We are posting, for your reading and enjoyment, past articles that have appeared in aviation publications, and first hand accounts of experiences while flying and serving with the A-3 Skywarrior. These will be sanctioned and controlled by the A-3 Association. If you would like to submit a story for public consumption please contact the webmaster.
from ANA Wings of Gold
by LCDR John A. Williams, USN (Ret.)
Title: "Bombs Away"
Submitted by Jerry Adams
Title: "All in a Days Work"
Submitted by Ronald DeSantis
Submitted by L.J. "Jack" Stevenson, LCDR USN (ret) AKA Speedo. This is Jack's account of how he became known as being a little, shall we say 'intense'.
Title: Close Shave II
Submitted by CDR Jim Newcomb USN RET. This is Jim's first hand account of a VAH-4 Det Bravo Skywarrior's (BuNo 138966) narrow escape after a broken 2 wire trap aboard the USS Ticonderoga.
Title: Bomb Scoring Unit
Submitted by TD2 Kenneth Minick of the NAF Naples Radar Bomb Scoring Unit.
Editors note: This is a piece of history and mentions the "Hoot Owls" of VAH-9.
by Gil Bouffard
Not a 'tale' but coverage of the VQ-5 Disestablishment ceremony at NAS North Island, Ca. on June 4, 1999.
Title: April Evening
Reprinted from Jan. 69 issue of Approach magazine.
Author: unknown
This event occurred on April 8, 1968 during carquals off San Diego aboard USS Constellation, CVA-64, in preparation for Wespac deployment of VAW-13 Det 64, later to become VAQ-133.
An account from the Assoc. of Naval Aviatiors "The best of Gramps"
Author: unknown
This article was submitted by 'Ole Whaler' Vic Kretsinger. If any whalers out there have a knowledge of this event, we are interested in the date, squadron, crew, BuNo and more details. Please contact us!
Written by: Gil (Buffy) Bouffard, SFC (E-7) U.S. Army 59-80 (retired). Gil earned his Navy Aircrew wings and flew in EA-3Bs with VQ-1 (68-70), as a signals collection operator/analyst, out of Atsugi, Japan. He now resides in Lathrop, Ca. Submitted to Hook magazine 1987.
Author: LCdr. Rick Burgess
Portions reprinted with permission from Naval Aviation News Nov/Dec 1991 issue.
This article reports the events of the A-3 Skywarrior's retirement ceremony on Sept. 27, 1991 at NAS Key West, Fl.
Articles reprinted from Approach Magazine 1961 and USS Ranger's newspaper reporting an onboard fire and bailout of an A-3B's crew. After the crew of 3 bailout, the pilot determines the fire to be out and traps aboard Ranger with no crew and no problems on July 6, 1961.
Author: unknown