Navy P-3 Orion Tribute video

[@steveholton4130]

First, May I, Please, Say Thank You So Very Much to Every member of Every air crew of Every P3 for Standing Guard over AMERICA and All Her Friends around the globe. Way to few of our people are even aware of the enormous job you Naval Aviators do 24-7-365 ! THANK YOU ! Although, at age 70 now, I never served in the Military, I feel a special connection to the P3.Even before I was born, my family had had a summer home on the New Meadows River about 5 miles down stream from NAS Brunswick. From infancy to about age 35, I would go to sleep on summer nights listening to the sounds of first Hercs and then Orions constantly coming and going on their missions. In 1980 I started production testing of, among other things, the Syncrophases of the S 56 propellers, first tube type, the transistor based and finally digital. I also assembled and tested the fuel pump and valve assembly that feed the Harpoon Missile.

[@blount99RT]

Brings back memories. I lived in Mountain View, CA as a kid and spent many afternoons watching them in the pattern doing touch and go's. Lots of my friends dads were aircrew. I miss the spooky whistling sound mixed with the propellers and jet exhaust.

[@ronnieearnhardt]

I was in VP-49 and made two Sigonella deployments in 81 and 83. Loved those days!!!

[@Chris_at_Home]

I made a Sigonella deployment in 1973 and a Rota\ Azores deployment in 74. I also made UNITAS14 in 73. Seems like every time they sent a plane somewhere I’d get sent as a ground pounder AX. I know I did a Springboard in there somewhere too. Crete , England... I was in VP 23.

[@ronbonner1440]

Last slide of mothballed P-3 brought a tear to my eye. VP-30, VP-49, VP-56, VP-8

[@terrymcder1]

VP4 AW1 DWST SERE 2200+ hrs Jez 69-72 Barbers Pt, Adak, Guam, Midway, Iwakuni Winter of '69, MIG launched on us off the coast of Kamchatka, we went to 100' 400kt+, 'no joy.' Combat take off from Cam Ranh Bay was memorable. '72 Barbers Pt, 3 engine landing P3B, short-timer crew, pilot stalled the plane, aft section scraping the ground most of the way down the runway. He used full power 3 times, trying to correct the situation, finally planted the landing gear, and stopped 75 yards from the end of the runway and the ocean. Tough airplane.

[@NorthForkFisherman]

Did he think he was going for the 3-wire? LOL

[@stanwright8583]

VP-17... we were so excited to trade in our P-2s for P-3s... everyone was looking forward to schools in California and then move to Hawaii. But a parachute is a parachute so I spent the spring, summer, and fall in Whidbey Island giving away our old planes. LOL... And the day the first snow fell on Whidbey Island... 18 NOV 68.. I boarded a P-3 and headed for sunny Hawaii.

[@greglewis8752]

AE groundpounder here, I first met P-3's at WST/Pax River Md, and buno 156512. Then on to VQ1 in Guam, VP45 and much later VP65 with my old buddy, 156512. I understand she is resting in the boneyard now, she deserves a rest. Side note, I got about 20-25 minutes of stick time in one of 'our' P3s, I was amazed at how sensitive the controls were. Those were the days....

[@mikearmstrong8483]

My first wife was Suzie Fox 1, bureau # 158221. On her last flight before retiring she was waved off by Whidbey tower because a Prowler got in the way, and going around the pattern she plowed through a flock of geese. Busted up the radome, the windscreen, and took birds down all 4 intakes, but made it around the pattern and got her crew on the ground intact.

[@stevetadlock5223]

We sucked in some Goonies leaving Midway on 7 July 1980, I watched them flame through number 2. Our PPC Max Britton did a lap around the island and deemed the bird good and we continued on to Misawa...lol

[@mikearmstrong8483]

@@stevetadlock5223 I went through Midway 7 months later. Had a hoot dancing with the goonies. Remember Pabst Blue Ribbon at 25 cents a can there? If you saw a goony flame #2, I'm assuming you were the IFT?

[@stevetadlock5223]

@@mikearmstrong8483 Yep I was an IFT and I lost my 21st birthday crossing the pond! By the way my brother in law is Mike Armstrong!

[@mikearmstrong8483]

@@stevetadlock5223 Which squadron? I was VP-48.

[@stevetadlock5223]

@@mikearmstrong8483 Mike was in Drifty Fifty!

