You love a lot of things if you live around them, but there isn’t any woman, and there isn’t any horse, nor any before nor any after, that is as lovely as great airplane, and men who love them are faithful to them even though they leave them for others. A man has only one virginity to lose in fighters, and if it is a lovely plane he loses it to, there his heart will ever be. _Hemingway, 1944
While in the Marines I was at 29 Palms base in California. We had been eating C meals for two weeks. My bowels were locked up from dehydration as 29 Palms is in the desert. I had to go but had been unable for days. On a Sunday morning I found a tire on the top of the nearest hill and decided to not leave until I had finally crapped. I was sitting on the tire and not having much luck. All of a sudden an A4 came over to top of the hill about 25 feet above the hill at what seemed to be at top speed. I was covered in sand and whatever was on the ground. I was shocked at what just happened and looked under the tire and there was all the turds I had been in my bowls. The A4 will always be my favorite plane because of that memory.
My father was a Naval Aviator for 27 years, 1950 - 1977. He was Navy Acceptance Pilot attached to Douglas in the late 60s. He loved flying this aircraft and putting her through her paces! He was then CO of VA-25 on the USS Ranger, flying the A-7E (Vietnam). He passed in 2009. My hero!
Truly outstanding review of this U.S. Naval aircraft. Not only is Erik Johnston knowledgeable but he can explain the full workings of this jet in terms that any civilian can understand. This is a world-class, five-star WalkAround!
@@ErikJohnston Eric: You too did a superb job of filming his walkaround! Without your closeups and completely in-focus video shooting this would have been a loss! Thank you and I appreciate your work and effort. I especially enjoyed your POW interview film about the US Pilot in North Vietnam several years ago.
Absolutely loved the A4 Skyhawk walk around! Man did it bring back many fond memories of getting many fun opportunities to go flying in them. I was stationed for two years, 1970-72 at NAS Kingsville, Texas and had numerous fun opportunities to go flying with a Lieutenant who was one of the instructor pilots in VT-22, along with other pilots that had their wings. There were also VT-21 and VT-23 squadrons at NAS Kingsville. But had the chance to go up on many different training hops. I-hops down to Dixie target range and J, K, and many others. Never got turned down on a ride. Officers always knew I was having fun, would stay off the mic and let them tend to the business of training students, and they didn’t have to worry about me grabbing for yellow and black handles. I was having a blast. Guess you could say it was a perk for being a baker in the Navy. I kept those officers supplied with all kinds of pastries! But I just loved the informative walk around. It brought back so many great memories and I learn so much more. Now I’ve been an aircraft mechanic for AA for many years in Tulsa. The A4 is a fantastic aircraft. Was a workhorse in Vietnam. Thank you for the fun journey again around the A4 Skyhawk!
I always like hearing about people familiar with Kingsville NAS in the 1970's. My father was the CO of VT-23 in 1969-1970. He actually accepted the new TA-4J's in April 1970. I was only 7 at the time, but I remember watching the air show they did over Kingsville NAS.
I'm from Kuwait. My Dad flew the Skyhawk for many many years before he flew the F/A 18 Hornet for the Kuwait Air Force. He's retired now but he always show me his pictures with his Skyhawk.
@Craig Williams you're right my father adored it, after the liberation of Kuwait he was assigned to the committee that was gonna chose the type of aircraft that the air force is going to purchase sence the A4 was getting old. 10 outta 12 pilots picked the F/A 18 over the F-15 and F-16 and the reason was "the hornet feels like a skyhawk" and of course the other reason was the price tag, getting 40 multirole hornets is much better than 16 F-15's or few more than that of F-16's, plus the service was looking for a fighter and an attacker to perform close air support to ground forces in case of another invasion, so the F-18 fulfilled that role. Brazil purchased all of the Kuwait skyhawk fleet after Kuwait got their new hornets and they joined the Brazilian navy and stationed onboard the Brazilian aircraft carrier Sao Paulo. Now the Kuwait Air Force just upgraded the fleet with 28 super hornets and 28 Eurofighter Typhoon, I always wanted to become a fighter pilot, that was my dream but I have bad eyesight so I became a Marine instead lol.
@Craig Williams thank you for your service brother and man you gave me goosebumps just picturing that 🥰. I can already smell the jet fuel and hear that beast roar 🤩
Excellent walkaround Sir ...... brings back memories of younger times ..... I was stationed at MCAS Yuma ('65 - '67) with VMT-103 .... I was an "Aviation: Safety & Survival" mechanic (mos 6443 - which doesn't exist today). We took care of Seats, Canopy, Air Conditioning & Pressurization & Oxygen ..... everything that had to do with pilot environment and safety (except pilot g-suits, helmets & com, parachutes and seatpacks - which the riggers took care of)........ since This was a Training Sqn., and I had my "oh my ass card", I was able to get "ride alongs" with our instructors occasionally ...... I had about 3 hrs. in the TA-4F .......loved every minute of it (except: the back seat was REALLY loud - even with ear plugs and cotton) ....... I also got to give the familiarization lectures to the student pilots for the systems we were responsible for ....... Mostly Really Good Times .............. Thnx again ..................... ps - and yes - anyone who ever sat in an A-4 is intimately familiar with the "Head Knocker"
I was in MCAS Yuma, (as a Marine) from '83-'86,,,,,, and from '87- Present,,,, was with VMAT-103, for those USMC years, and have been with VMFAT-401 since '87,,,,, with Israeli (C-1) Kfirs,,,,, and then from '89- Present with F-5s!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was TAD to VA127 at NAS Lemoore for about 6 months in 1983 and we were flying adversary with TA4Js and before I left we got some marine A4M. I worked on the line. Love that Bird.
Lt. Alvey was the division officer for the line when I was there and PO3 Mark Robins An Guerrero and a young girl they called boom boom, cause she pulled canopy ejection handle in the hanger.
I've loved this plane since I was a child. Not only because was so popular with the Argentinian Air Force and the Navy, they have been using it since the 60s (with many modifications till the A4AR arrived in the late 90s), but all the amazing stories from the Malvinas war who flew the plane (many planes came home with a lot of holes, leaking fuel, very rugged plane). Also I've been able to be this close with a B model, veteran from the '82 war and I have to say we've got our money's worth with this plane, despite it is a very old one and rather obsolete from modern standards. The AR (based on the M with numerous improvements) model did fine though they are near the end of service life. I enjoyed a lot this video!
A flood of great memories.I absolutely loved this video. I was a plane captain and later on was in the power plants division of VT-21 from January 1973 to May of 1976. We had the TA-4j with the J52 P6A. Loved seeing the A4 on the deck of the Lexington. I did have the opportunity to fly in the back seat a couple of times. Exciting to say the least. I also got to experience a landing and take off from the Lexington in a C- I (COD, carrier on board delivery). I didn't realize it at the time but being an engine and fuel systems mechanic was by far the most interesting job that I would ever have. I arrived in kingsville, Texas 2 weeks after I turned 18. When you got into the TA-4, and was discussing how tight of a fit it was. That reminded me that we had a Marine corps instructor that was an extreamly large man, not fat. As part of a plane captain's duties was to assist and verify the proper connection of the pilots in the aircraft. This man was so large he couldn't hook his G suit and radio and O2 hose and cable. This was done by the plane captain. There was barely enough room for me to get my hands between him and the wall to hook him up.It was rumored that he was to large to eject safely without sustaining major injuries. He was a very friendly and curtious person till he would run out of allowed flight hours. He would fly 4 to 5 sorties per day and a cross country on weekends. Then he would be grounded for a week or two. Tried to stay away from him then. He hated flying a desk. Thanks for this video. ADJ-3 Gary Todd
Gary, I was an A-6 Intruder plane captain in VA-42, training squadron, NAS Oceana, Va. Beach, Va. My Navy service time was from Oct.18,1971 to Aug.15,1975. I was in squadron from April 20, 1972 to Aug.15,1975. Went to ADJ A school at Millington, Tennessee from 1/72 to 4/17/72. Trained on the A4s in A school. Went to boot camp at San Diego, co. 356-71. Went to Fallon, Nv. & Yuma. Az. for bombing detachments. Was on the Independence, Lexington & the FDR. Was catapulted off one on a C-1 Trader COD, heloed off the Lex & Indy in a Huey & CH-46. While on the Indy I saw a F-4 phantom nose into the drink on cat shot & an E-2 crash land but hung onto the cable. Like the ad said, It’s not just a job, it’s an adventure !
