8-Hour Bayer

Gauntlett Honors. LTJG Jeff Kjenaas of the VAQ-136 Gauntlets, homeported in Japan as part of USS Kitty Hawk's CVW-5, proudly reported the following squadron highlights. Three personnel have become Chief Petty Officers. Above, I to r, are the new CPOs: AMC Harry Burke, AMEC Richard Johnson and AEC Troy Tomey. Newly qualified Plane Captains, responsible for servicing and maintaining the Gauntlet's five EA-6B Prowlers, are pictured at top left. They are AN Steven Rutterbush, at left, and AN Korey Henderson. At left is AME1 Petronilo Gomez, Gauntlet Quality Assurance Leading Petty Officer. A continuing success story, Gomez has been selected as Sailor of the Year (2001) for VAQ-136, CVW-5 and Carrier Group Five. A native of the Philippines, Gomez gradauted 13th out of 1,000 in his high school class, ranked 7th of 1,800 Mechanical Engineering graduates nationwide, joined the Navy in 1989, was meritoriously advanced in boot camp, was a distinguished graduate of the Physical Security School and has qualified as both an Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist and an Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist. He has also earned five Navy Achievement Medals. CO of VFA-136 is CDR Steve Baxter.

Wingless Bird. In a previous issue, ANA member Larry Sharpe noted mention of "Que Sera Sera," a famed R4D Skytrain that served in the Antarctic. Larry took this photo of the transport when he had duty there in 1958. The plane's wings had been removed for loading onto USS Wyandot (AKA-92) and for transfer to the U.S. Que Sera Sera is now at the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Florida.

DCAG's 1,000th Trap. LTJG Trevor Mead submitted this report:

CAPT Donald Quinn, Deputy CAG of CVW9, achieved his 1,000th carrier arrested landing on January 14th, 2002 on board USS John C. Stennis. The milestone came at the end of a 4.8 hour flight in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. LT "Chef" Smelley piloted the VAQ-138 Prowler (at right) with LT "Stinky" Rothaermel and LTJG "Franken berry" Whelpley rounding out the crew. He was congratulated by RADM Zortman (CCG7); CAPT McDonell, Stennis CO; and CAPT "Dawg" Thompson, COMCVW-9. CAPT Quinn said, "The glory goes to the men and women wearing the multi-colored shirts. Without them, carrier aviation would be a far cry from what it is today." CVW-9 deployed two months early and is now on station in the North Arabian Sea flying Enduring Freedom missions.

Follow-Up

ANA member, John D. banner, at left, was a USMC pilot during the Korean War and happened to be at an airfield called "Jersey Bounce" in South Korea when Ken Schechter, flying an VF-94 AD Skyraider from USS Valley Forge, made an intentional gear up landing on the rough, 2,000 foot airstrip under the most extreme circumstances. As described in a Wings of Gold article (page 56, Fall 2001 issue) Schechter had been blinded by an enemy shell which struck him in the cockpit during a bombing run. His wingman, Howie Thayer, successfully guided Schechter to a safe, crash landing at Jersey Bounce. banner had his camera handy and took this remarkable photograph of the severely wounded and bloodied Schechter on a stretcher. He was medevaced and although he lost the sight of one eye, he is alive today.

CDR David Crosby submitted this report: Spectators at the Blue Angel Family Day Air Show practice in Pensacola last November witnessed a unique formation fly-by of Training Air Wing Six aircraft. Piloting the lead aircraft, a USAF T-1 Jayhawk, was the Wing Commander, CAPT Pieter VandenBergh. Joined on him were a T-39 Sabreliner, a T-2 Buckeye and a T-34C Turbo-Mentor. All aircraft are flown in the Wing to train USN, USMC, USAF and allied NFOs. The Wing graduates 600 students annually. Germany has the largest international contingenent. Other countries represented are Saudi Arabia, Norway, Singapore and Denmark.

Hornets Over Patuxent. All versions of the F/A-18 are represented in this tiered formation of Hornets over NAS Patuxent River, MD. At the controls of the A through F versions, from top to bottom, are LCOL Joseph Mortensen; MAJ Roger Cordell with Mr. Greg Studds; LCDR Jack Waters; LCDR Mark Bruington with LT John Blocker; LCDR Tim Morey, and CDR W. Reuter with MAJ David Chandler.

Sea Knight at Work. USMC CAPT J.A. Rogers photographed this HMM-261 CH-46E completing Deck Landing Qualifications (DLQs) on board USS Wasp (LHD-1). HMM-261 is the Air Com bat Element (ACE) of the 22nd MEU

Harriers on USS Wasp (LHD-1). VMA-542 AV--8B Harriers conduct Deck Landing Qualifications on board USS Wasp. Squadron particpated with HMM-261 (see previous page) in preparation for deployment in early 2002. Photo by CAPT R.B. Davis.

VFA-97's Top Hookers. LT Russell Girty of the VFA97 Warhawks reported that his squadron has won another Top Hook Award on board USS Carl Vinson. Kneeling I to r in the photo are ENS Rocky Pulley, LT Oscar Montes, CDR James Leland (X0), CDR Charles Sternberg (CO), LT Russell Girty and LT Bobby Markovich. Standing are ENS Chris Horton, LCDR Eric Simon, LCDR "JJ" Reich, LT Joe Bayer, LT Joe Silver, LT Doug Peterson, LTJG Derek Breeding, LT Ed Harshany, LTJG Rich Grove, LT Q "Barbie" Sterling, LT Paul Campagna and LCDR Eric Wright.

Comfort in New York. A Navy flight deck director guides an Army Blackhawk to a landing on board USNS Comfort (T-AH20). The helo was transporting The Honorable Thomas E. White, Secretary of the Army, to the hospital ship while Comfort was deployed to New York City following the terrorist attack. PH2 Aaron Peterson took the photo.

Copyright Association of Naval Aviation Winter 2001
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