perhaps "Airborne" ???

Thank you as always, Mark.

[sandiego89]

Great shots, thanks!
FAIRBETUPAC - Fleet Air <something> Training Unit Pacific?

I'm usually pretty good with Navy gibberish acronyms, but that is a new one for me. Quick Google did not come up with anything useful. Agree with Training Unit Pacific, but the "B" (sometimes Bureau in Navy acronyms) is throwing me off??

[raconnel]

A Google search turned up a mention of someone being an electronics technician with FAIRBETUPAC.

Based on that, my best (serious) guess is Fleet AIRBorne Electronics Training Unit PACific.

Richard

[airnutz]

A Google search turned up a mention of someone being an electronics technician with FAIRBETUPAC.

Based on that, my best (serious) guess is Fleet AIRBorne Electronics Training Unit PACific.

Richard

In that mention, was he an instructor or attending class? I've been following this subject and looking thru my library as well as googling. Near as I can guess, FAIRBETUPAC may have been the initial ground school for learning the use of sonobuoys and other electronic devices. When you search under Fleet Airborne Electronics Training Unit Pacific, you get FAETUPAC or FAETULANT, depending on which coast you were, as the advanced training air element. That doesn't really explain the F6F's with FAIRBETUPAC on their sides...unless they were buoy droppers and the students came along in a PBY , Connie, or P2, etc. with listening gear to get their first taste of applying what they were learning in the classroom. The Naval History and Heritage Command website had nothing about FAIRBETUPAC and just an image of the unit patch when entering FAETUPAC into search. VPNavy website had a few entries, but not very much. They did have in their Shipmates section entries from folks that were in or trained/instructed at both. Aircrew survival training also appears to have been another subject under that umbrella. I suppose the only way to know for sure is to join and contact a few of them to get schooled by the guys/gals who were there?

[Mark Allen M]

Looks like I may have stumped ya's ...
Here's a few more that may help solve the puzzle.






TBM's in flight over San Diego area c 1953

[Mark Allen M]

F6F-5 out of NAS Atlantic City


F6F-5 Hellcat aircraft of VF-75 in flight.


F4U-4 Corsair aircraft of VA-5A in flight near San Diego, CA.


F4U-4 aircraft of VF-783 in flight

[sandiego89]

Looks like I may have stumped ya's ...

Yes you still have! Now you are teasing us....

I guess a training unit focused on ASW or RADAR training, thus the twin, Neptune and TBM's with radars....but the Hellcats without radar stumps me even more!

[JohnB]

The TBM looks very different without the back turret, almost modern.
You see lots of photos of wartime TBM's, and I've seen fire bombers in person as well as photos, but not many in post-war USN service.

The Navy penchant for long winded often unpronouncable abbreviations is amusing. Sure, I get some, but others are just weird.

[Combatmech]

16 TBM's.....that was a miracle. Kinda like all the Tomcats leaving the boat during the airwing fly-off. All super awesome photos!! Thanks for posting.
Could anyone imagine the sweet sound of 16 2600's?!?!? Pure magic!!

[airnutz]

....but the Hellcats without radar stumps me even more!

A better guess than my previous for the F6F's may be, when participating in Fleet exercises these F6F's may have taken on the role of the fighter screen protecting their charge. They may have dropped sonbuoys to mark the submarine contact tracking it until the ASW birds could arrive. My other guess was the F6F's weren't carrying the wing pods the day of the photo, but a Hellcat wouldn't have much room in the cockpit for anything but the smallest of a CRT screen. C'mon Mark, put us out of our misery! Or have you not been able to find the answer either?

[AG pilot]

Fleet Air Basic Electronics Training Unit Pacific?

[maxum96]

La Jolla in the background with the runways of Miramar just barely visible in the distance under the radome.