I was a A-4 mechanic for 8 years. It does my heart good to see these old girls still flying. I was a ADJ in VT-24 and then as a civilian. Skyhawks forever!
Outstanding! From 1966 to 1970, I flew all existing models of the beloved Scooter, first in VA-125 (the A-4 RAG at NAS Lemoore), then with the Black Diamonds of VA-216, also based in Lemoore. We flew A-4Bs aboard the USS Saratoga in the Med in 1967 (just in time for the Six-Day War), then A-4Cs for a Vietnam tour aboard the USS Coral Sea in WestPac in 1968-69. This video brought it all back. Bravo Zulu!
In 1998 he Kiwi Skyhawk pilots at one of RNAF bases sees a buddy of mine standing outside the fence. They asked him what he was up to and he explained he was a recently retired US Marine A-4 pilot. They took him on base, gave him a tour, put him in a bird and also give him Sim time. Exactly what he did for a 14 year kid 4 years earlier. Play it forward and A4s Forever!
Awesome. I was an Aircrewman on C-12's and an aircraft handler when I wasn't flying back in the 90s... NAS Memphis. We parked, refueled, and launched a shitload of these A-4's. And there was a marine squadron of skyhawks on base (MAG 42). This brings back memories. Great video.
I flew the J,M and E while in the Marines in the early 70s. There were no two seat versions of the M at that time and my first flight was briefed and I went alone. It was a real rocket compared to the J model. What a rush! Just the greatest and coolest little fighter in the USMC inventory at the time. Oh, to be 45 years younger and to do it all over again. I love the A-4. Great video and this really reminded me of all that I had forgotten. Thanks!
6:59 I always thought that the nose-up attitude was to increase the angle of attack for takeoff. Am I wrong about that? The A4 has always been my favorite jet warbird. It just looks right.
Scott, 45 years younger would put me right back in the powerplants division at VT-21. Best and most interesting job I have had. Didn't pay much monetarily but the memories are gold.
Who are all the whacknuts that would give this a thumbs down! This is by far the best A-4 walk around out there and thank you all for devoting your time to share your extensive and professional knowledge with all the Scooter fans like myself! As a C-130 mechanic I had the great pleasure of working with a Skyhawk crew out of Arizona to test a variable speed refueling drogue. Retired Marine pilot that had to be 6.5ft tall and one hell of a sense of humor!!! The whole crew were so much fun to work with and as a Blue Angels fan all my life the A-4 has always had a special place in my heart! This video just solidified all that and thank you again for sharing! I learned so much more about this outstanding aircraft!
After Aviation Electrician's Mate A School in Jacksonville, FL in 1971 (it was there until 1975), I was stationed at NAS Lemoore, CA with VA-127 shore duty with A-4F, TA-4F and TA-4J Skyhawks. Then it was VA-164 for sea duty aboard CV-19 (USS Hancock) for the final deployment of Hannah. VA-164 had a TA-4F that was used when earlier laser guided bombs were used. The single seater dropped the bomb and the T-bird designated Ironhand guided it to its target. Once we returned stateside, CV-19 and Airwing 21 decommissioned. Our birds went to the Marines, as they didn't want anything to do with the A-7 Corsair II. Neither did I, but I ended up in an A-7E squadron. C'esspool la vie.
Dave Kisor Hey there, Dave. I was also at that school in late 1971 thru early '72. I wonder if we might have seen each other or possibly even been in class together. After 'A' school, I was sent to N.A.S., Alameda, Cal. to school to learn some about the aircraft that I would be working on when I got to my squadron, which was VAQ-33 at N.A.S. Norfolk, Va. In our squadron, we had 4- A-4's, 4- ERA-3B Skywarriors, 2- F-4's, and 1 beautiful old Super Constellation. We were an ECM outfit and all of our planes had all kinds of ECM gear in them. I decided to stay out on the Line and became a Plane Captain for the A-3's. But I spent a lot of time helping the A-4 Plane Captains with their A-4's, and man, did those things leak hydraulic fluid...they were a real mess to maintain...!!
Dave,My father retired in Lemoore in 75. He worked on the Skyhawk when he was young, and then went to the OV-10 in Vietnam. In Lemoore he was a CPO that worked on the A-6 . I remember seeing a Skyhawk when we would pull into our housing. I remember going to a small store that was called the JET MART! Do you remember that store? Oh, my father was a AMSC. His name is Ronald Regan!
Hello, Dave. I'm wondering if we actually might have known or met each other. I was in the Navy from '72 to '76. I was an AT and was stationed with VA-212 at NAS Lemoore. Initially, I was temporarily attached to VA-127 for some training on the ARN-52 TACAN and APX-64 IFF Transponder before joining up with my squadron, which was already deployed on a West Pac cruise aboard the Hancock. I made two West Pac deployments on the Hancock before she was decommissioned. On both deployments I was the Avionics Troubleshooter for my squadron, so I was working up on the Flight Deck during flight ops. YAHOO!. VA-212 was decommissioned not long after returning stateside, and I spent the last 8 or 9 months of my service time in an squadron of A-7s, (VA-155??? I don't remember which squadron). GOOD TIMES! Hope all is well with you, and thanks for the memories! jb
I just really appreciate all these people that take this 1-2-3 hours of their time to explain all this stuff and work around with the camera and such. (cameraman included :) )
Bravo ! My favorite aircraft ! I was an A&P in the early 80's and flew a T-34 with another pilot from the Civil Air Patrol behind the Blue Angels' A-4's in a couple of shows prior to their switch to the 18's. Many thanks, Erik, and Commander.Starch. May all pilots, and future pilots, be inspired by this great presentation. Long live the A-4 !
From 65-69 I was the aircraft electrician for our A4 planes, mostly A4Bs. I also was part of the group that trained the Argentine AF on the A4, I think they were all A4As. I had the opportunity to work on a few A4Cs that were passing through.
IMPRESSIVE. So many of these walk around videos are 10-15 minutes and really nothing that you did't already know. This on the other hand was in-depth, well conveyed and deep. I really appreciated this and subscribed at the hit. Keep em coming!
I wanted to join the Royal Australian Navy in 1978 as a 15 year-old. We had one active (little) Aircraft Carrier at the time and the main strike aircraft was this. The carrier also carried Grumman Trackers (amazing given their size and the tiny flight deck) as well as helicopters.
Thanks for the memories. I was plane captain in VF-45 (Adversary Squadron) in early 90's with the E and J model at an AT. Was able to get back seat qualified and had to pleasure to fly ACM a couple of time. I will never forgot my time with the Skyhawk.
Straight out of HS I joined the Navy. Boot, AE "A" school and then to Miramar, Ca. when it was still a Navy base. My first command, Navy Fighter Weapons School. I was a PC on the A4 for over a year before getting orders to AC school. Loved working on this jet. This walk around brings back many memories. Worked on several jets but this was and always will be my favorite.
Was an A-4 plane captain from Jan. 1968 to Sept. 1969 in m.c.a.s. In Beaufort S.C. And from oct. 1969 to sept. 1970 . in VMA 311 Chu Lai Viet Nam great walk around, brought back many memories!
thanks for the great video, and thanks to Mr. Starch for taking the time to show us the aircraft that he clearly enjoys flying! I spent a tour in the Corps working on TA-4s and A-4Ms and have a great affection for these aircraft. I'm also a member of the Skyhawk Association, so it was fun to see Mr. Starch point out his patch. :-)
Way cool! I was a plane captain from 1967 to 1971 at VMT-103 MCAS Yuma, Arizona. I took the "seat card" school at El Toro which made me eligible to fly back seat which I got to do about 4 times. What a thrill. We had TA-4F aircraft.
My Dad was E.O. VMFA-121 that carrier qualifications of the A-4 and all weapons delivery. Deployed 13 months. When came back to El Toro promoted and shipped to the Commandant's Company C.
I miss the days when our navy had A-4Gs and S-2Gs and an aircraft carrier to fly them from :( As I recall, someone (maybe from the Douglas company?) nicknamed the Skyhawk "Heinemann's Hotrod" because it was indeed a great little rocketship :)
Great video. I've been a fan of the A-4 Skyhawk since I was 8 years old. This is the first time that I've seen a detailed tour of the flight controls. And my god, there is a lot going on in that cockpit.
