Aircraft Familiarization in the A3J Vigilante Operating Procedures

[@rudyyarbrough5122]

I got my Naval aviator wings in 1964 and this magnificent bird was still flying at the time. It was one of the prettiest planes at that time except maybe the F-105 and B-58. I flew the F-4B and always felt like the ugly duckling at any field that had any of these birds stationed there. But the Phantom was like a mean rat rod and no one could touch it in a race, except maybe the F-104.

[@Nghilifa]

It's a beautiful bird indeed. I always had a soft spot for the Phantom, it's pretty in its own way I guess hahaha.

[@georgeszaslavsky]

One of the most impressive planes the Navy ever had

[@philliplopez8745]

Have seen an RA-5 up close . Possibly the most impressive war plane that I have seen ( have seen both Vulcan and SR-71 also ) the Vigilante was beautiful .

[@Lost1inDetroit]

I agree. I always thought it was the best-looking airplane ever built. That's why when I was in the Navy in 1966 I managed to get trained as an Aviation Firecontrol Systems Bombing Systems (AQB) Technician. I spent almost 1 year in Navy school and then put in for working on the RA5C in Sanford FL. Got that assignment. I then spent about 3 years working on the inertial navigation (which had a digital computer with a hard drive), bombing/terrain avoidance radar (which incorporated probably the first Heads Up Display (HUD)) and closed-circuit TV systems.

[@Mark_Ocain]

The sexiest fast jet to ever go to sea.

[@nervechews6781]

What a rakish and beautiful airplane. As I always say, born too late. Thanks for the upload.

[@jamesholcombe435]

My father was an engine mechanic with rvah 3 the sea dragons, Nas Sanford 1961 to 64.

[@jwagner1993]

Fucking beautiful and powerful aircraft!

[@MN6WS6]

Need one of these videos for the back seat AKA RAN position where my dad was for three tours.

[@francisshaw7020]

Same here. I was an AQ in the Vigi family and did most of my preflight checks in the back seat. Did Inertial Nav alignments and radar checks before the RAN got in the seat. Was a great time in my navy career back in the 70's.

[@Lost1inDetroit]

Also. AQB-2 Sanford and Albany 1967-1970. Best duty in the Navy!

[@cheez71]

You always find stories and books written by the pilots of two-place aircraft, yet rarely any by the backseater. Would love to hear/read about missions from the RAN perspective.

[@sje7119]

I was an AME in R.V.A.H 3 before it was decommissioned. There's many of these planes placed as gate sentry's all around the world! But there's not one of them Flight worthy, why not? It was beautiful and years ahead of it's time. Yes, it went down a lot on the flight-line but it had many first's in technology.

[@model-man7802]

Great video,I love this plane.They restored one on the west coast.

[@Lost1inDetroit]

The restored plane is at the Castle Air Museum. There are several on static display around the country. Sanford FL airport (former base for them), Key West Naval Base, Millington TN, Intrepid Aircraft carrier in New York Harbor and the Pensacola Navy Air Museum. There are several more around the country.

[@jackhawkins4056]

@@Lost1inDetroit Isn't there one at the old NAS in Subic Bay Phillippines too?

[@Lost1inDetroit]

@@jackhawkins4056 Don't know about that one.

[@Lost1inDetroit]

@Kevin Krostosky I have not kept up with the training center in Millington. These retired bases have turned into some interesting uses. There is another base I was stationed near Pensacola FL and that base added a jail.

[@VIPER03100]

what a beauty of an aircraft!!!

[@allgood6760]

Sleek and chic!! 👍✈️

[@stijnvandamme76]

such a good looking plane

[@ujijin3099]

Love the Bostonian accent. AFP couldn’t either train him to speak “General American” or their editors themselves thought it was okay. Option 3: A rush to production rendered the former two impossible. And: the rear control surfaces seem just massive...otherwise, this very striking bird reminds me of the B58’s cockpits...

[@sewing1243]

The aircraft was originally designed to have twin tails (photo of NAA Mock-up here: i0.wp.com/www.cavok.com.br/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/North-American-Aviation-A3J-A-5-Vigilante-supersonic-carrier-based-nuclear-strike-bomber-mock.jpg?resize=600%2C341) but some reason the Navy Brass insisted on a single fold-able vertical stabilizer instead.

