Man, hats off to you guys. I spent 20 years in the Army Infantry, loved watching fast movers do their thing and drop steel on target in country....would always bug our JTAC with dorky questions. Would have loved to pursue aviation somehow, hell, even a flight engineer on a P-3. No regrets though and I'm a huge fan of watching these videos. Keep doing good things, fellas. Every time I see you guys flying around Miramar, North Island, etc, makes me proud as hell.
1981 - 1984 I was a member of VA-176 onboard the USS Independence. We flew the A6-E/KA-6D Intruder/Tanker, the smaller cousins to the EA-6B in this video. I worked on the flight deck for quite some time. Would love to go back and do it again.
Fantastic! I really admire these old "steam gauge" pilots flying off the boat. Very impressive having to size everything up flying around the pattern at night or in bad weather.
Incredible, absolutely incredible. Former ground pounder here too, with about 300 hours as a gunner on a UH60 in 05-06. You guys and gals have balls the size of watermelons to do what you do.
Thank you for the vid.....I always like to see those 'boys' on deck do their dance, I liked how you were able to pan around to capture their sigs!!! Especially liked the mirror on lower canopy showing your turbines turning, Nice!! From a Vet...Go Navy!!
The A-6 and the E-6 are one of those cool-ass bomber-type of planes from my childhood that I was all wanting to fly instead of fighters (I was a weird kid). Thanks for recording it. "The flight of the Intruder" was the only other movie I had to watch =p.
It’s a trip watching the launches and especially the recoveries. I had the #3 arresting gear cable run through our sleeping compartment with a sheet metal box covering it about a foot from my bunk. It was loud !!!
Will p I think it did happen in the past. Can’t sure an incident though. But those cables are pretty beefy. Mainly the noise came from the tension system for the cables where the cables wrapped around these large wheels to slow the plane down gradually but quickly. We had four cables on deck and the planes usually grabbed #3. Seemed that way if you’re trying to sleep.
@@jackdaniel.2546 i was on vinson and was saying while i was on i never seen it i was in v2 division launch and recovery...cables are 1 3/4 the cdp is a tad smaller but still its a huge cable and scary if it would snap and we alternated positions in v2 and def hook running was scariest
Will p Most dangerous job in the world is the flight deck. Just ask John McCain, oh wait he’s dead. I was on the Coral Sea with F-4’s, A-7 Corsairs, A-4 Skyhawks and A-6 Intruders. Had a buddy who worked flight deck on the Intruders in our squadron and walked by a plane turning up when he was sucked up to the bird cage over the intake. Crazy stuff. There was also a guy with ships company who disappeared one night at sea. Guess he was kind of a jerk and the word was he accidentally fell off the fantail one night.
@@jackdaniel.2546 im 45 and i remember 1st time i hook ran i was 19 ..ive never been so scared when i did it solo ..also its not a matter of if you ever get blew down by a jet or when you get blew down
@@damienhill6383 Yeah, but they where all aluminum..... I bet you could throw a million magnets in the stockroom and all they would stick to was the shelves....
Steel landing gear struts and stainless steel coated heat shields surrounding the engines. Steel parts involved in tubing connectors. For a couple of decades if you saw one of these planes it was probably using hydraulic and/or fuel lines I fabricated. On some A-6 variants the Norfolk government maintenance depot was the sole source for an improved tube on the main landing gear.
I was ships company on the TR (a plank owner) and I had a friend I went through basic with that ended up as an ABE (Aviation Boatswains Mate Equipment) and I used to go down to the cat machinery room and watch those guys. They have a chart for the settings on each plane that can be launched and at the far end of the scale was the Prowler fully loaded with bombs. The only thing close was the F-14 set up for CAP. It was all the cats could handle getting a fully loaded Prowler into the air. Many times they were too heavy, so they would launch with minimum fuel just to get airborne, then tank on the way to their target. A bomb truck.
A prowler didnt carry bombs. But it was heavy depending on the configuration. And they didnt take off light on fuel. Always bagged out. A tomcat and a super hornet were heavier off the cat than a prowler.