Cool video. My first aircraft I worked on in the Navy was the A4-M at NAS Dallas. We had 4 aircraft in a little aggressor outfit. It was a lot of fun in those days. Banner tows, ACM, and it kept the pilots attached to the base current. We went everywhere. Fallon, Key West, Miramar, Kingsville. We took the humps off and all the armor plates out to lighten then up as much as possible. With that big engine, We had some hot rods back then in 1990/91/92. Great times and a great way for an AMS to cut my teeth.
Fantastic walkaround. I worked on the NAS Meridian flight line around the TA-4J aircraft of VT-7 in the early 1980's. Always admired them and this brought back some really good memories...
Extremely informative walkaround of the Scooter. My country used the A-4 until the mid-2000s, changing the engines to the GE F404, added the two extra wing stations for the AIM-9 and the AGM-65 and a whole bunch of new avionics and electronics before replacing them with the F-15 Strike Eagle.
Nice video! thanks 4 sharing It! Ed Heineman should be remembered for this achievement. The A4 is unique! With a handful of these A 4 SkyHawk the Argentine Air Force and the Argentine Navy attacked the British fleet and sunk /damaged Lots of ships. Despiste the unavoidable casualties and loss of unrecoverable equipement on both sides ( loss of lifes which regretably were not nil ) I pay tribute to our aviators who defied the heavy flack and missiles fired at them.
Even we British respect the Argentine A4 pilots, flying a few ft above the water into the heavily defended task force. Of course nobody likes being bombed but they were doing their job like we were, and you have to respect the balls they had to do it. It was a very close war that could have gone either way. Respect to all those on both sides who served their country.
They were brave men indeed but they were acting on the instructions of a murderous military junta who liked to throw their opponents out of an aircraft over the ocean and invaded foreign territory
@@Spookieham Dear friend this channel respects both sides of the war so I don't want to argue with anyone. UK had to fight the IRA and now the hezbollah . Cuba/ Fidel Castro's regime killed thousands and yet many youngster wear the Che Guevara´s t-shirt as a symbol of freedom. This is an exact example of what an oxymoron means.
My primary flight instructor was a Navy Skyhawks pilot before he became a CFI. He was a real hot shot pilot and a great instructor, lol. Got my PPL in 40.2 hours in 1991 and Instrument after that. I always dreamed of flying one of those after all the stories he told me. Thanks fo the walk around.
45:50 - I'm no expert. However, a long time ago, I read that the AGM-45 Shrike was based off of the larger AIM-7 Sparrow, not the smaller AIM-9 Sidewinder.
Great walkround! That was the best 59min i just had in front of the laptop, since a long time! Thanks both the pilot and the camera operator for makeing this outstanding video! More videos from inside cockpit in flight, from the walkround to the landing would be even greater!!!
In my opinion, whatever is decided for the fate of the A-10, I think the A-4's should be updated and either reproduced, or at least brought back into service to replace the A-10 if needed. One of the most cost effective fighters ever, if not the most.
An hour very well spent. Thank you both for sharing this and for the awesome walkthrough of the A-4. Love the mix of description and explanation details.
@@janko7245 Invalid argument, they are great for Air to Air, hence why TopGun used em for so long. Their problem at the Falklands was lack of fuel.. not flying ability.
@@stephenhowes7542 To bad 800 didn't manage to pick em off on ingress like 801 did... Lost a couple of ships that way. Sure 800 got more kills shooting on egress, but 801 had the better mission result.
I would like to thank Mr. Starch for the absolute best break down regarding the A-4, I have never seen, read, or heard, this aircraft discussed in such detail as I have on this video. As a major fan of Alpha 4, I have always hungered for as much information on this airframe as I could find and I feel I was totally satisfied. It takes a helluva long time to demonstrate all the things Mr. Starch has introduced to us all and I am most grateful for him taking the time out of his day to do this. I think this aircraft gave the U.S. tax payers the most bang for their buck and provided our flyers with an extremely capable war fighting platform. A-4's Forever! If I only could have been born earlier to have been able to experience the true golden age of aviation! Thanks again for your description sir! Semper Fidelis
Thanks for the tour and the memories. We flew the upgraded E model (basically an F) along with 2 TA-4Js as we were a reserve training detachment in the '70s. Our E's had the J52-P8B engines, nose wheel steering, AFCS and ECM hump containing the ridiculously heavy ALQ-100 radar track-breaker RT assembly. As a flightline avionics technician, I had to R+R a few of those babies. With the RT assembly removed, the hump could be used for storage. The pilots all loved the aircraft.
Don't even get me started on the ALQ-100. Myself and a buddy dropped one while sliding it out of the hump and the corner put a hole in the top of the wing. My "Career Low Light" was illuminated for awhile after that.
We had some close calls. Nothing like getting that behemoth out with sweaty (or frozen) hands and then losing your grip! I was later transferred to AIMD where I bench-tested these monstrosities.
I'm currently researching the ta-4j. I'm building a 1/32 scale and this is just about everything I need to know and tons more. I'm a huge blue angels fan and navy brat. I got to see the a-4s fly once before the f-18s took over. Top 5 fav aircraft of all time. My dad got to see these during his tours on board the Ranger. Would love to see 1 of these operational Skyhawks some day.
Hi Wgaswyt, my dad was an A4 pilot in Vietnam, and in the mid 80's he was in charge of the air show at the base he was stationed at. The Blue Angels were performing at that show and I was able to sit in on their pre flight briefing, also got an autographed air show program from all of the Angels! I was probably about 10 years old I would guess! Also have some pics of me sitting on my dads lap in the cockpit of the A4 when i was very young, like 4 or 5 i would guess! Good times!
Just invited two days ago to the reunion for VMA-131. The Diamondbacks were the last Marine A-4 squadron, lost their Scooters in June of 1994. VT-7 was the last Training Command, retired the T/A-4J in 1999 and VC-8 the last Navy squadron retired their Scooters in 2003.
I miss this plane. I was part of VMA-322 Marine reserve squadron back in the late 80's out of Weymouth , MA. Lots of good memories on the flight line as a hydraulics man. It doesnt seem that long ago but 30yrs has past since....Went to places like MCAS Yuma AZ, for more then 10yrs on 2 week deployment in the winter time.. Loved Yuma... Would like to travel back there soon. Thanks for this video
A4 Skyhawk qualifies as one of the best warplanes of all time because it achieved everything is was designed to do and achieved much more! Designed to be small, low cost, simple and efficient. It served with distinction for many decades. To my mind, the pinnacle of it's development came when Israel improved upon the USMC version.
I really enjoy watch this video tour. Very simple to understand in terms of ordinary persons not aviator. My country Indonesia also operates A4, thats why you make great filling proximity.
This pilot is a fantastic guy! What a wonderful aircraft too! Thank you very much. Oh my dad was a WW2 navy fighter pilot, and later (1960) become a civie test pilot for McDonnell Douglas here in St Louis flying the marvelous F4 Phantom II!
@Dmitri Kozlowsky A lot of that is also shortcomings of DCS in general. Are you referring to the game or the module specifically? I'm usually flying the F14, Harrier or JF17.
Fantastic walkaround! Very thorough. It was also great to see you putting on the flight gear and showing how it all connects up. Superb. Thank you J R Starch! 👍
That's such a tight fit in the cockpit, it seems like it would make things really difficult. For the A-4L, Wikipedia says "100 A-4Cs remanufactured for Marine Corps Reserves and Navy Reserve squadrons. Fitted with A-4F avionics (including the fuselage "hump") but retaining J-65 engine and three-pylon wing."
A4s are amazing. Weigh like 10k pounds empty but can carry, 8,500 pounds of weapons/external fuel. Amazing. The A4 with the most upgraded engine was a fricken beast.
Nice vid. I was in VT-4 from '71-75. Worked on T2C, TF9J, and TA4J. Worked the flight deck on occasion, needed the flight deck pay. A4 is still one of my faves. Wish I could buy and operate one. When the IDF bought A4M's, the first thing they did was install 30mm canon, instead of the supplied 20mm and reduced the avionics load. They always have nice flight weather. I could still pull maint. and plane captain duties on these birds. AMS 3 still supporting my Navy thru my son.
