Did you know that registration to Fighter Control is completely free and brings you lots of added features? Find out more....

NAS Miramar '74 - part 1

Warbirds, Replicas and Nostalgic photos in here please.
Post Reply
User avatar
eLaReF
Posts: 681
Joined: Sat Dec 05, 2009 6:41 pm

NAS Miramar '74 - part 1

Post by eLaReF » Sat Sep 14, 2019 2:48 pm

On my ’74 trip, there were 4 Scots, 2 Welsh & 28 English spotters. My wife was the only female. Why I’m saying this will become clear later, hopefully.

It was generally organised that every second day was aircraft and every other day was not organised or was something else such as Disneyland. So, one of our 4 had written off using ROC headed paper asking ‘Can we see round yer airfield, please mister?’ to various places for when we had free days. One of those who said yes was Miramar NAS. :clap: :clap: :clap:

We turned up slightly late since our hired car broke, and were getting a slight bollocking when we mentioned it was a Chevvy Nova. The attitude changed with a comment like ‘No wonder’ and we were taken further in. Then a voice behind a partition said – ‘Have they got their kilts on??’. We had to explain that it was far too hot for kilts, but he had great difficulty in believing this. Anyway he delegated an ex-Nam Toom driver to be our guide and sent us off.

As we walked to the start of the flight-line, the guide/pilot was talking to Mrs eLaReF and generally ignoring us, but gave us instructions on the lines of ‘Don’t go into hangars and don’t get run over by any Tomcats!’ – I told her to keep chatting him up – she wasn’t ugly – It didn’t seem too difficult! :thumbs:
So the three of us were left to walk the 1½ miles of flightline up & back, take numbers & photos, he kept chatting her up and no-one said anything to us!!
:thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs:

This album is the result. Photos generally in Bu No order, so some older types first in this part

This Hellcat seemed to vanish after being seen by us, but eventually a long time later, according to Planebase, turned up on the USS Yorktown, but the museum say they just have an F6F-5 79593
Image79669 Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat c/n A10814 by eLaReF, on Flickr

Image133118 Grumman US-2A Tracker msn G89 VX-4 XF111 by eLaReF, on Flickr
Image133118 Grumman US-2A Tracker msn G89 VX-4 XF111 by eLaReF, on Flickr


Image136450 Grumman US-2B Tracker msn G359 Miramar 450 by eLaReF, on Flickr


Image138291 North American T-28B Trojan msn 200-362 Miramar by eLaReF, on Flickr
Image138291 North American T-28B Trojan msn 200-362 Miramar by eLaReF, on Flickr
Image138291 North American T-28B Trojan msn 200-362 Miramar by eLaReF, on Flickr


This T-28 was in the FRAMP hangar along with some Phantoms for Maintenance Training and presumably sign-writing as well
Image138354 North American T-28B Miramar msn 200-425 by eLaReF, on Flickr


Image145118 Douglas A-4C Skyhawk VC-7 UH12 by eLaReF, on Flickr


Image145641 Vought RF-8G Crusader VFP-63 NL601 by eLaReF, on Flickr


Image145645 Vought RF-8G Crusader VFP-63 NF631 by eLaReF, on Flickr


Image146827 Vought RF-8G Crusader VFP-63 NM644 by eLaReF, on Flickr


Image146890 Vought RF-8G Crusader VFP-63 AE622 by eLaReF, on Flickr


Image146892 Vought RF-8G Crusader VFP-63 NP613 by eLaReF, on Flickr

Image147752 Douglas A-4C Skyhawk VC-7 UH10 by eLaReF, on Flickr


Image147783 Douglas A-4C Skyhawk VC-7 UH 03 by eLaReF, on Flickr
Image147783 Douglas A-4C Skyhawk VC-7 UH 03 by eLaReF, on Flickr


Image148548 Douglas A-4C Skyhawk VC-7 UH13 by eLaReF, on Flickr


Image149430 McDonnell F-4B Phantom FRAMP OJT 2 by eLaReF, on Flickr


Image149645 Douglas A-4C Skyhawk VC-7 UH05 by eLaReF, on Flickr


Image149656 Douglas A-4E Skyhawk Top Gun 21 by eLaReF, on Flickr


Image149806 Lockheed KC-130F Hercules VMGR352 Blue Angels 8 by eLaReF, on Flickr
.
.
EDI Spotter since 1958 (When it was RAF Turnhouse)
.
If you are impatient, all of my photos are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/elaref/co ... 913377036/

Punkrunner62
Posts: 3109
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2014 3:55 pm
Location: Aberdeen

Re: NAS Miramar '74 - part 1

Post by Punkrunner62 » Sat Sep 14, 2019 2:56 pm

What can you say, no matter how many you have, keep them coming. This series is outstanding.
Cheers.