@Jasonsenipor innocent farmers in Syria? Are you familiar with the concept of URBAN WARFARE? Yeah, I didn't think so. Listen if you are trying to make the point that Obomba dropped a lot of bombs on a lot of innocent civilians, you're right. But if you are a Trump supporter, maybe just watch from the sidelines. Your argument doesn't make any sense and you are making US look bad. If you're not a Trump supporter, then by all means, keep up the good work. OH by the way. Obama ordered under 600 airstrikes by drone Now that IS ten times more than Bush. But if you add up all the engagements under the Obama administration and civilian and military personnel deaths and multiplied it by 20 you MIGHT be in the 10's of thousands of deaths.... So, let's recap. No farmers were targeted or most likely killed by american's in Syria. Farmers don't tend to live in Urban areas much less Urban Warfare areas.... 2 million people most of them innocent civilians. Really. Show me some documentation that adds up to 100,000. You can't. But try, my guess is you haven't really looked. You will be surprised at how much the casualty rates have dropped since we stopped fighting world wars. WWII saw the deaths of conservatively 60-70 million people. And that included the dropping of the mother and the daughter of all bombs on TWO CIVILIAN cities and general warfare for many years. All out war. If you really think Obombya could kill a third of the civilians that Hitler did, in two terms as president, without the ENTIRE WORLD screaming bloody murder about it you are nucking futs.
Too bad Stephen, you missed a great ride. In 1973 as an enlisted man I made about 10 of these rides off the USS Constellation in the A-6 Intruder, the precursor to the Prowlers. Still fond memories.
Awesome! I watched A-6 Intruders at Boardman Bombing Range in 1980, and this is practically the same plane. The planes that we spotted for were from Whidbey Island WA. There was also a squadron of them at NAF El Centro in 1988, doing practice bombing at China Lake.
@Paul Pflaum no I've never been in combat, and no I don't think I'd have the mental fortitude to stay sane in such a situation. still I think calling killing hilarious is dehumanizing.
Larry Melancon I spent two weeks on your boat TAD to do cat and trap recertifications. Out of Mayport in '77 or '78. We had orange tail birds among the air wing. I did brown shirt and white shirt duties for the A-6/EA-6.
Loved it! I used to work on these in the early 80's on the Ranger and Kennedy as an ATAN-AT2 with VAQ-137 the ROOKS, 1st O-Level then I-Level. Had a lot of fun then, on board. Used to play a lot of Risk, Monopoly, Spades and all sorts of games up in WC 610 COM/NAV shop. Thanks for sharing. Best Wishes & Blessings. Keith Noneya AT1 USN/USNR-TAR Retired
Flight of the Intruder is my favorite war plane movie. Nostalgia perhaps but I think it's the plane. The A6 and F4 might be coolest looking duo ever! (A10,F14,F117,F22/35,SR71, Concord,C130,B17/52)
I like how the pilot head view quickly swiveled from the shooter giving the final check signal to direct front of the aircraft which told me this was the hold onto your sack moment.
About 25 years ago (approx) I was at an airshow at RAF Waddington in the U.K. with my (then) 4 year old son where there was a Prowler on static display. The crew were with it. My lad has been pretty much brainwashed from birth by me about military aviation. I said to him “what type of aircraft is that Jack?” Without missing a beat he replied “A Grumman EA-6B Prowler”. The pilot standing nearby heard him and came over and said to Jack “Now that’s impressive! Would you like a look around it?” At which point I grabbed the back of Jacks head and nodded it saying “Say yes please to the nice man Jacko!” We got a ten minute guided tour. If the pilot reads this, Jack is now now 29 years old but has never forgotten it. Thank you.
AT1(AW) 11 years in various EA-6B AT shops. EA-6B ComNavRADAR and ECM NECs. I was stuck in EA-6Bs and loved it. Humpin' pods and listening to music on the scanner while working in the back seat. Good times. #Prowlers
At 2:07 the pilot does a hand gesture. I am just curious whether or not that has something to do with the pre-launch procedure, or if he was just talking to another crew member about something. I dunno, like maybe they play golf together and he's asking for advice on his short game. BTW much respect and admiration to this aircraft, everyone wants to glorify the F-18's or F-14's. I think the A designated aircraft are the business. Thanks!
Sandra Turner I never flew but I worked a flight deck and saw way too many cat shots to recall. Been inside all jets that were aboard but never flew in one.
Talked to a retired Navy pilot one day. I asked him about a catapult shot. He said every time he every cleared the deck airborne he said to himself “everything worked at it should.”
There's nothing quite like standing a few feet away from a Prowler on the catapult. I remember it being quite visceral. That high-pitched whine was deafening. You felt that roar in your guts and it felt like your fillings would pop out of your mouth. She was a screamer.
One of the coolest videos I have seen. The ability to see what you are seeing is really awesome. This would have to be the ultimate job. I have always said that we have the best pilots in the world. This plane always reminds me of the movie in the 90's "Flight of the Intruder". I know that this is not that plane, but they do look similar. Thanks for your service.
I was a member of VA-128, Whidbey Island from 86-90, AT rate. We worked in the A6-E, A3 Whales and the A6 Tankers. I loved that work and miss the smell of hot ops jet fuel. Go Intruders!
