Author: thejivebombers

P2V Neptune of VP-2, NAS Whidbey Island

img241 - Copy

It’s open house time, and in addition to the Neptune, we see a P5M Marlin cruising over NAS Whidbey’s Ault Field. They belong, respectively, to VP-2, and VP-47.

Whidbey was home to both aircraft and in the base’s former seaplane days, these dissimilar aircraft operated from the same station but in two geographically separated locales. Reason: Whidbey Island’s topography does not allow for a seaplane base and a landplane base in a single location. Therefore, the former is a few miles distant from the latter.

The P5M Marlin, being a straight flying boat (decidedly non-amphibious), won’t be landing at Ault Field anytime soon; it can only gaze down at the runways below. Conversely, the Neptune (also decidedly non-amphibious) would face a similar quandary while flying over the water/runway at the seaplane base.

Men of Utility Squadron 1 (VJ-1) at Pearl Harbor with a Sikorsky JRS-1

s43

One of the squadron’s JRS’s is still in existence. A survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor, it is awaiting restoration at the National Air & Space Museum(NASM). Today, there are several other former military aircraft that were in Hawaii that fateful morning, but the JRS-1 of the NASM is believed to be the most extant of those that were physically present at the scene of the attack; even the airplane’s squadron insignia – though faded – is still visible.

 

 

Chance-Vought O3U-3 is Craned Over the Side of USS Lexington

 

img105_stitch

 

Great photo of an O3U-3 being readied for flight. This could also be a post-flight recovery, but the running engine, tending lines, and the lack of dripping water tell me this aircraft is going over the side for takeoff and not the other way around.  Photo taken at NAS North Island. Aircraft carriers that also carried float planes were part of a remarkable era in aviation.

Note the sailing ship in the background.

Rockwell Field CA.

scan0022

Sharing the field with NAS North Island, Rockwell was home to countless early birdmen until the field was transferred to the navy in the late 30’s.

Side note: A friend who was NAS North Island skipper in the 1970’s gave me a rectangular man-hole cover (weighs a ton) that reads “Army Air Service.” Apparently, they were replacing them during his tenure as boss. I made a table top out of it.