Warbird Information Exchange

Bit weird seeing this photo - i thought the USN retired the Bombcat in 2006 right? So what is one doing on a aircraft carrier now for service?

The ship concerned (LHD6, USS Bonhomme Richard) isn't a carrier, and doesn't have catapults fitted.

Therefore, it doesn't take a huge leap to surmise that it's a retired aircraft hoisted aboard for display purposes.

There dont seem to be any ejector seats in it also

LHD-6 is seen arriving in Pearl Harbour for Rimpac exercises in June. Since she is a helicopter carrier she has no catapults. I would suspect that she is transporting the shell of an F-14. Note: no seats in her. She makes a nice "bow ornament".

Regards
Steve

It's probably going to the Pacific Museum on Ford Island. I expect if it is, we'll all see articles on it by KT B-J in every magazine for the next year!:wink:
Jerry

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

That will be F-14D 163904, which was flown into North Island on 29Sep06. I saw it in April this year in the USS Hornet museum restoration area on base.
Regards,
Andy Marden

USA Military Out of Service

???USS Midway restoration area???

Oops, quite correct Mike.
Andy

More info here:
http://starbulletin.com/2008/07/02/news/story06.html

My cousin Ron Zemple was killed on the "Bonnie Dick" in 1969 in Vietnam's Gulf of Tonkin.

He was a SAR and his SAR Chopper was hit by a pitching deck as they lifted off, killing all aboard her as she sank into the ocean.

No bodies were found, as they all went down with her.

His name is on the Vietnam Wall in DC along with his crew members.

RIP cousin.

Speaking of Bon Homme Richard, one of my favorite WWII stories is from Mike Novosel, Viet Nam Medal of Honor recipient, and WWII B-29 AC. After the end of the war, he was flying a B-29 near BHR, and they fired a few AA rounds at her, just as practice. A little miffed, he put his aircraft into the BHR's pattern, dropped flaps and gear, and simulated a landing approach. After terrifying the LSO, who furiously tried to wave him off, he banked left and around- he stated if it hadn't been for the island, he would have bounced his gear off the deck, just to teach them about shooting near friendlies!

He retired in the mid 1980s as the last WWII USAAF pilot on active flying duties in the US military. (He passed away in the 1990s)

Robbie

Robbie,

There's also a rumor (semi-hotly denied) that an RC-135 RJ did something similar to the Soviet carrier Kiev, once upon a time....

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Bob

I heard the same thing about the RJ's doing that when I was working with them at Offutt.

I know though that when we flew Comabt Sent missions out of Mildenhall, they would spray down 849 when she got back because she flew so low it sprayed ocean salt water up on her.

Now that is scary!

Paul, my father was also a SAR assigned to HC-1 aboard the Bonnie Dick
he also knew the othe crew members of the helicopter. His name is Ernest Joyce.

I just finished transferring all of his slides to CD, when I get some more time I will post some.

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Kevin Joyce
Kevinjoycephotography.com

My friend, John Reynolds, flew Skyraiders in the Korean war off the Bon Homme Richard and it was a carrier then, don't know it it is a different ship of the same name? Doesn't that look like a carrier deck?

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Bill Greenwood
Spitfire N308WK