IN MY VIEW This nothing short of miraculous that man and aircraft can take off and land on this runway's small length. The pilots give new meaning to AMAZING!
Life on a carrier is rough, hard work, fights, 12 hour days plus, crowded, hot. But when you had liberty it was pure brotherhood and those memories I cherish for a lifetime. U.S.S. Constellation CV-64 1983-1987 AIMD parachute loft.
Was attached to VAQ-130 on our last deployment with the EA-6B Prowler in 2010 before we transitioned to the EA-18G Growler. Everyone said the Growler was ugly AF but I always loved them. They we beautiful. Constantly breaking, but beautiful. One the way back from that last deployment, we had to dead leg one of them all the way back across the country because we couldn't get the landing gear up 😂 Then we passed the broken old bastards off to the Marines.
Great camera work with no radar dropouts. This was taken when? Early 90's.. I built the leading edge flaps working for Kaman Aerospace in the late 80's and subsequently got to be active Navy again at Pax River to flight test them. Really cool to find my number impact stamped on the serial number tag on the inboard flaps...
tenacious645 of course the Hornet does cause it's the backbone of the US navy, but if you love the A-6 so much I recommend you check out the Intruder Association: www.intruderassociation.org/
We used to call F/A-18's "Lawn Darts" when they started arriving in the fleet. I was in an A7 squadron that transitioned to the F-18 and after a year went to shore duty, then to an A6E squadron for my last 4 yrs.
@@Sweetteawillie i couldnt agree more both off an on its a complete ride your eyeballs feel like comming out your head was headed from carrier to fire fighting school .1993 uss carl vinson a.b.e v2 division....
Wow. A true gem of a video. Would love to have flown in the Prowler as an ECM officer or navigator. A lot of people dis the jet for it's ugliness. I don't get that. Never have. Thanks so much for sharing.
In my experience, most flight ops, especially first round of the day, start out with the waist cats because the bow of the ship is loaded with parked aircraft. Once you got into the cyclic ops, the cat use spread would be more evenly distributed.
AMS 3 systems specialist on this and the Intruder. Also plane captain duties on two carrier tours, TDS from NATC Pax River, STRIKE ATD, 1976 - 1979. Kick the tires and light the fires. 👍
Christopher Leveck If there is, it would be stock footage from carrier ops. This was in '78, I believe. Off the coast of Virginia, we finished the testing on a Saturday. I had a 35mm SLR strapped around my neck. It was suspended about a foot away from my chest during the stroke and came back, planting a rib shot at the end of the stroke from the sudden decrease of speed. My brain was screaming for 3 seconds before that. Helluva rush! There is a video of Miss Liberty Bell in my mix and out in RUclips land.
I worked the A6 on two deployments in the 80s (out of Whidbey Island NAS. My home turf.). One deployment working the plane on the flight-deck. Second cruise downstairs in AIMD. Loved working that plane.
I just noticed this thing has rear view mirrors. That would seem to imply it has a reverse gear. Which when you think about it, makes all the sense in the world. You want to get outta trouble faster than you got into it.
You just want a better chance of seeing what might be coming up behind you without having to take your eyes off what's in front of you anymore than you have to. You find them in 18s as well.
@@rickwilliamson9248 One of my very favorite things to do is trigger Wokes. After which I kick back, light a.cigar, open a beer, and enjoy the screeching and caterwaulling. All Wokes have had their sense of humor surgically removed. Cognitive eunuchs. Too much fun.
Prowler- Loudest plane on deck during my time with CVW-7 1990-93. If you had any loose fillings or cavities, A-6’s would have the right frequency to make those issues much much worse...
Model Reviews was it replaced? What did they replace it with if they did, I know it was a radar jammer. Is that role still needed with stealth aircraft? Trying to cram a lot of questions in here. Sorry bout that.
The man in the yellow shirt seems to know you - he keeps waving.
That's a signal for "Move up".
and he's really really trusting in the friendship.
That man is his high school classmate
Not only does he know him, he doesn't like him because he's going to shoot him very shortly.
That would be the worst job in the world.
Man, hats off to you guys. I spent 20 years in the Army Infantry, loved watching fast movers do their thing and drop steel on target in country....would always bug our JTAC with dorky questions. Would have loved to pursue aviation somehow, hell, even a flight engineer on a P-3. No regrets though and I'm a huge fan of watching these videos. Keep doing good things, fellas. Every time I see you guys flying around Miramar, North Island, etc, makes me proud as hell.
Alexander Wallgren thank you for serving soldier
@@bigeasydeg thanks, man. I'd do it a million times over.
