machia Loc: NJ

You flew ASW patrols? Trackers were based @ NASLakehurst, NJ, blimps retired in 1962 and Connies then took over the patrols for a few more years. Woke up every morning listening to those S-2's going out to sea..... Nothing like the sweet sound of those radials! An astigmatism in my left eye kept me out of being able to try to fly for the military , but got my private pilots license, and got a few hours in on an AT-6. Powerful airplane and a lot of fun to fly.
Thanks for your service.

TucsonCoyote Loc: Tucson AZ

Now we are getting somewhere ...... :XD: 8-)

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

You are welcome, but thank you for letting me play with your airplanes!

I was in during the early 70s. Some S-2 were still doing ASW from carriers, but not me. I was flying out of Pt Mugu where they had a few specially equipped ES-2Ds. All the ASW gear was removed except the radar. A huge amplifier and loudspeaker was installed. Our job was to clear the firing area of the Pacific Missile Range before "test shots". When we found boats or ships in the restricted areas we would turn on the loudspeaker and announce, "You are in a hazardous missle impact area. Contact Range Control on 2182 megahertz".

The Connies at Pt Muge in the early 70s were the last the Navy had. They too were special models of the EC-121. They flew a long ways out into the Pacific and had special radio receivers to collect data transmitted from missiles being tested or developed.

Before they threw me out, I did fly ASW in P-3s out of Hawaii. My then young bride and I lived in Navy housing. Ours was actually on the beach at the entrance to Pearl Harbor. If you fly to Honolulu, it is the last house you fly over before landing!

My Vietnam service was in P-3s where we watched and photographed any suspicious ships in the ocean around the war zone. Our primary "weapon" was a hand held Bessler Topcon 35mm SLR with Kodak Tri-X film.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

I think I agree!

machia Loc: NJ

My buddy got in the Navy and flew Orions out of Hawaii, have to find out what squadron he was in. My weapon of choice was a Minolta SRT-101 with a 58mm f1.4 lens....... The aerial view of New Jersey has changed dramatically since the early 1970's, once predominately agricultural outside the cities, it is now mostly a concrete and asphalt jungle ! But South Jersey is still pretty much like it was especially around the Pine Barrens were NAS Lakehurst is. It's actually a Naval Air Engineering Base now. They put the new F35 through her paces there, doing launches and landings on a concrete strip that is designed to be like a carrier deck.
Best memories of flying back then was skimming the tree tops in an old Cessna, and when you came to an opening in those vast areas of pines, the herds of deer would scatter into the brush when hearing the approaching engine. Shot everything with Kodachrome 25, but never got a picture of Bigfoot, but I'm still searching though ! lol

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

For awhile I worked for Cessna. Part of my sales territory was Alaska. To get there from Washington I sometimes got to skim the treetops!