Wow! The air cycle machine (ACM) on the A-4 is so small compared to the heavies. All of this Skyhawk info was informative and interesting. Thanks for the walk around :)
sir i am a great fan of the a4 so called the scooter i am not so lucky to fly such a beauty i am only a ga 172 skyhawk jockey but at least the name is the same but def not the roll climb or accelleration rate in any way lol....but i fly the scoote on dcs (digital combat simulator) the only disturbing thin is that it has no searable frontwheel and most of the time it gets to a wild zigzaggin becaus to less or to much brake applies to one side and i was yet not able after 450hr of sim practice to air refule the roll rate along the longitudal axis is so sensitive and it ended all the time in pio...so to see tow real the cockpit layout in dcs is i could not figure out how tiny the cockpit is...thanks for that geat introductio best regards a fellow amateur pilot from germany
Thank you to Mr. Dollarhide for his corrections and comments. I apologize to viewers for any mistakes. They are all mine, so please forgive me! I did this from memory based on my personal experience as well as reading and talking with older Scooter drivers from the past. I guess I should have used a script! Please visit the A-4 Skyhawk Association website for tons of great information, pictures, etc., on the Scooter. It is an honor to still fly these in support of our military, and thanks to Erik for taking time to make this video. Most importantly, thank you to all the Navy and Marine pilots, maintainers, and engineers who together built the legacy of this jet. A4ever!
J. R. Starch You did a fantastic job in this video! It’s actually pretty common to mis-speak when one is covering many many facts on one subject. Put a camera in your face and it adds to the chances. I’m very pleased at how this video turned out and I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as JR and I enjoyed making it!!
If you guy's ever need an A&P Mechanic, let me know!! I have had experience working on a lot of different aircraft. You did a fantastic job in the video. 👍👍
J. R. Starch Excellent presentation and professionalism shown here by the way you overview and dip into the systems. It’s easy to see that you are dedicated and love what you do.
At the risk of being called a troll, the hose on the Douglas D-704 inflight refueling store, often called the buddy store, is only 50 feet, although from the cockpit it may seem longer. I was the working Aviation Electrician in the Buddy Store shop at NAS Lemoore from mid 1972 to mid 1973, as Ralph shuffled papers and sharpened pencils. Management kind of stuff. Never heard of Lemoore? Consider yourself fortunate! Nice walk around. I was in A-4F squadrons. Transitioning to the A-7E wasn't painful, but I preferred the A-4!
Hey screw anybody that says anything negative. You are the best so far! Your attention to detail is awesome! Just think years from now when they stop flying you have left a detailed tour including putting on the gear to show what it was like. I’m obviously older and all of us have seen this type of equipment. But just think years from now if it changes up the kids born tomorrow will have a historical reference. So many planes from wwii I wish cameras existed at the level we have today to have detailed tours like you provided for the future. I only wish we had this type of documentation from our wwii planes. I love the passion you have!
Thanks for the awesome walk-around! We had these on the USS Enterprise and USS America. I was in ship's company 1962 - 1966. A plane guard let his buddy sit in the cockpit of an A-4 in port in the Med and he pushed and poked around and ejected himself! The last thing he ever did. I don't know what happened to the plane guard after that. I got to look inside an A-4 for real and I couldn't believe how tight it looked inside the cockpit!
I worked on the TA-4J Skyhawk two seat trainers at AIMD, NAS Pensacola, Florida from June 78 - December 81. The Blue Angels were flying Skyhawks at that time and I got to watch them practice almost daily a few months a year. You need to tell your audience about the A-4 Skyhawk that shot down a Mig-17 during the Vietnam air war!
A4 was/is a fantastic aircraft that did a superb job in a difficult arena (Southeast Asia) along with the A-1 Skyraider. Thank you very much for your time and information. 👍
@@davekisor1486 Yes they did. The Super Fox model also had the P408 engine. The Blues also bolted the slats up to prevent asymmetric slats, which was a frequent condition on combat aircraft -- the result of rolling pullouts that warped the wing.
@@markdanielson9407 I did not go on the first Lexington Det after the squadron received their first Super Foxes. Our CO took one out, slick (no drops). He went out about 1/4 mile, pulled up and went to jam accel. Everybody on the roof watched until he was out of sight and one of the fighter pilots exclaimed "that's a bomber?"
@@davekisor1486 Ha! Yes, the Super Fox was quite a plane. I used to rotate at liftoff in the "Mighty Mike", pulling the nose to 40 degrees up, watching the altimeter spin. Passing 10,000 feet within six miles of the field, Approach cleared me direct to the MOA. The A-4 was a wonderful airplane, especially with the P408.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
I love how passionately this man talks about his plane.
You love a lot of things if you live around them, but there isn’t any woman, and there isn’t any horse, nor any before nor any after, that is as lovely as great airplane, and men who love them are faithful to them even though they leave them for others.
A man has only one virginity to lose in fighters, and if it is a lovely plane he
loses it to, there his heart will ever be.
_Hemingway, 1944
he doesn't read from paper and these guys pilots are not just everyday people they are selected smart , their math is good . He doesn't stop a sec.
Beautiful
Beautiful
@@johnskyleir AMEN,i want this guy coming in hot if I'm every in trouble 😃 he is on the ball.
While in the Marines I was at 29 Palms base in California. We had been eating C meals for two weeks. My bowels were locked up from dehydration as 29 Palms is in the desert. I had to go but had been unable for days. On a Sunday morning I found a tire on the top of the nearest hill and decided to not leave until I had finally crapped. I was sitting on the tire and not having much luck. All of a sudden an A4 came over to top of the hill about 25 feet above the hill at what seemed to be at top speed. I was covered in sand and whatever was on the ground. I was shocked at what just happened and looked under the tire and there was all the turds I had been in my bowls. The A4 will always be my favorite plane because of that memory.
Absolutely hilarious aviation story
That's a fair story to tell... seems you had a proper shit time...
I'll get my coat...
glad everything came out ok
Hahaha
29 palms is the most miserable and boring military base ever constructed lol. I'm glad I was stationed in pendleton lol
My father was a Naval Aviator for 27 years, 1950 - 1977. He was Navy Acceptance Pilot attached to Douglas in the late 60s. He loved flying this aircraft and putting her through her paces! He was then CO of VA-25 on the USS Ranger, flying the A-7E (Vietnam). He passed in 2009. My hero!
Thanks for sharing with us your thoughts and experiences. Greetins from Mexico City.
Thanks for sharing lad .....greetings from Republica Argentina
Truly outstanding review of this U.S. Naval aircraft. Not only is Erik Johnston knowledgeable but he can explain the full workings of this jet in terms that any civilian can understand. This is a world-class, five-star WalkAround!
Thanks! JR was the pilot giving the explanation, all I did was hold the camera. Haha
@@ErikJohnston Eric: You too did a superb job of filming his walkaround! Without your closeups and completely in-focus video shooting this would have been a loss! Thank you and I appreciate your work and effort. I especially enjoyed your POW interview film about the US Pilot in North Vietnam several years ago.
@@jdpresslasvegas Great video, totally agree with you, Eric is passionate about aviation.
Absolutely loved the A4 Skyhawk walk around! Man did it bring back many fond memories of getting many fun opportunities to go flying in them. I was stationed for two years, 1970-72 at NAS Kingsville, Texas and had numerous fun opportunities to go flying with a Lieutenant who was one of the instructor pilots in VT-22, along with other pilots that had their wings. There were also VT-21 and VT-23 squadrons at NAS Kingsville. But had the chance to go up on many different training hops. I-hops down to Dixie target range and J, K, and many others. Never got turned down on a ride. Officers always knew I was having fun, would stay off the mic and let them tend to the business of training students, and they didn’t have to worry about me grabbing for yellow and black handles. I was having a blast. Guess you could say it was a perk for being a baker in the Navy. I kept those officers supplied with all kinds of pastries! But I just loved the informative walk around. It brought back so many great memories and I learn so much more. Now I’ve been an aircraft mechanic for AA for many years in Tulsa. The A4 is a fantastic aircraft. Was a workhorse in Vietnam. Thank you for the fun journey again around the A4 Skyhawk!
I always like hearing about people familiar with Kingsville NAS in the 1970's. My father was the CO of VT-23 in 1969-1970. He actually accepted the new TA-4J's in April 1970. I was only 7 at the time, but I remember watching the air show they did over Kingsville NAS.