DAMN FEW
thank you for your service "Love from Italy'
My Bro-In-Arms....thanks for your service in 20 Yrs Army....from a vet 20 Yrs Navy!!
1981 - 1984 I was a member of VA-176 onboard the USS Independence. We flew the A6-E/KA-6D Intruder/Tanker, the smaller cousins to the EA-6B in this video. I worked on the flight deck for quite some time. Would love to go back and do it again.
Thank you sir. I was an Abrams Tanker in the Gulf war and I wish I had become a pilot too.
Thankyou for your service from a Canadian brother🇺🇲🇨🇦
@@Grayman58 thank you brother
Fantastic! I really admire these old "steam gauge" pilots flying off the boat. Very impressive having to size everything up flying around the pattern at night or in bad weather.
Saweeet.....and thanks for not putting a bunch of crap music to the video!Thank you for your service
Incredible, absolutely incredible. Former ground pounder here too, with about 300 hours as a gunner on a UH60 in 05-06. You guys and gals have balls the size of watermelons to do what you do.
The guy giving signals as pilot looks to his left just before that badass takeoff has cool moves man, cheers you guys.
That's the shooter!
@@CynOfficial36 he shoots what !
@@riteshpatel8175 the aircraft off the deck!!
Nice to see the inside of one of those after seeing so many flying over Anacortes back in the day. Thanks!
I’m on Whidbey. I miss them but still enjoy the hornets!
Thank you for the vid.....I always like to see those 'boys' on deck do their dance, I liked how you were able to pan around to capture their sigs!!! Especially liked the mirror on lower canopy showing your turbines turning, Nice!! From a Vet...Go Navy!!
The A-6 and the E-6 are one of those cool-ass bomber-type of planes from my childhood that I was all wanting to fly instead of fighters (I was a weird kid).
Thanks for recording it. "The flight of the Intruder" was the only other movie I had to watch =p.
I think the EA-6B was one of the planes they flew in "flight of the intruder". Iron Hand, maybe?
Imagine if the wright Bros could see this.
Closer than you might think. Orville died in 48. The first jet launch from a carrier was in 1945.
@Colin McGeachy Imagine how proud they were to see what people have done with their amazing invention...
What about the brazilian Alberto dos Santos Dumont! ???
@@alanmalaquias596 What about him?
They would have gone back in 1903 with the idea to use a catapult to finally be able to take their Flyer off.
It’s a trip watching the launches and especially the recoveries. I had the #3 arresting gear cable run through our sleeping compartment with a sheet metal box covering it about a foot from my bunk. It was loud !!!
I can imagine ..we never had cable snap but id say you had change your drawers ..hook runner prayed cable never snapped
Will p
I think it did happen in the past. Can’t sure an incident though. But those cables are pretty beefy. Mainly the noise came from the tension system for the cables where the cables wrapped around these large wheels to slow the plane down gradually but quickly. We had four cables on deck and the planes usually grabbed #3. Seemed that way if you’re trying to sleep.
@@jackdaniel.2546 i was on vinson and was saying while i was on i never seen it i was in v2 division launch and recovery...cables are 1 3/4 the cdp is a tad smaller but still its a huge cable and scary if it would snap and we alternated positions in v2 and def hook running was scariest
Will p
Most dangerous job in the world is the flight deck. Just ask John McCain, oh wait he’s dead. I was on the Coral Sea with F-4’s, A-7 Corsairs, A-4 Skyhawks and A-6 Intruders. Had a buddy who worked flight deck on the Intruders in our squadron and walked by a plane turning up when he was sucked up to the bird cage over the intake. Crazy stuff.
There was also a guy with ships company who disappeared one night at sea. Guess he was kind of a jerk and the word was he accidentally fell off the fantail one night.
@@jackdaniel.2546 im 45 and i remember 1st time i hook ran i was 19 ..ive never been so scared when i did it solo ..also its not a matter of if you ever get blew down by a jet or when you get blew down
Gotta love the Prowler and the old Intruder. Classic, sturdy, and pimp as all get out. Cheers!
Grumman Iron Works , says it all really ...
@@damienhill6383 Yeah, but they where all aluminum..... I bet you could throw a million magnets in the stockroom and all they would stick to was the shelves....
Steel landing gear struts and stainless steel coated heat shields surrounding the engines. Steel parts involved in tubing connectors. For a couple of decades if you saw one of these planes it was probably using hydraulic and/or fuel lines I fabricated. On some A-6 variants the Norfolk government maintenance depot was the sole source for an improved tube on the main landing gear.
One of the loudest jets I’ve ever been around! Everyone knows when these guys crank up.
Try living down the runway from a Republic.