User avatar
Blackcat1
Posts: 24773
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2009 12:06 pm
Location: Southern edge of the Brecon Beacons, South Wales

Re: NAS Miramar '74 - part 1

Post by Blackcat1 » Sat Sep 14, 2019 7:07 pm

Classic!!
Gareth

6 Sqdn Canopeners
Oculi exercitus
Blackcats remembered
Jaguar Force Excellance! 2nd July 07.

User avatar
paddyboy
Posts: 23688
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2011 7:32 pm
Location: Somewhere in Norfolk

Re: NAS Miramar '74 - part 1

Post by paddyboy » Sun Sep 15, 2019 4:54 am

Scooters, Crusaders and a Toom :Wow:

Thanks for posting :thumbs:

Paddyboy :clap:
XH558, always the first lady in my life
Just remember, please don't tell the wife


Image
GRIM REAPERS SUPPORTER

iainpeden
Posts: 1054
Joined: Fri Sep 09, 2011 7:20 pm

Re: NAS Miramar '74 - part 1

Post by iainpeden » Sun Sep 15, 2019 8:42 am

The FRAMP badge on the tail of the VF-121 F-4B is a new one on me.

User avatar
eLaReF
Posts: 681
Joined: Sat Dec 05, 2009 6:41 pm

Re: NAS Miramar '74 - part 1

Post by eLaReF » Sun Sep 15, 2019 1:00 pm

I really need to re-scan the negative, but a quick blow-up shows:-

Image149430 McDonnell F-4B Phantom FRAMP Badge by eLaReF, on Flickr


I re-scanned that bit at 12,800 dpi!
.
.
EDI Spotter since 1958 (When it was RAF Turnhouse)
.
If you are impatient, all of my photos are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/elaref/co ... 913377036/

iainpeden
Posts: 1054
Joined: Fri Sep 09, 2011 7:20 pm

Re: NAS Miramar '74 - part 1

Post by iainpeden » Sun Sep 15, 2019 4:13 pm

Now I will test your memory! What were the colours? :whistle:

User avatar
eLaReF
Posts: 681
Joined: Sat Dec 05, 2009 6:41 pm

Re: NAS Miramar '74 - part 1

Post by eLaReF » Sun Sep 15, 2019 4:48 pm

3 of us took photos
Me - B&W
1 sold his B&W negatives and then had a leaky roof take out his prints - I never got copies
The last took colour slides but never digitised them or even catalogued them I believe. They sat in his attic with many others. Late in life he got married and moved south, donating his slides to AB-Pic I believe.
But they haven't yet, AFAIK been digitised.
So - all I can say is 'Various shades of grey' :thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs:
.
.
EDI Spotter since 1958 (When it was RAF Turnhouse)
.
If you are impatient, all of my photos are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/elaref/co ... 913377036/

dollar99
Posts: 293
Joined: Thu Feb 11, 2010 1:16 pm
Location: Swindon

Re: NAS Miramar '74 - part 1

Post by dollar99 » Mon Sep 16, 2019 3:10 pm

Very nice set. I was looking up that Hellcat recently as it has been confused with the one in the San Diego museum, both being ex NACA/NASA! This one certainly seems to have totally vanished.
Eagles soar, but Weasels don't get sucked in to jet engines.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/139706453@N02/albums

User avatar
jaybee
Posts: 1436
Joined: Thu Aug 19, 2010 2:30 pm

Re: NAS Miramar '74 - part 1

Post by jaybee » Tue Sep 17, 2019 11:14 am

Brilliant retro set...just got to love those Crusaders...Takes me back to life in the 1960s, up North, drooling over "Observer" books in the local library(trying to look intelligent)ha,ha :unsure: :thumb:
Oh the games people play now :ninja:

User avatar
eLaReF
Posts: 681
Joined: Sat Dec 05, 2009 6:41 pm

Re: NAS Miramar '74 - part 1

Post by eLaReF » Tue Sep 17, 2019 3:03 pm

jaybee wrote:
Tue Sep 17, 2019 11:14 am
Brilliant retro set...just got to love those Crusaders...Takes me back to life in the 1960s, up North, drooling over "Observer" books in the local library(trying to look intelligent)ha,ha :unsure: :thumb:
I'm still trying!