[@wadecharnock8783]

Was in VP-8, VP-30, and VP-9...Almost 2600 hours...but there were many who flew many more hours than that...wow...wow...I miss it all so much. 22 years...

[@flcop212]

Fellow Golden Eagle here.

[@CombatVet65]

Yeah, the old girls were fun to fly, I was a SS-3 from 1986-2006. I'm flying civilian contract now, but P-3s will always be in my heart. That POS P-8A will never really replace the Skypig.

[@wadecharnock8783]

Dan its Wade here...I miss it all so much...I retired in 2009...22 years...active, Reserve, and Active

[@ChewWowWow]

This is a video I made. I was in VP-17 as a ground pounder. 1974 SERE, DWEST, Aircrew VQ-1. Chased by North Korea, VQ-2 Special Projects, VP-45. Now that I am in my 70s I started making Navy Aviation designs. Here is VP-4s logo. www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/12802037-patrol-squadron-four?store_id=292082

[@glmarketingdude]

Spent some incredibly GREAT years in VP-40 (2 WestPacs, Including Market), also VP-31 teaching aerial photo process, and finally in VP-17, Barber’s Point and also 2 WestPacs. Left the VP community after that and retired after 26 years serving on the USS Mt Whitney. What a blast, an “E” Ticket ride for sure! Like Bob Hope used to say “Thanks for the memories!,” v/r Squatty Body, S.L.U.F.F., Tim G

[@stevetadlock5223]

I was in 40 from 1978-1983...the old days!

[@ronpagnani9673]

@@stevetadlock5223 You Might have worked with my brother Rick. He was an AE2 1978 until 1981

[@stevetadlock5223]

@@ronpagnani9673 Name sounds familiar

[@SquareDancers]

40 years of my life in photos, 1972-2012. Very nice.

[@aircrewphotog]

the photo at 1:15 is mine. I was the aircrew photographer for VP-1 and that was one of our planes going through the wash rack at Okinawa during the 2003-2004 deployment.

[@dillodigger1510]

A VP-50 ground pounder here at Moffett Field '72-'75. What a blast. Often had wished i'd reupped.

[@ceej830]

VP-10 guy here, too. Love the ole P-3!

[@Chris_at_Home]

Have an older brother that was in 10. I was in 23 during the early 70s.

[@pjjhawaii]

Great video. She is getting old though. I was in VQ-2 in Rota and just left VPU-2 in Hawaii. When you can get her airborne, she flies great.

[@themontevi1]

VP-10 red lancer here. Thanks for posting

[@gehrigwiles4455]

Just before a tear, looking at these pics. P3C NFO - VP 48, VAQ 33

[@johntrauger68]

VP-40 Moffett Field 70-72. Deployments Naha, Iwakuni. AE

[@texasironcowboy1]

I'd rather fly on one of these than any commercial aircraft. VP-22 VP-94

[@DaveDeBoer-g2f]

I agree 100% from VP 23

[@jefftiz1]

Had to hold back the Tears, VP-10 AMH-3 Long live Lockheed!

[@janisingram1995]

Turn 65 still P3 time in the Navy will be a part of me till I go home to Jesus !! VP 6 VP 31

[@MrSolidsnake920]

the P-3 is the best of the best

[@Rock_Snob]

My dad was Flight Engineer for VP-65 for many a year...

[@ChewWowWow]

www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/14133014-p-3-orion-flight-engineer?store_id=292082

[@Rock_Snob]

@@ChewWowWow Really? You are like a pimp.

[@stevetadlock5223]

I was in 65 as an IFT from 88-99

[@neil4602]

89’-93’ VP-40, NAS Moffett Field. AME3

[@ether454]

nice video, i worked on the p3s in hawaii and overseas, vpu2

[@danpayne3319]

VP-45 in early 1990’s...love that bird!!!

[@johntrauger68]

The smell of JP4 in the morning.....the bitch ass APU generator change out..... the bitch ass battery inspections.....all fond memories.

[@bethmcquiston1526]

Mighty fine!

[@rickn8or]

VQ-2, VP-19, PMTC, VP-31. The most fun you can have with your clothes on.

[@mikecullen4683]

THANX FOR THAT FROM AN OLD BLUE DRAGON.

[@Blue_Dragon_DK]

Nice to see another Blue Dragon in the comments

[@howardhurtt6612]

VP40 Jezebel op. Laging handa.