Many of us that worked on this aircraft suffer hearing loss. VAQ 140 (1991-1994)
Agree, EA6-B and A6 loudest planes on the flight deck. USS America 1975 - 1978.
Agreed. Nothing like the sound of a Prowler or Intruder at full power on the catapult. I have constant ringing in my ears.
That combat shot hit different
I was ships company on the TR (a plank owner) and I had a friend I went through basic with that ended up as an ABE (Aviation Boatswains Mate Equipment) and I used to go down to the cat machinery room and watch those guys. They have a chart for the settings on each plane that can be launched and at the far end of the scale was the Prowler fully loaded with bombs. The only thing close was the F-14 set up for CAP. It was all the cats could handle getting a fully loaded Prowler into the air. Many times they were too heavy, so they would launch with minimum fuel just to get airborne, then tank on the way to their target. A bomb truck.
A prowler didnt carry bombs. But it was heavy depending on the configuration. And they didnt take off light on fuel. Always bagged out. A tomcat and a super hornet were heavier off the cat than a prowler.
Wow, so cool!
Just another day at the office... Nice video. And "thanks for your service" to the guys onboard the Prowler.
Dana Hess Don't forget the rest of the crew, they all make it work.
@Jsaonsenipor I'd love to see your source.
Just shut up!
@Jasonsenipor Didn't think so
@Jasonsenipor innocent farmers in Syria? Are you familiar with the concept of URBAN WARFARE? Yeah, I didn't think so. Listen if you are trying to make the point that Obomba dropped a lot of bombs on a lot of innocent civilians, you're right. But if you are a Trump supporter, maybe just watch from the sidelines. Your argument doesn't make any sense and you are making US look bad.
If you're not a Trump supporter, then by all means, keep up the good work.
OH by the way. Obama ordered under 600 airstrikes by drone Now that IS ten times more than Bush. But if you add up all the engagements under the Obama administration and civilian and military personnel deaths and multiplied it by 20 you MIGHT be in the 10's of thousands of deaths....
So, let's recap. No farmers were targeted or most likely killed by american's in Syria.
Farmers don't tend to live in Urban areas much less Urban Warfare areas....
2 million people most of them innocent civilians. Really. Show me some documentation that adds up to 100,000. You can't. But try, my guess is you haven't really looked. You will be surprised at how much the casualty rates have dropped since we stopped fighting world wars.
WWII saw the deaths of conservatively 60-70 million people. And that included the dropping of the mother and the daughter of all bombs on TWO CIVILIAN cities and general warfare for many years. All out war.
If you really think Obombya could kill a third of the civilians that Hitler did, in two terms as president, without the ENTIRE WORLD screaming bloody murder about it you are nucking futs.
I'd love to see this view of an approach and landing!
Added to the list of things I'll never do in my lifetime.
Too bad Stephen, you missed a great ride. In 1973 as an enlisted man I made about 10 of these rides off the USS Constellation in the A-6 Intruder, the precursor to the Prowlers. Still fond memories.
I would do it if I had the chance to .. my only fear is that I would start puking after 5 min and not stop until 3h after landing
You want to write a "Bucket list" letter to uncle Joe in the White House . . . . you never know.
@@douglasslotolowicz9454 the EA-6B was more of a variant of the A-6, not necessarily a precursor, they were around basically at the same time
Absolutely awesome. Thank you for sharing, so we can see at least what it looks like to be catapulted off a carrier.
Blimey O'Reilly! These lads have got some guts!
Great video - Thank you for sharing and so much more. God bless you and your crew. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
This is one of my favorite cockpits, the venerable A-6.
Awesome! I watched A-6 Intruders at Boardman Bombing Range in 1980, and this is practically the same plane. The planes that we spotted for were from Whidbey Island WA. There was also a squadron of them at NAF El Centro in 1988, doing practice bombing at China Lake.
I’ve always loved the Intruder/Prowler design. Something about that nose and intakes.
That's what I used to say about my high school girlfriend 😂
Art Xbklyn 😂👍
Looks like a tadpole
I think they resemble a dragonfly.
I totally forgot this aircraft existed. I had to look it up. I learned a lot, thanks!
@Paul Pflaum I do not think death should be called "hilarious" no matter how deserving the person dying is
I don't think they fly anymore, in the US military at least
@Paul Pflaum no I've never been in combat, and no I don't think I'd have the mental fortitude to stay sane in such a situation. still I think calling killing hilarious is dehumanizing.
@Paul Pflaum it is, and now having cleared any misconceptions, I think I can agree with what you said.
Have a good day and thank you for your service.
Experienced this in the summer of 1975 aboard the USS Forrestal, what an amazing experience for a 19 year old
Larry Melancon
I spent two weeks on your boat TAD to do cat and trap recertifications. Out of Mayport in '77 or '78.