But I did/do love Crusaders!! :thumb:
.
.
EDI Spotter since 1958 (When it was RAF Turnhouse)
.
If you are impatient, all of my photos are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/elaref/co ... 913377036/

User avatar
eLaReF
Posts: 681
Joined: Sat Dec 05, 2009 6:41 pm

Re: NAS Miramar '74 - part 1

Post by eLaReF » Tue Sep 17, 2019 3:05 pm

dollar99 wrote:
Mon Sep 16, 2019 3:10 pm
Very nice set. I was looking up that Hellcat recently as it has been confused with the one in the San Diego museum, both being ex NACA/NASA! This one certainly seems to have totally vanished.
I asked on the Facebook WIX page
It has apparently been in the San Diego museum for a l-o-n-g time
Not sure how I missed that :huh: :huh:
The confusion is with the one in the USS Yorktown which some sources say is 79669 but is actually 79593
.
.
EDI Spotter since 1958 (When it was RAF Turnhouse)
.
If you are impatient, all of my photos are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/elaref/co ... 913377036/

dollar99
Posts: 293
Joined: Thu Feb 11, 2010 1:16 pm
Location: Swindon

Re: NAS Miramar '74 - part 1

Post by dollar99 » Tue Sep 17, 2019 5:58 pm

eLaReF wrote:
Tue Sep 17, 2019 3:05 pm
I asked on the Facebook WIX page
It has apparently been in the San Diego museum for a l-o-n-g time
Not sure how I missed that :huh: :huh:
The confusion is with the one in the USS Yorktown which some sources say is 79669 but is actually 79593
Well according to their own web page the San Diego one was built as Bu No 42874 but spent her whole flying career with NACA/NASA as 158 before ending up in the museum in 1979. I believe she now carries 42874 but it's been a long time since I was there!

But there is always a possibility that it's a composite airframe and has switched identities over time. Certainly 79669 does not appear in any internet searches as being in one piece anywhere while there are lots of references to 42874! One day we might know the answer ;) BTW when I saw her in the museum in 1981 I recorded her as 42874.
Eagles soar, but Weasels don't get sucked in to jet engines.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/139706453@N02/albums

User avatar
eLaReF
Posts: 681
Joined: Sat Dec 05, 2009 6:41 pm

Re: NAS Miramar '74 - part 1

Post by eLaReF » Tue Sep 17, 2019 6:16 pm

It was marked 1158 when I saw it which 'might' be a connection to '158' :roll: :roll:
The museum at least says right at the end of this page, that it was at Miramar, leaving in 1979 but calls it an F6F-3
http://sandiegoairandspace.org/collecti ... -3-hellcat
Obviously lots of confusion between Miramar/San Diego/USS Yorktown :S :S :S :S
Can anyone tell me the difference from an F6F-3 in my pic? The radar fairing was, unfortunately on the hidden starboard wing
.
.
EDI Spotter since 1958 (When it was RAF Turnhouse)
.
If you are impatient, all of my photos are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/elaref/co ... 913377036/

User avatar
eLaReF
Posts: 681
Joined: Sat Dec 05, 2009 6:41 pm

Re: NAS Miramar '74 - part 1

Post by eLaReF » Wed Sep 18, 2019 6:10 am

For the last 40 odd years, I've never noticed two things in the shot of the VFP-63 RF-8G :blush:
1 - Its Codes and those of the similar one next to it are in WHITE!
2 - It has this cartoon figure on the fin - Anyone know the significance?
Image145645 Vought RF-8G Crusader VFP-63 NF631 Fin Detail by eLaReF, on Flickr
.
.
EDI Spotter since 1958 (When it was RAF Turnhouse)
.
If you are impatient, all of my photos are at https://www.flickr.com/photos/elaref/co ... 913377036/

Post Reply

Return to “Warbirds, Replicas and Nostalgic Photography”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 64 guests