[@jpatt1000]

He kind of sounds like Paul Frees (Boris Badinov and voices in many Disney films). I wonder if it's actually him?

[@terrinewman7390]

the A-3 was the whale ,the A-5 was the vigilante!

[@VigilanteAgumon]

Prior to 1962, the A-5 was known as the A3J before the Navy and Air Force designation systems were merged. The "Whale" was originally known as the A3D.

[@Unclezippy1]

A3J-1 later to be re-designated A-5A

[@RaiderSix]

Looks like the whole vertical stabilizer is the rudder. Interesting.

[@francisshaw7020]

Yup, the vertical stabilizer as well as the horizontals moved as one. I think the Vigi was one of the first aircraft to have that. It was truly an bird a head of its time. FYI: It used the same inertial Nav system as the B52.

[@stijnvandamme76]

Scared the LSO's on the platform if anybody used rudder to correct while landing on the boat. When left rudder was applied the entire Vigi would briefly point towards the LSO platform

[@AntonioAlentado]

Muy instructivo el documental, pero me parece que la nave es un RA _5 Vigilante y no un A3j como dice el documental

[@Popesontour]

Anyonerememberthe Vigi at front gate at Milington? ABH-A school 95!

[@bobv5806]

It was in front of the Galley when I went to AT-A School there in '85.

[@ВоваВоронин-у5ж]

Вы заметили! Судя по комментариям- нет! На 8:19 секунде и по 8:23 в кадре появляется UFO!

[@TheZen900]

I heard the Vigilante was hard to maintain. Hard to get techs trained to keep it in service. It looks out of place on a carrier deck. Like Jimi Hendrix on a Lawrence Welk Show.

[@francisshaw7020]

It was a high maintenance aircraft. A lot of man hours to get it into the air but it flew well.

[@jamesholcombe435]

This aircraft was what was called a heavy, ships company hated the vigi, it would usually break the arrestor cable.

[@arodrigues2843]

Great plane. Perheps it should have had twin vertical tailplane , like F-15, MiG-25 ?? ) for a better lateral stability.!!! ( And lesser height for the hangars )?? Perhaps, if it was designated latter, it would had twin vertical tails.!!!!!!

[@TheZen900]

Ive still never seen one and my Dad was USAF in the 60s. I saw a lot of jets, This jet appeared to be long ahead of its time.

[@KB4QAA]

AR: The navy declined twin rudders and insisted on a single.

[@Lost1inDetroit]

@@TheZen900 To my knowledge the AF never had any. See my post above for locations where some are on static display. The Navy only had the plane at one land base at a time. First in Sanford FL (where it took over for the A-3D (Air Force version B-66), then moved to Albany GA and then moved and phased out of Key West FL. The plane had several designators in its life, but RA5C was the last and most used.

[@jackhawkins4056]

@@Lost1inDetroit I believe they had at least one at Pax River and one at NASA?

[@MlLKMAN]

@@jackhawkins4056 There was one in Millington TN

[@Seadog..C5]

Never saw anybody wear a cover on a flight line.. Vigilantes main purpose was to deliver a nuke off of a carrier. Outstanding aircraft the bird was just too big for a carrier I believe our role would have been better served at NATO

[@KutWrite]

A3?????

[@monsterbass9599]

KutWrite The Vigilante was originally called the A3J. Then renamed A-5 before finally being re-configured as a photo-recon aircraft-the RA-5C. The A-3D was the whale (Skywarrior)

[@Unclezippy1]

Yep! A3J-1 Vigilante to be re-designated A-5A

[@Name-ps9fx]

In the early ‘60s the gov’t decided to have a uniform aircraft numbering system which caused the USN to renumber most of their aircraft + helos.

[@get2dachoppa249]

By government, you are referring to one individual by the name of Robert S. McNamara, SECDEF. His strong & somewhat misguided belief of "commonality" resulted in the 1962 Tri-Service Aircraft Designation System.

[@williamjordan5554]

Meanwhile, the runway has already been bombed.

[@jamesholcombe435]

It had an emergency start sequence