We had orange tail birds among the air wing. I did brown shirt and white shirt duties for the A-6/EA-6.
Larry Melancon I was ahead of you a few years. USS Constellation. F4 squadron. AMH3. 71-74.
"Frankly Sir, I think we're going to lose this one, but I do love the work." William Defoe , Flight of the Intruder.
Loved it! I used to work on these in the early 80's on the Ranger and Kennedy as an ATAN-AT2 with VAQ-137 the ROOKS, 1st O-Level then I-Level. Had a lot of fun then, on board. Used to play a lot of Risk, Monopoly, Spades and all sorts of games up in WC 610 COM/NAV shop. Thanks for sharing. Best Wishes & Blessings. Keith Noneya AT1 USN/USNR-TAR Retired
It's so lifelike, almost as if I'm watching a youtube video of it
Love the sound the Prowler makes, very distinct and recognizable
Flight of the Intruder is my favorite war plane movie. Nostalgia perhaps but I think it's the plane. The A6 and F4 might be coolest looking duo ever! (A10,F14,F117,F22/35,SR71, Concord,C130,B17/52)
Rough day at the office. Outstanding video. Never thought about the mirrors used to check free and correct, forward slats, etc...Great perspective!
AND check your six.......AND make sure no assholes tied a bunch of cans to your tail.....
Carrier catapults: 0 - 60 in right the hell now.
I would have done a wheelie but that's just me, random expert RUclips guy
Love watching that airspeed indicator start spinning. No ground based pilot ever sees that happening.
What???
I could watch these for hours. Such a cool rig.
Closest I can come to this is if Eagle Dynamics ever decides to implement this beauty in DCS.
I like how the pilot head view quickly swiveled from the shooter giving the final check signal to direct front of the aircraft which told me this was the hold onto your sack moment.
About 25 years ago (approx) I was at an airshow at RAF Waddington in the U.K. with my (then) 4 year old son where there was a Prowler on static display. The crew were with it. My lad has been pretty much brainwashed from birth by me about military aviation. I said to him “what type of aircraft is that Jack?” Without missing a beat he replied “A Grumman EA-6B Prowler”. The pilot standing nearby heard him and came over and said to Jack “Now that’s impressive! Would you like a look around it?” At which point I grabbed the back of Jacks head and nodded it saying “Say yes please to the nice man Jacko!” We got a ten minute guided tour. If the pilot reads this, Jack is now now 29 years old but has never forgotten it. Thank you.
AT1(AW) 11 years in various EA-6B AT shops. EA-6B ComNavRADAR and ECM NECs. I was stuck in EA-6Bs and loved it.
Humpin' pods and listening to music on the scanner while working in the back seat.
Good times.
#Prowlers
just watch that ASI on the catshot
incredible
Thanks for pointing that out! It is pretty amazing!
At 2:07 the pilot does a hand gesture. I am just curious whether or not that has something to do with the pre-launch procedure, or if he was just talking to another crew member about something. I dunno, like maybe they play golf together and he's asking for advice on his short game. BTW much respect and admiration to this aircraft, everyone wants to glorify the F-18's or F-14's. I think the A designated aircraft are the business. Thanks!
I was putting a shadow on the annunciator panel to make sure I had no lights since the sun angle was right on the instruments.
@@thaudout Dude, you fly a prowler & you answer peoples questions on the tube, tonnes of respect my friend, thanks for doing what you do :)
I spent years maintaining that AC type out whidbey island. Great to see the pilots view.
I have seen many launches from the cats up close but never from that perspective. Thanks for the post. RIP SARA CV60 crash crew.
Sandra Turner I never flew but I worked a flight deck and saw way too many cat shots to recall. Been inside all jets that were aboard but never flew in one.
Talked to a retired Navy pilot one day. I asked him about a catapult shot. He said every time he every cleared the deck airborne he said to himself “everything worked at it should.”
There's nothing quite like standing a few feet away from a Prowler on the catapult. I remember it being quite visceral. That high-pitched whine was deafening. You felt that roar in your guts and it felt like your fillings would pop out of your mouth. She was a screamer.
Prowlers and Intruders were absolutely the loudest I was around.
One of the coolest videos I have seen. The ability to see what you are seeing is really awesome. This would have to be the ultimate job. I have always said that we have the best pilots in the world. This plane always reminds me of the movie in the 90's "Flight of the Intruder". I know that this is not that plane, but they do look similar. Thanks for your service.
The prowler is the electronic warfare version of the intruder.
Nice. I remember catting and trapping on EA3Bs a few times back in the 70s. Go Naval Air!!