I'm from Kuwait. My Dad flew the Skyhawk for many many years before he flew the F/A 18 Hornet for the Kuwait Air Force. He's retired now but he always show me his pictures with his Skyhawk.
There s a VERY famous Kuwaiti A4 pilot during Iraq invasion
@Craig Williams you're right my father adored it, after the liberation of Kuwait he was assigned to the committee that was gonna chose the type of aircraft that the air force is going to purchase sence the A4 was getting old. 10 outta 12 pilots picked the F/A 18 over the F-15 and F-16 and the reason was "the hornet feels like a skyhawk" and of course the other reason was the price tag, getting 40 multirole hornets is much better than 16 F-15's or few more than that of F-16's, plus the service was looking for a fighter and an attacker to perform close air support to ground forces in case of another invasion, so the F-18 fulfilled that role. Brazil purchased all of the Kuwait skyhawk fleet after Kuwait got their new hornets and they joined the Brazilian navy and stationed onboard the Brazilian aircraft carrier Sao Paulo.
Now the Kuwait Air Force just upgraded the fleet with 28 super hornets and 28 Eurofighter Typhoon, I always wanted to become a fighter pilot, that was my dream but I have bad eyesight so I became a Marine instead lol.
@@leefithian3704 there's many, do you mind sharing his name?
@Craig Williams thank you for your service brother and man you gave me goosebumps just picturing that 🥰. I can already smell the jet fuel and hear that beast roar 🤩
I had a buddy from Penn State who's father flew Skyhawks and Hornets in the KAF.
Excellent walkaround Sir ...... brings back memories of younger times ..... I was stationed at MCAS Yuma ('65 - '67) with VMT-103 .... I was an "Aviation: Safety & Survival" mechanic (mos 6443 - which doesn't exist today). We took care of Seats, Canopy, Air Conditioning & Pressurization & Oxygen ..... everything that had to do with pilot environment and safety (except pilot g-suits, helmets & com, parachutes and seatpacks - which the riggers took care of)........ since This was a Training Sqn., and I had my "oh my ass card", I was able to get "ride alongs" with our instructors occasionally ...... I had about 3 hrs. in the TA-4F .......loved every minute of it (except: the back seat was REALLY loud - even with ear plugs and cotton) ....... I also got to give the familiarization lectures to the student pilots for the systems we were responsible for ....... Mostly Really Good Times .............. Thnx again ..................... ps - and yes - anyone who ever sat in an A-4 is intimately familiar with the "Head Knocker"
I was in VMT-103 also from 1967 to 1971! SEMPER FI.....!
I was in MCAS Yuma, (as a Marine) from '83-'86,,,,,, and from '87- Present,,,, was with VMAT-103, for those USMC years, and have been with VMFAT-401 since '87,,,,, with Israeli (C-1) Kfirs,,,,, and then from '89- Present with F-5s!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was a A-4 plane captain/engine mech at VC-1 Up until our decommissioning in 1992. This really brought back a lot of memories.
I was TAD to VA127 at NAS Lemoore for about 6 months in 1983 and we were flying adversary with TA4Js and before I left we got some marine A4M. I worked on the line. Love that Bird.
Lt. Alvey was the division officer for the line when I was there and PO3 Mark Robins An Guerrero and a young girl they called boom boom, cause she pulled canopy ejection handle in the hanger.
I've loved this plane since I was a child. Not only because was so popular with the Argentinian Air Force and the Navy, they have been using it since the 60s (with many modifications till the A4AR arrived in the late 90s), but all the amazing stories from the Malvinas war who flew the plane (many planes came home with a lot of holes, leaking fuel, very rugged plane). Also I've been able to be this close with a B model, veteran from the '82 war and I have to say we've got our money's worth with this plane, despite it is a very old one and rather obsolete from modern standards. The AR (based on the M with numerous improvements) model did fine though they are near the end of service life. I enjoyed a lot this video!
A flood of great memories.I absolutely loved this video. I was a plane captain and later on was in the power plants division of VT-21 from January 1973 to May of 1976. We had the TA-4j with the J52 P6A. Loved seeing the A4 on the deck of the Lexington. I did have the opportunity to fly in the back seat a couple of times. Exciting to say the least. I also got to experience a landing and take off from the Lexington in a C- I (COD, carrier on board delivery). I didn't realize it at the time but being an engine and fuel systems mechanic was by far the most interesting job that I would ever have. I arrived in kingsville, Texas 2 weeks after I turned 18.
When you got into the TA-4, and was discussing how tight of a fit it was. That reminded me that we had a Marine corps instructor that was an extreamly large man, not fat. As part of a plane captain's duties was to assist and verify the proper connection of the pilots in the aircraft. This man was so large he couldn't hook his G suit and radio and O2 hose and cable. This was done by the plane captain. There was barely enough room for me to get my hands between him and the wall to hook him up.It was rumored that he was to large to eject safely without sustaining major injuries. He was a very friendly and curtious person till he would run out of allowed flight hours. He would fly 4 to 5 sorties per day and a cross country on weekends. Then he would be grounded for a week or two. Tried to stay away from him then. He hated flying a desk. Thanks for this video. ADJ-3 Gary Todd
Gary, I was an A-6 Intruder plane captain in VA-42, training squadron, NAS Oceana, Va. Beach, Va. My Navy service time was from Oct.18,1971 to Aug.15,1975. I was in squadron from April 20, 1972 to Aug.15,1975. Went to ADJ A school at Millington, Tennessee from 1/72 to 4/17/72. Trained on the A4s in A school. Went to boot camp at San Diego, co. 356-71. Went to Fallon, Nv. & Yuma. Az. for bombing detachments. Was on the Independence, Lexington & the FDR. Was catapulted off one on a C-1 Trader COD, heloed off the Lex & Indy in a Huey & CH-46. While on the Indy I saw a F-4 phantom nose into the drink on cat shot & an E-2 crash land but hung onto the cable. Like the ad said, It’s not just a job, it’s an adventure !
Best walkaround and explanation I have ever seen! Well done and thanks for sharing, the A-4, my favorite all-time aircraft!
I was a A-4 mechanic for 8 years. It does my heart good to see these old girls still flying. I was a ADJ in VT-24 and then as a civilian. Skyhawks forever!
what year were you at chase
I worked for GTSI at Chase.
@@huberthuot6251 77 to 81 then 87 thru 90 as a civilian
@@johnbonner4430 I was enlisted 77 to 81 in VT-24 the i worked for Lockheed 87 thru 90. All A-4s.
@Ron Hunter My father was at VT-24 83 - 86. I started with Grumman in 90 and was there until the shutdown.
Outstanding! From 1966 to 1970, I flew all existing models of the beloved Scooter, first in VA-125 (the A-4 RAG at NAS Lemoore), then with the Black Diamonds of VA-216, also based in Lemoore. We flew A-4Bs aboard the USS Saratoga in the Med in 1967 (just in time for the Six-Day War), then A-4Cs for a Vietnam tour aboard the USS Coral Sea in WestPac in 1968-69. This video brought it all back. Bravo Zulu!
Thanks... we flew A4 Skyhawks with our RNZAF... thanks from New Zealand 👍🇳🇿
In 1998 he Kiwi Skyhawk pilots at one of RNAF bases sees a buddy of mine standing outside the fence. They asked him what he was up to and he explained he was a recently retired US Marine A-4 pilot. They took him on base, gave him a tour, put him in a bird and also give him Sim time. Exactly what he did for a 14 year kid 4 years earlier. Play it forward and A4s Forever!
Awesome. I was an Aircrewman on C-12's and an aircraft handler when I wasn't flying back in the 90s... NAS Memphis. We parked, refueled, and launched a shitload of these A-4's. And there was a marine squadron of skyhawks on base (MAG 42). This brings back memories. Great video.
This is one hell of a review on a Jet. The best so far on the tube.
TRUTH
Agree
I was an A-4 mechanic and plane captain from 1967 through 1970 at NAS Los Alamitos. This is a nice film that brought back a lot of memories. Thanks.
Fantastic video! Thanks so much! I always dreamt of flying an A-4.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I flew the J,M and E while in the Marines in the early 70s. There were no two seat versions of the M at that time and my first flight was briefed and I went alone. It was a real rocket compared to the J model. What a rush! Just the greatest and coolest little fighter in the USMC inventory at the time. Oh, to be 45 years younger and to do it all over again. I love the A-4.
