Palm Springs Air Museum F/A-18A!

Joe Scheil · **Posted:** Fri Apr 22, 2005 2:40 pm

No pictures to post but the Palm Springs Air Museum's new F-18 A is being assembled today. She is Bu 162430, a lot 7 aircraft and is in really decent shape. She was an aggressor in the brown paint scheme, but is now overall navy low vis grey. Any chance any wixers know her assignments prior to Top Gun? There will be another modern aircraft arriving soon as well.....Hint Its Not a TU-95!

TimAPNY · **Posted:** Fri Apr 22, 2005 2:58 pm

Something I'd love to see is a FA-18 painted to Honor Scott Speicher Who is MIA from the First Gulf War. With the whole story attached to it. It’s a real sad story, with lots of questions that remain un-answered.

http://www.aiipowmia.com/inter22/in031602sta.html

If it was in Fallon, NV (VFA-37??) I most likely spend a few months around it. I bet it shot down several of our pilots.

Great to hear the Museum got one!

Or you could paint it up in VFA-22s colors, YCBAR! :wink:

mrhenniger · **Posted:** Fri Apr 22, 2005 3:15 pm

Where will be displayed? Will it take up a position outfront with the F-16, F-14, A-6 and A-4?

Mike

m50a1ontos · **Posted:** Fri Apr 22, 2005 9:59 pm

OOH boy that BUNO sure sounds familiar...I wonder if the famous flying doorstop (or no-mach wedgie) lurks under all the layers of paint...VFA-97 had lot 6 and 7 aircraft for the longest time after everybody else had lot 12 or better..all our birds went to top gun...then came back...then back to top gun after I left the squadron.

TimAPNY · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2005 7:12 am

m50a1ontos wrote:

OOH boy that BUNO sure sounds familiar...I wonder if the famous flying doorstop (or no-mach wedgie) lurks under all the layers of paint...VFA-97 had lot 6 and 7 aircraft for the longest time after everybody else had lot 12 or better..all our birds went to top gun...then came back...then back to top gun after I left the squadron.

When where you in VFA-97?

They joined CAG-11 at the end of 95. I was in VFA-22. 97 was still flying A models on the 96/97 West-Pac. We gave them a lot of credit keeping those birds in the air, to say they were tired would be an understatment.

m50a1ontos · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2005 11:29 am

I was in 97 from '95 to late '98....made two WESPAC's on the Kitty and workups on the Chucky V before xfering to WTS/VX-31. Yeah, those old "model A's" were a PITA...nobody had A specific parts....(supply), only C stuff. However...we didn't get the vast number of TD's that everybody else did....gotta love Micky-Boeing and their planned fix list that goes to 2020 or when ever...

Broken-Wrench · **Joined:** Sun Oct 24, 2004 12:37 pm **Posts:** 1197

Hey watch what your calling old! I was there in 82 when there Navy first recived them!

TimAPNY · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2005 1:52 pm

Navy a/c seem to age like dogs 1=7 years. :lol:

m50a1ontos · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2005 3:26 pm

Hehe...I joined the Navy in 1982! I'd have to agree on the 1=7 ageing process for airplanes...'specially with how those guys in the Top Gun sunglasses drive 'em :lol:

Jeeze, ya loan one a good up jet and they bring it back rode hard and put away wet :roll:

HarvardIV · **Joined:** Mon Oct 04, 2004 9:08 pm **Posts:** 1437

That's very true from what an ex-Navy Commander tells me. He said during the Vietnam war they flew the F-4 so hard on the carriers that it was quite routine for them to develop fuel leaks from getting pranged on the carrier!

Also heard a story that one of these F-4s landed at an Air Force Base, and they wouldn't let it take off. So the Lieutennant had to com eup with a good excuse to get the airplane back in the air.

m50a1ontos · **Posted:** Mon Apr 25, 2005 3:43 pm

Fuel leaks have always been a problem. Every Navy aircraft I've ever been around leaked...some bugs leak almost as bad as the A-7 did! It really gets bad out here during the summer...120+ degrees on deck, fly up to 30 thou where it's many below, cold soak the jet and then land back in 120 deg + and break out the drain pans!

One of the last dog and pony shows ever held here at the Lake featured a solo routine done by our XO in a Corsair II...he was retireing and so was the jet. He really bent it good and when he landed we lost cout of all the popped rivets and wrinkles.....I'd swear he had "leveled" the wings (no dihedral) on one really tight turn...It was towed straight to survivability.

Broken-Wrench · **Joined:** Sun Oct 24, 2004 12:37 pm **Posts:** 1197

I was Nas Lemoore AIMD Jet Shop! F-404 and TF-41. I wonder if the still have the the UH-1's there? I didn't like lemoore at first but it grew on me and it would consider it a good place to live.

TimAPNY · **Posted:** Tue Apr 26, 2005 12:59 pm

If you had some wheels at Lemoore it was Ok. if not it really stunk.

I was out to sea or Fallon so much I got by for most of my time with out a car. After getting a car my weekend were spent in the Mountains, Now they are what I miss.

m50a1ontos · **Posted:** Tue Apr 26, 2005 3:34 pm

Lemooreland...acck! Coudn't stand the place! The detailer thought I was crazy wanting to go BACK to China Lake....but then I'm kinda strange that way :lol:

Roger Cain · **Posted:** Wed Apr 27, 2005 8:15 pm

Broken-Wrench wrote:

I wonder if the still have the the UH-1's there?

Both NAS Lemoore and Fallon have a few HH-1N's that are still in use for S&R. I've seen them at several shows on the West Coast here last year. This picture is from the Watsonville Air Show last May.

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Palm Springs Air Museum F/A-18A!

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