I was a member of VA-128, Whidbey Island from 86-90, AT rate. We worked in the A6-E, A3 Whales and the A6 Tankers. I loved that work and miss the smell of hot ops jet fuel. Go Intruders!
Just ultra intense bad ass stuff right there! The entire team! AWESOME!
IN MY VIEW
This nothing short of miraculous that man and aircraft can take off and land on this runway's small length. The pilots give new meaning to AMAZING!
*YOU TWO PILOTS ARE JUST TOO COOL!!!*
I was an ECM technician in VMAQ-2 from 81 to 84. I always enjoy seeing videos of the venerable “sky pig” 😃.
333gatekeeper333 my name is Stroud. We were together there at that time.
333gatekeeper333 my memory is so bad these days...I have forgotten a lot of names 😃.
333gatekeeper333 I hear you Brother. Semper Fi 😃.
Life on a carrier is rough, hard work, fights, 12 hour days plus, crowded, hot. But when you had liberty it was pure brotherhood and those memories I cherish for a lifetime. U.S.S. Constellation CV-64 1983-1987 AIMD parachute loft.
Marine Detachment (1984-1986) Captain Calhoun CV-64... Man I hated that blue tile...
That HAS to be one hell of a rush comming off the end of that cat!!!!!!!!
Check out the airspeed indicator winding up as the cat fires!
Cat fire? So THAT'S what they use for fueling the afterburners? That makes a lot of sense......
A-6 doesn't have afterburners... 《wink》
@@KD5XB Not anymore, stupid PETA says no more cats in the afterburners and unicorns are extinct......
thanks for your service!
Was attached to VAQ-130 on our last deployment with the EA-6B Prowler in 2010 before we transitioned to the EA-18G Growler. Everyone said the Growler was ugly AF but I always loved them. They we beautiful. Constantly breaking, but beautiful.
One the way back from that last deployment, we had to dead leg one of them all the way back across the country because we couldn't get the landing gear up 😂 Then we passed the broken old bastards off to the Marines.
Alexander Walgreen, THANK YOU FOR YOU SERVICE
Nice! Love the kick in the pants when the cat goes!
What nice speed indicator!! The needle jumps 😁
these were my baby's loved overhauling the engines in these J52 P8 through P408A
I was always dream of being a fighter pilot. The f14 tomcat is my favorite plane.
Freakin' Sweet!
Not a pretty plane, by any stretch. But like the A-10'S, don't fix what ain't broke!
Make MORE!
Aerodynamics ain't always pretty but when they work, nothing else is better.
The complete fleet has been already retired.
Asi se hace muy bien corto pero entretenido
Awesome airplane! Wish I could’ve zoomed in more to see his airspeed. Always thought the cockpit of this bird just looked awesome.
I was a 3-cruise A-6 pilot in the 1980's. No matter how many times I got shot down the point, it was always a rus!
So awesome...what is he adjusting with left hand?
Great camera work with no radar dropouts. This was taken when? Early 90's.. I built the leading edge flaps working for Kaman Aerospace in the late 80's and subsequently got to be active Navy again at Pax River to flight test them. Really cool to find my number impact stamped on the serial number tag on the inboard flaps...
Nope. Jan or Feb timeframe of 2012. My last Prowler deployment.
Magnifique catapultage j’adore ce genre de vidéo
Great watch..😎💪🐒.... You guys are amazing 😍👌....
The flight deck of a carrier strikes me as a crazy dangerous place to work.
Wow, that was awesome. Notice the airspeed indicator. Cool.
Best catapult launch I've seen on RUclips !!!
Now that is a ride!! Better than any Roller Coaster.
2:22 Look at the airspeed top left.
Dayumn
@@kristinawhorey3837 Looked like the indicator almost snapped.
I didn't catch it on the first viewing.
You fly the A6? Seems like an unsung hero of the Navy. The F18 gets all the love. Really cool video
tenacious645 of course the Hornet does cause it's the backbone of the US navy, but if you love the A-6 so much I recommend you check out the Intruder Association: www.intruderassociation.org/
Not the A6, he is flying the EA-6B
Those F-18's wouldn't be able to do shit without Prowlers or Growlers clearing a path. Fact. Those dudes got great big balls o steel, man.
We used to call F/A-18's "Lawn Darts" when they started arriving in the fleet. I was in an A7 squadron that transitioned to the F-18 and after a year went to shore duty, then to an A6E squadron for my last 4 yrs.
@@AWallgren That is the sad truth with most things.
Quarterback
Pitcher
F16
FA18
F22
It is like the necessary, and required, support is invisible.