Great video and this really reminded me of all that I had forgotten. Thanks!
6:59 I always thought that the nose-up attitude was to increase the angle of attack for takeoff. Am I wrong about that?
The A4 has always been my favorite jet warbird. It just looks right.
Scott, 45 years younger would put me right back in the powerplants division at VT-21. Best and most interesting job I have had. Didn't pay much monetarily but the memories are gold.
I built the A4 from 62 to the last one in 78 in Palmdale Ca was very proud of this aircraft this was a excellent video thank you.
I supported VC-8 when I was stationed in Roosevelt Roads PR many many moons ago. I loved watching the A4s...cool little airplane.
Who are all the whacknuts that would give this a thumbs down! This is by far the best A-4 walk around out there and thank you all for devoting your time to share your extensive and professional knowledge with all the Scooter fans like myself! As a C-130 mechanic I had the great pleasure of working with a Skyhawk crew out of Arizona to test a variable speed refueling drogue. Retired Marine pilot that had to be 6.5ft tall and one hell of a sense of humor!!! The whole crew were so much fun to work with and as a Blue Angels fan all my life the A-4 has always had a special place in my heart! This video just solidified all that and thank you again for sharing! I learned so much more about this outstanding aircraft!
Great seeing a video about the A4. I was an avionics tech in VMA211 in Vietnam. Fantastic aircraft.
After Aviation Electrician's Mate A School in Jacksonville, FL in 1971 (it was there until 1975), I was stationed at NAS Lemoore, CA with VA-127 shore duty with A-4F, TA-4F and TA-4J Skyhawks. Then it was VA-164 for sea duty aboard CV-19 (USS Hancock) for the final deployment of Hannah. VA-164 had a TA-4F that was used when earlier laser guided bombs were used. The single seater dropped the bomb and the T-bird designated Ironhand guided it to its target. Once we returned stateside, CV-19 and Airwing 21 decommissioned. Our birds went to the Marines, as they didn't want anything to do with the A-7 Corsair II. Neither did I, but I ended up in an A-7E squadron. C'esspool la vie.
Dave Kisor Hey there, Dave. I was also at that school in late 1971 thru early '72. I wonder if we might have seen each other or possibly even been in class together. After 'A' school, I was sent to N.A.S., Alameda, Cal. to school to learn some about the aircraft that I would be working on when I got to my squadron, which was VAQ-33 at N.A.S. Norfolk, Va. In our squadron, we had 4- A-4's, 4- ERA-3B Skywarriors, 2- F-4's, and 1 beautiful old Super Constellation. We were an ECM outfit and all of our planes had all kinds of ECM gear in them. I decided to stay out on the Line and became a Plane Captain for the A-3's. But I spent a lot of time helping the A-4 Plane Captains with their A-4's, and man, did those things leak hydraulic fluid...they were a real mess to maintain...!!
Dave,My father retired in Lemoore in 75. He worked on the Skyhawk when he was young, and then went to the OV-10 in Vietnam. In Lemoore he was a CPO that worked on the A-6 . I remember seeing a Skyhawk when we would pull into our housing. I remember going to a small store that was called the JET MART! Do you remember that store? Oh, my father was a AMSC. His name is Ronald Regan!
Hello, Dave. I'm wondering if we actually might have known or met each other. I was in the Navy from '72 to '76. I was an AT and was stationed with VA-212 at NAS Lemoore. Initially, I was temporarily attached to VA-127 for some training on the ARN-52 TACAN and APX-64 IFF Transponder before joining up with my squadron, which was already deployed on a West Pac cruise aboard the Hancock. I made two West Pac deployments on the Hancock before she was decommissioned. On both deployments I was the Avionics Troubleshooter for my squadron, so I was working up on the Flight Deck during flight ops. YAHOO!. VA-212 was decommissioned not long after returning stateside, and I spent the last 8 or 9 months of my service time in an squadron of A-7s, (VA-155??? I don't remember which squadron). GOOD TIMES! Hope all is well with you, and thanks for the memories! jb
I just really appreciate all these people that take this 1-2-3 hours of their time to explain all this stuff and work around with the camera and such. (cameraman included :) )
Bravo ! My favorite aircraft ! I was an A&P in the early 80's and flew a T-34 with another pilot from the Civil Air Patrol behind the Blue Angels' A-4's in a couple of shows prior to their switch to the 18's. Many thanks, Erik, and Commander.Starch. May all pilots, and future pilots, be inspired by this great presentation. Long live the A-4 !
From 65-69 I was the aircraft electrician for our A4 planes, mostly A4Bs. I also was part of the group that trained the Argentine AF on the A4, I think they were all A4As. I had the opportunity to work on a few A4Cs that were passing through.
The best doc ever seen! No music also very important! Thank you!!!!!!!
I was stationed in Lemoore, and they had one of these things sitting on base. I always thought they looked like mosquitoes. Cool video, thanks!
Enjoyed your video very much. I was a plane captain for Marine Vma 311 from 1974-1978. We flew A4M. Best dam plane ever made. Thanks for the memory's.
IMPRESSIVE. So many of these walk around videos are 10-15 minutes and really nothing that you did't already know. This on the other hand was in-depth, well conveyed and deep. I really appreciated this and subscribed at the hit. Keep em coming!
I wanted to join the Royal Australian Navy in 1978 as a 15 year-old. We had one active (little) Aircraft Carrier at the time and the main strike aircraft was this. The carrier also carried Grumman Trackers (amazing given their size and the tiny flight deck) as well as helicopters.
Great walround first time i can see what argentinian pilot saw in malvinas war, just amazing how a simple aircraft could do so much
Those argentine pilots were very brave, and very skilled. Shameful waste.
The A4 did practically nothing in the Falklands war bar get shot down, they were sitting ducks.
@@georgebarnes8163 RFA Sir Galahad, RFA Sir Tristram, HMS Fearless, HMS Antelope, HMS Ardent, HMS Coventry
This was great. I always love it when SME Pilots are able to talk and walk around their aircraft. Incredibly informative and interesting.
Thanks for the memories. I was plane captain in VF-45 (Adversary Squadron) in early 90's with the E and J model at an AT. Was able to get back seat qualified and had to pleasure to fly ACM a couple of time. I will never forgot my time with the Skyhawk.
TA-4J Plane captain here as well, VC-8 (Adversary Squadron) late 90's at Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. A-4"s are the best!
Straight out of HS I joined the Navy. Boot, AE "A" school and then to Miramar, Ca. when it was still a Navy base. My first command, Navy Fighter Weapons School. I was a PC on the A4 for over a year before getting orders to AC school. Loved working on this jet. This walk around brings back many memories. Worked on several jets but this was and always will be my favorite.
Was an A-4 plane captain from Jan. 1968 to Sept. 1969 in m.c.a.s. In Beaufort S.C. And from oct. 1969 to sept. 1970 . in VMA 311 Chu Lai Viet Nam great walk around, brought back many memories!
So awesome! Thanks for your service! Glad you liked the video
When I was a kid and drew a fighter jet, it always ended up looking like the A4.
Thank you for this entertaining but educational video.
Dude, this was sick! I've always been a fan of the A-4 and he went above and beyond to explain everything. I loved it!
thanks for the great video, and thanks to Mr. Starch for taking the time to show us the aircraft that he clearly enjoys flying! I spent a tour in the Corps working on TA-4s and A-4Ms and have a great affection for these aircraft. I'm also a member of the Skyhawk Association, so it was fun to see Mr. Starch point out his patch. :-)
Way cool! I was a plane captain from 1967 to 1971 at VMT-103 MCAS Yuma, Arizona. I took the "seat card" school at El Toro which made me eligible to fly back seat which I got to do about 4 times. What a thrill. We had TA-4F aircraft.
That was one of the best reviews ever.
First time I have seen such a thorough and complete walk around of a legendary aircraft. AWESOME, and a MILLION THANK YOUS!!!!
I worked on these babies in A School back in 87 always liked the look of the plane and man what a work horse!
My Dad was E.O. VMFA-121 that carrier qualifications of the A-4 and all weapons delivery. Deployed 13 months. When came back to El Toro promoted and shipped to the Commandant's Company C.
