25 years ago

30 June 1987.
The Good Ship Kitty Hawk arrived at Pier 7, Naval Station Norfolk VA.
We had completed a six month around the world cruise with Carrier Air Wing Nine embarked. I was a member of that Air Wing, in Attack Squadron 147, The Argonauts.
It turned out to be my last deployment to the other side of the world.
Dang, how time flies.
Twenty Five Years ago...............................I was 32 and my kids were still in grade school.
The picture is of the Battle Group somewhere in The Indian Ocean/Northern Arabian Sea area of operations. All the vessels in this picture are in yards, ship maintenance facilities and the like. The Navy is a lot different now days.

Airplane stuff for Buck and anyone else. And a beer, too!

Just for Buck.

Ain't it just so damn cool. Even us Naval Air and Marine Air guys love this airplane. Tomcat guys do not count for the most part. When I was in the A-6 community, our motto was, Medium Attack, Everything Else Is Just Support.

For the Air Force, these "Hogs" were and still are the best close in attack airplane left in the inventory. I served with Marines who dreamed of a carrier version for those funny, far off, shit holes we always spent time just over the horizon from.

I ran into an engineer from L-M Fort Worth the other day. He described the F-16 Falcon as the "finest multi-role combat aircraft ever built" Old dogs should be wary of the multi thing. And he could have been my son. Jeez, Buck. The engineers are children. And I would have to now argue on the side of the F/A-18E/F. It can also do the tanker thing. I don't think Falcons, Eagles and Raptors can do that.

And a note of somewhat historical significance. The 17th of December would have been my Paternal Grandfather's 106th Birthday. For the uninitiated, that very same day in 1903 was when Orville and Wilbur flew the Wright Flyer at Kill Devil Hill, Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

And the top image is of what I am enjoying at present. Got it at Albertson's in Tehachapi. Decent taste and body at a reasonable price.