プロウラーってあの4人乗りのおたまじゃくしみたいなヤツだ😸❗️
それにしてもバックミラー付いてるんですね😸🎵
Wow what fun lol. I've ridden so many launched roller coasters and I can only imagine the kind of force with the catapult.
L00PdeL00P's Channel
It is a brain screaming rush launching in a C 1A... sitting backwards as a passenger.
@@Sweetteawillie i couldnt agree more both off an on its a complete ride your eyeballs feel like comming out your head was headed from carrier to fire fighting school .1993 uss carl vinson a.b.e v2 division....
Those boys at Grumman do a great job at building an airplane!!!!
One of my favorite planes!
One of the coolest cockpits out there.
Wow. A true gem of a video. Would love to have flown in the Prowler as an ECM officer or navigator. A lot of people dis the jet for it's ugliness. I don't get that. Never have. Thanks so much for sharing.
I don't think there is anything louder than an EA-6B on the cat. PR1 Hoge USN (Ret)
Watching those movements is almost artistic, just like ballet, a well oiled machine.
There's nothing cooler than being a fighter pilot, prove me wrong
Very nice. I haven’t seen many videos where the waist catapults are used instead of the bow catapults during aircraft carrier ops.
In my experience, most flight ops, especially first round of the day, start out with the waist cats because the bow of the ship is loaded with parked aircraft. Once you got into the cyclic ops, the cat use spread would be more evenly distributed.
The Prowler is a beautiful jet, and it has a tandem-seat cockpit too! -that’s rare today, perhaps nonexistent ...
/Lonewolf Liberties
AMS 3 systems specialist on this and the Intruder.
Also plane captain duties on two carrier tours, TDS from NATC Pax River, STRIKE ATD, 1976 - 1979.
Kick the tires and light the fires.
👍
I don't know how you guys do it. I couldn't work that close to those planes and never go flying in one....
Christopher Leveck
I managed to get a cat shot off the deck of the USS Independence in a C-1 Trader, #62, Miss Liberty.
That lady is still flying.
@@Sweetteawillie You earned it. Any video?
Christopher Leveck
If there is, it would be stock footage from carrier ops.
This was in '78, I believe. Off the coast of Virginia, we finished the testing on a Saturday. I had a 35mm SLR strapped around my neck.
It was suspended about a foot away from my chest during the stroke and came back, planting a rib shot at the end of the stroke from the sudden decrease of speed.
My brain was screaming for 3 seconds before that.
Helluva rush!
There is a video of Miss Liberty Bell in my mix and out in RUclips land.
Nice shot from pilot point of view. 👍
Great plane but that flickering artificial horizon and the other two panels would drive me insane! Great video!
They only flicker because of the video-scan-rate of the camera. The eye doesn't see it.
Lots more people standing around than I expected. Pretty crowded place
I love the rear view mirror
I worked the A6 on two deployments in the 80s (out of Whidbey Island NAS. My home turf.). One deployment working the plane on the flight-deck. Second cruise downstairs in AIMD. Loved working that plane.
The power behind the launching... love it❣️⚓️
I’m sitting here with butterflies in my stomach remembering my first cat shot.
The arm wavey guy? I wanna be that guy! Luv me some jets! ❤
I just noticed this thing has rear view mirrors. That would seem to imply it has a reverse gear. Which when you think about it, makes all the sense in the world.
You want to get outta trouble faster than you got into it.
You just want a better chance of seeing what might be coming up behind you without having to take your eyes off what's in front of you anymore than you have to. You find them in 18s as well.
@@rickwilliamson9248 So in other words, it's a gay thing? Not that there's anything wrong with that.
@@LeonAllanDavis WHAT????
@@rickwilliamson9248 One of my very favorite things to do is trigger Wokes. After which I kick back, light a.cigar, open a beer, and enjoy the screeching and caterwaulling. All Wokes have had their sense of humor surgically removed. Cognitive eunuchs. Too much fun.
@@LeonAllanDavis The pharmacy called. They've had your Rx refill waiting for you for weeks.
Prowler- Loudest plane on deck during my time with CVW-7 1990-93. If you had any loose fillings or cavities, A-6’s would have the right frequency to make those issues much much worse...
Honestly, The prowler is a beautifully ugly airplane that had an underrated mission. Definitely, will miss seeing these things fly 😔
Is it retired already or soon to be retired?
Clint Patac it’s retired
Model Reviews was it replaced? What did they replace it with if they did, I know it was a radar jammer. Is that role still needed with stealth aircraft? Trying to cram a lot of questions in here. Sorry bout that.
@@cjpatz It was replaced with the EA-18 Growler, the Electronic Warfare version of the Hornet
@@merlotingreigory3606 that we know of lol