No doubt in my mind this is one of the most beautiful aircraft ever made
My brother used to fly A4's in the Australian Navy forty years ago. Great little rocketship.
I miss the days when our navy had A-4Gs and S-2Gs and an aircraft carrier to fly them from :(
As I recall, someone (maybe from the Douglas company?) nicknamed the Skyhawk "Heinemann's Hotrod" because it was indeed a great little rocketship :)
Great video. I've been a fan of the A-4 Skyhawk since I was 8 years old.
This is the first time that I've seen a detailed tour of the flight controls.
And my god, there is a lot going on in that cockpit.
im a flight simmer,i can tell you how to start up and use most weapon systems on the A-4 (its relatively simple compared to more modern jets)
Cool video. My first aircraft I worked on in the Navy was the A4-M at NAS Dallas. We had 4 aircraft in a little aggressor outfit. It was a lot of fun in those days. Banner tows, ACM, and it kept the pilots attached to the base current. We went everywhere. Fallon, Key West, Miramar, Kingsville. We took the humps off and all the armor plates out to lighten then up as much as possible. With that big engine, We had some hot rods back then in 1990/91/92. Great times and a great way for an AMS to cut my teeth.
Thanks for the memories. I was in a squadron with A4's (C's and L's) and TA4J's In 1974-75. VC2, Seems like another lifetime.
Thank you for your service, sir.
Always loved these. They're beautifully simple...and just plain pretty little birds.
Fantastic walkaround. I worked on the NAS Meridian flight line around the TA-4J aircraft of VT-7 in the early 1980's. Always admired them and this brought back some really good memories...
This was so great! That pilot obviously loves what he does.Thank you Sir
Extremely informative walkaround of the Scooter. My country used the A-4 until the mid-2000s, changing the engines to the GE F404, added the two extra wing stations for the AIM-9 and the AGM-65 and a whole bunch of new avionics and electronics before replacing them with the F-15 Strike Eagle.
Nice video! thanks 4 sharing It!
Ed Heineman should be remembered for this achievement. The A4 is unique! With a handful of these A 4 SkyHawk the Argentine Air Force and the Argentine Navy attacked the British fleet and sunk /damaged Lots of ships. Despiste the unavoidable casualties and loss of unrecoverable equipement on both sides ( loss of lifes which regretably were not nil ) I pay tribute to our aviators who defied the heavy flack and missiles fired at them.
Even we British respect the Argentine A4 pilots, flying a few ft above the water into the heavily defended task force. Of course nobody likes being bombed but they were doing their job like we were, and you have to respect the balls they had to do it. It was a very close war that could have gone either way. Respect to all those on both sides who served their country.
@@xeigen2 What a respectful answer . Thanks for your kind words. British pilots were brave also.
They were brave men indeed but they were acting on the instructions of a murderous military junta who liked to throw their opponents out of an aircraft over the ocean and invaded foreign territory
@@Spookieham Dear friend this channel respects both sides of the war so I don't want to argue with anyone.
UK had to fight the IRA and now the hezbollah . Cuba/ Fidel Castro's regime killed thousands and yet many youngster wear the Che Guevara´s t-shirt as a symbol of freedom. This is an exact example of what an oxymoron means.
Immediately you can tell that this man loves his airplane. Great ¡¡¡¡ Greetings from Mexico City.
My primary flight instructor was a Navy Skyhawks pilot before he became a CFI. He was a real hot shot pilot and a great instructor, lol. Got my PPL in 40.2 hours in 1991 and Instrument after that. I always dreamed of flying one of those after all the stories he told me. Thanks fo the walk around.
Worked in
the Com/Nav electrical shop on M's in the USMC, 74-78 VMA 223, 331 and VMAT 102. These are cool scooters thanks for preserving them
45:50 - I'm no expert. However, a long time ago, I read that the AGM-45 Shrike was based off of the larger AIM-7 Sparrow, not the smaller AIM-9 Sidewinder.
You're right there :)
I worked on the A4E while in VMA211 1964-1965 love this bird
Great walkround! That was the best 59min i just had in front of the laptop, since a long time!
Thanks both the pilot and the camera operator for makeing this outstanding video!
More videos from inside cockpit in flight, from the walkround to the landing would be even greater!!!
In my opinion, whatever is decided for the fate of the A-10, I think the A-4's should be updated and either reproduced, or at least brought back into service to replace the A-10 if needed. One of the most cost effective fighters ever, if not the most.
What a wonderful detailed walk around and description of these beautiful aircraft. Thanks !
An hour very well spent. Thank you both for sharing this and for the awesome walkthrough of the A-4.
Love the mix of description and explanation details.
can't love any more those scooters. greetz from Argentina
Juan aa
I remember shooting at these in the Falklands 82 . No match for our harriers.
@@stephenhowes7542 well they arent really meant for air to air combat. They are ground attack aircraft after all.
@@janko7245 Invalid argument, they are great for Air to Air, hence why TopGun used em for so long. Their problem at the Falklands was lack of fuel.. not flying ability.
@@stephenhowes7542 To bad 800 didn't manage to pick em off on ingress like 801 did...
Lost a couple of ships that way. Sure 800 got more kills shooting on egress, but 801 had the better mission result.
Another good one Erik!
A-4's Forever!
These walkaround videos are just the best!!! Thank you for making these.
I would like to thank Mr. Starch for the absolute best break down regarding the A-4, I have never seen, read, or heard, this aircraft discussed in such detail as I have on this video. As a major fan of Alpha 4, I have always hungered for as much information on this airframe as I could find and I feel I was totally satisfied.
It takes a helluva long time to demonstrate all the things Mr. Starch has introduced to us all and I am most grateful for him taking the time out of his day to do this.
I think this aircraft gave the U.S. tax payers the most bang for their buck and provided our flyers with an extremely capable war fighting platform.
A-4's Forever! If I only could have been born earlier to have been able to experience the true golden age of aviation!
Thanks again for your description sir!
Semper Fidelis
Thanks for the tour and the memories. We flew the upgraded E model (basically an F) along with 2 TA-4Js as we were a reserve training detachment in the '70s. Our E's had the J52-P8B engines, nose wheel steering, AFCS and ECM hump containing the ridiculously heavy ALQ-100 radar track-breaker RT assembly. As a flightline avionics technician, I had to R+R a few of those babies. With the RT assembly removed, the hump could be used for storage. The pilots all loved the aircraft.
Don't even get me started on the ALQ-100. Myself and a buddy dropped one while sliding it out of the hump and the corner put a hole in the top of the wing. My "Career Low Light" was illuminated for awhile after that.
We had some close calls. Nothing like getting that behemoth out with sweaty (or frozen) hands and then losing your grip! I was later transferred to AIMD where I bench-tested these monstrosities.
I'm currently researching the ta-4j. I'm building a 1/32 scale and this is just about everything I need to know and tons more. I'm a huge blue angels fan and navy brat. I got to see the a-4s fly once before the f-18s took over. Top 5 fav aircraft of all time. My dad got to see these during his tours on board the Ranger. Would love to see 1 of these operational Skyhawks some day.
Hi Wgaswyt, my dad was an A4 pilot in Vietnam, and in the mid 80's he was in charge of the air show at the base he was stationed at. The Blue Angels were performing at that show and I was able to sit in on their pre flight briefing, also got an autographed air show program from all of the Angels! I was probably about 10 years old I would guess! Also have some pics of me sitting on my dads lap in the cockpit of the A4 when i was very young, like 4 or 5 i would guess! Good times!
Just invited two days ago to the reunion for VMA-131. The Diamondbacks were the last Marine A-4 squadron, lost their Scooters in June of 1994. VT-7 was the last Training Command, retired the T/A-4J in 1999 and VC-8 the last Navy squadron retired their Scooters in 2003.
I miss this plane. I was part of VMA-322 Marine reserve squadron back in the late 80's out of Weymouth , MA. Lots of good memories on the flight line as a hydraulics man. It doesnt seem that long ago but 30yrs has past since....Went to places like MCAS Yuma AZ, for more then 10yrs on 2 week deployment in the winter time.. Loved Yuma... Would like to travel back there soon. Thanks for this video
Unos de los mejores aviones de combate de la historia...en Argentina tanto la Fuerza Aerea como Naval...hizo muy bien las tareas en las Malvinas 1982
You mean the Falklands.. No Argentinian was ever born there, so it has an English name.
