Frapha Loc: Tulsa, Oklahoma

Great video & lyrics -- thanks for posting.

sleepy51 Loc: Makoshika Park--Montana

Thanks for the Great-Ride---Awesome Pics ( always loved seeing the planes in full dress) "Skyraider" Our Air=Show was cancelled in Fargo, North Dakota this year because of the Sequester, guess I'll have to wait awhile to see the Blue Angels.

pipesgt Loc: Central Florida

I liked the bagpipes at the intro and the finale.

It adds a little class to the whole video.

BAGPIPES--Aye its a good Scot that can play them, and a Great Scot that chooses not to!!

anotherview Loc: California

As to the Skyraider in general, it came from the factory capable of many configurations. I served in VAW-13 as an ECM operator. This naval squadron flew the EA-1F (formerly AD-5Q) to perform electronic countermeasures, with the mission of training the 7th Fleet in responding to this electronic warfare technique. Of course, had a shooting war started, our Skyraiders would’ve flown against the enemy, but that is another story. In 1961, the Navy changed the plane’s designation to EA-1F, but the mission remained the same. The plane we flew sat four: A pilot, a navigator, and two aircrewmen in the backseat working the ECM, passive and active. The color picture posted here above shows one of the planes similar to those VAW-13 flew, although modified somewhat: the rear canopy has been converted to a blue Plexiglas. It has been painted in Vietnam Air Force colors.

In its its former configuration, the rear canopy had two opera windows. See the image here below of that configuration.

Note that in the four-seat configuration, the plane had its fuselage and its vertical stabilizer lengthened.

The A-1 configuration sat only a pilot, and in this configuration, it shot down a MiG in the Korean conflict.

See an image below showing the A-1 version.

You can learn more about the Skyraider here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_A-1_Skyraider

EA-1F "Skyraider"


A-1H "Skyraider"

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

:roll: :roll: :roll: I believe the Air Force flew the A1/E models. It was an orbiting rescue machine, flown by great airmen.

Graveman Loc: Indiana

I got to see a F-4 do a "hang in the air" one time. During a family day while in the USAF, the crowds attention was focused in one direction he came over a hill and trees that I have no idea how he kept it in the air. When the crowd was told to turn around he kicked it in and went over the crowd at not more that tree top height. I understand that a few people wet themselves.

My fav is still the "Warthog", having seen it work on the range in in war (1st Gulf) I would not like to be on the receiving end.

flyguy Loc: Las Cruces, New Mexico

Wonderful video, I just loved it. It brought back a lot of fond memories
of when I enlisted in the Navy Air Reserve at 17. We had a naval air station in my hometown (Weymouth, Ma) and I would skip school whenever the T34 was scheduled with only the pilot or even taking a flight in an SNB was an adventure.

GSQRD1 Loc: SAN ANTONIO, TX

THANK YOU!

GSQRD1 MAJ. USAF Ret. 8-)

flathead27ford Loc: Colorado, North of Greeley

Thanks for posting this. It is a wonderful video. Brought tears to my eyes. Cheers.

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

Thank you! Spent 44 years as a pilot - one Vietnam tour. Love the images of the WWII warbirds.

There is a company here in Colorado (Colorado Springs) whose sole operation is the restoration of WWII aircraft. Here is the F7F Tigercat that is about to be delivered to the owner. The F7F camd along at the very end of WWII - too late to enter combat as the Carrier qualification occurred in August of 1945.

home brewer Loc: Fort Wayne, Indiana

I think that the P-51 is a P-38 Lighting

Al FR-153 Loc: Chicago Suburbs

As a young boy, just post WWII and during Korea, we had P-51s, P-40s, a few P-38s and tons of $1.19s and Goons flying the skies around Pittsburgh. My head was always on a swivel. I think it was the sound of the Merlin (P-51) that managed to get into my bloodstream. Then, I fell in love, but it was the sound of quad T-56 Allisons on a bird they called the Herky Bird (C-130-A). Eight years later (4-aircraft, 4-Minuteman Missiles) I escaped from the USAF, but never that addiction to looking up at the sound of an engine, especially a recip.

As for Bob Hoover he remains a hero. Check this link out:

http://www.eaa.org/news/2012/2012-02-27_brat.asp

Thanks for the post and the memories.

PrairieSeasons Loc: Red River of the North

That reminds me of the old joke about Fokkers and Messerschmitts, but I'm not going to repeat it here.

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

I remember that joke!

anotherview Loc: California

Yes, correct. My posting used a wrong title for the P-38.