@@stijnvandamme76 jajaja estás errado...
A4 Skyhawk qualifies as one of the best warplanes of all time because it achieved everything is was designed to do and achieved much more! Designed to be small, low cost, simple and efficient. It served with distinction for many decades. To my mind, the pinnacle of it's development came when Israel improved upon the USMC version.
The Navy A-4 served the same job as an A-10 before there was an A-10. It saved many marines on the ground.
I really enjoy watch this video tour. Very simple to understand in terms of ordinary persons not aviator. My country Indonesia also operates A4, thats why you make great filling proximity.
This pilot is a fantastic guy! What a wonderful aircraft too! Thank you very much. Oh my dad was a WW2 navy fighter pilot, and later (1960) become a civie test pilot for McDonnell Douglas here in St Louis flying the marvelous F4 Phantom II!
He really knows his stuff, amazing information, I loved how he presented everything. Best one yet
Fantastic! I'm getting ready to learn a PC simulator version of the A-4 and this was really helpful!
which version? I may be able to give you a hand.
@@FlightSimHistorian There's a community made A4 module for DCS World :) It's really good!
ruclips.net/video/GPdqFUi_yt8/видео.html
@@FlightSimHistorian Thank you friend: DCS and P3D...
@@Senor0Droolcup I use both the Community A-4E for DCS and the Virtavia A-4E/F for FSX/P3D.
@Dmitri Kozlowsky A lot of that is also shortcomings of DCS in general. Are you referring to the game or the module specifically? I'm usually flying the F14, Harrier or JF17.
Fantastic walkaround! Very thorough. It was also great to see you putting on the flight gear and showing how it all connects up. Superb. Thank you J R Starch! 👍
Glad you enjoyed it!
That's such a tight fit in the cockpit, it seems like it would make things really difficult.
For the A-4L, Wikipedia says "100 A-4Cs remanufactured for Marine Corps Reserves and Navy Reserve squadrons. Fitted with A-4F avionics (including the fuselage "hump") but retaining J-65 engine and three-pylon wing."
Eric, thanks for filming this very well done.
That is a beautiful Skyhawk and also one of my favorite aircraft
A4s are amazing. Weigh like 10k pounds empty but can carry, 8,500 pounds of weapons/external fuel. Amazing. The A4 with the most upgraded engine was a fricken beast.
Wow, what an effort. Thanks for allowing us to see the preflight steps and and preparations. Much appreciated.
Back in the day I would never have said this, but I so often miss that environment. I can watch something like this and I don't feel so damned old.
Thanks for the stroll down memory lane. Was an ADJ with VT-17 back in 1972. Would love to get a ride in one, just once.
loving flying the A4e in DCS, this was an awesome jet
Nice vid. I was in VT-4 from '71-75. Worked on T2C, TF9J, and TA4J. Worked the flight deck on occasion, needed the flight deck pay. A4 is still one of my faves. Wish I could buy and operate one. When the IDF bought A4M's, the first thing they did was install 30mm canon, instead of the supplied 20mm and reduced the avionics load. They always have nice flight weather. I could still pull maint. and plane captain duties on these birds. AMS 3 still supporting my Navy thru my son.
Wow! The air cycle machine (ACM) on the A-4 is so small compared to the heavies. All of this Skyhawk info was informative and interesting. Thanks for the walk around :)
sir i am a great fan of the a4 so called the scooter i am not so lucky to fly such a beauty i am only a ga 172 skyhawk jockey but at least the name is the same but def not the roll climb or accelleration rate in any way lol....but i fly the scoote on dcs (digital combat simulator) the only disturbing thin is that it has no searable frontwheel and most of the time it gets to a wild zigzaggin becaus to less or to much brake applies to one side and i was yet not able after 450hr of sim practice to air refule the roll rate along the longitudal axis is so sensitive and it ended all the time in pio...so to see tow real the cockpit layout in dcs is i could not figure out how tiny the cockpit is...thanks for that geat introductio best regards a fellow amateur pilot from germany
Great walk through. One of my all time favorite Navy aircraft.
Diggin the hot paint jobs on these Scooters
Thank you to Mr. Dollarhide for his corrections and comments. I apologize to viewers for any mistakes. They are all mine, so please forgive me! I did this from memory based on my personal experience as well as reading and talking with older Scooter drivers from the past. I guess I should have used a script! Please visit the A-4 Skyhawk Association website for tons of great information, pictures, etc., on the Scooter.
It is an honor to still fly these in support of our military, and thanks to Erik for taking time to make this video. Most importantly, thank you to all the Navy and Marine pilots, maintainers, and engineers who together built the legacy of this jet. A4ever!
J. R. Starch
You did a fantastic job in this video! It’s actually pretty common to mis-speak when one is covering many many facts on one subject. Put a camera in your face and it adds to the chances.
I’m very pleased at how this video turned out and I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as JR and I enjoyed making it!!
If you guy's ever need an A&P Mechanic, let me know!! I have had experience working on a lot of different aircraft. You did a fantastic job in the video. 👍👍
J. R. Starch Excellent presentation and professionalism shown here by the way you overview and dip into the systems. It’s easy to see that you are dedicated and love what you do.
At the risk of being called a troll, the hose on the Douglas D-704 inflight refueling store, often called the buddy store, is only 50 feet, although from the cockpit it may seem longer. I was the working Aviation Electrician in the Buddy Store shop at NAS Lemoore from mid 1972 to mid 1973, as Ralph shuffled papers and sharpened pencils. Management kind of stuff. Never heard of Lemoore? Consider yourself fortunate! Nice walk around. I was in A-4F squadrons. Transitioning to the A-7E wasn't painful, but I preferred the A-4!
Hey screw anybody that says anything negative. You are the best so far! Your attention to detail is awesome! Just think years from now when they stop flying you have left a detailed tour including putting on the gear to show what it was like. I’m obviously older and all of us have seen this type of equipment. But just think years from now if it changes up the kids born tomorrow will have a historical reference. So many planes from wwii I wish cameras existed at the level we have today to have detailed tours like you provided for the future. I only wish we had this type of documentation from our wwii planes. I love the passion you have!
Thanks for the awesome walk-around! We had these on the USS Enterprise and USS America. I was in ship's company 1962 - 1966. A plane guard let his buddy sit in the cockpit of an A-4 in port in the Med and he pushed and poked around and ejected himself! The last thing he ever did. I don't know what happened to the plane guard after that. I got to look inside an A-4 for real and I couldn't believe how tight it looked inside the cockpit!
Thank you for taking the time to walk us through the entire process. Keep them flying
I worked on the TA-4J Skyhawk two seat trainers at AIMD, NAS Pensacola, Florida from June 78 - December 81. The Blue Angels were flying Skyhawks at that time and I got to watch them practice almost daily a few months a year. You need to tell your audience about the A-4 Skyhawk that shot down a Mig-17 during the Vietnam air war!
A4 was/is a fantastic aircraft that did a superb job in a difficult arena (Southeast Asia) along with the A-1 Skyraider. Thank you very much for your time and information. 👍
Enjoyed the video. The J-52 P408 actually has 11,200 pounds of thrust, which made the airplane viable for virtually any mission.
That's why the Blue Angles picked the A-4F.
@@davekisor1486 Yes they did. The Super Fox model also had the P408 engine. The Blues also bolted the slats up to prevent asymmetric slats, which was a frequent condition on combat aircraft -- the result of rolling pullouts that warped the wing.
@@markdanielson9407 I did not go on the first Lexington Det after the squadron received their first Super Foxes. Our CO took one out, slick (no drops). He went out about 1/4 mile, pulled up and went to jam accel. Everybody on the roof watched until he was out of sight and one of the fighter pilots exclaimed "that's a bomber?"
@@davekisor1486 Ha! Yes, the Super Fox was quite a plane. I used to rotate at liftoff in the "Mighty Mike", pulling the nose to 40 degrees up, watching the altimeter spin. Passing 10,000 feet within six miles of the field, Approach cleared me direct to the MOA. The A-4 was a wonderful airplane, especially with the P408.
@@markdanielson9407 They also took off the dorsal avionics humps to make them lighter. Those were the best Blue Angels shows.
he has a good way to explain things. it is fun to listen to him.