[@stevetadlock5223]

IFT 78-83' Laging Handa!

[@turbo-bike7999]

Every time a P3 pilot pulled back on yoke to rotate……an enemy submarine captain started to worry! The mighty Orion!!!! The great hunter of the sea!!!

[@Tollbooth1997]

To Ll my brothers that flew the friendly skies, my air crew brothers. And heres to those fe's

[@roccodonato4120]

VP-4 skinny dragons!!! Barbers point Hawaii!!

[@double-h-farms]

Vp-4 skinny dragons, nas barbers point Hawaii 96-2000 mechanic (AD)

[@vogtage]

VP-11 here. The last image is kind of sad to see with all of those mothballed P-3's.

[@laspaceboy]

IFT w/VP-40. 2000-2003.

[@ronpagnani9673]

VP 50 Moffett Field 79 -82

[@Blue_Dragon_DK]

VP-50 1989-1992

[@stevetadlock5223]

Where the hell is Mike Winstrom? and his ever broken Norton!

[@barbaraeppers3459]

SEAHAWKS VP-23 !!!! in my heart forever

[@Chris_at_Home]

Same here. 1972 to 1975.

[@DaveDeBoer-g2f]

I was with VP 23 in the 80's

[@DaveDeBoer-g2f]

I look back and it was a good experience 😊

[@michaelayares3862]

VP 23 Brunswick Maine

[@walternix2083]

No plane will ever match our P-3. Can it fly with two engines feathered, can it remain on station for 14+ hours, can it land in Cubic City and allow a group of sailors to get their "Mumbles" initiation, can you put a drunk flight engineer in the back bunk to sober up, can you throw the bird to Russia ships as you take pictures of them, can it run like Hell when Russia Migs are launched from a "Parpo" that got a little to close, can the radio operator spill the honey bucket on a full bird air force officer after a 14 hour flight, can you trick a new Ensign navigator to run around your plane with a sonobuoy telling him you are preflighting the radar, can it listen to skyking messages until your radio operator has lost all sense of hearing, can you bring back a load of furniture from Taiwan and Thailand in the plane so your wife will accept that this is the reason you got the Gono in Korea, can you put out a fire in the main electrical load center on a flight from Diego Garcia to Thailand, can you send a "Mayday" message to anybody that will listen that you are on fire and you can't get engine four back on line because it's on fire, can you ride a baht bus without dying, can you eat camel blood soup in Iran to keep from offending these people ..... I think not. Love my P-3's .... Love my VP-9 .... Love that life and the man it made out of this 19 year old radio operator. Shout out to Chief Rainbow .... good friend that showed me the town in Thailand. AT-2 Gene Nix ... VP-9. 1974-1977. Crew 11, the Wombats part of the Golden Eagles Puppy Dog Airlines. Got my manhood played with many times around a table as my crew would party. Girl under the table .... whoever smiled would buy the next round of Sam Miguel. Got shot at by VC gun boats, locked on by Russia ships, launched on by Migs, almost ditched from a fire .... but I'd do it again. Love my P-3 and love the new P-8.

[@flcop212]

End of an era. www.whidbeynewstimes.com/news/last-active-duty-p-3c-orion-flies-into-history/ VP-9 '90 - '95. Moffett Field / Barber's Point. Adak, Diego, Masirah, Misawa.

[@2003ranp]

VP-66 Good Times!

[@skyking1328]

VP91 IFT !

[@ChewWowWow]

Like the name. Do you know what Sky King broadcast were? Sky king, sky king, do not reply…

[@double-h-farms]

(scott huhn) Vp-4 skinny dragons nas barbers point Hawaii 96-2000

[@MrSolidsnake920]

mad foxes for ever

[@stevenc8140]

SS2 then "Promoted?" to SS3..NOT! VP-5. It was too short '71-'75

[@DavidZ81T3]

I'm back row 1st on the left of the EP crew picture

[@ChewWowWow]

David Zwald Sorry David that is not you. Back row 1 st on the left is my friend Wayne S.

[@DavidZ81T3]

ChewWowWow I thought a little more, and realized I could have been wrong, recognized a few people on my crew and looked for someone that looked like me years ago.

[@MrSolidsnake920]

yeah I was VP-5 in the 80s flying all over Europe it was an honor many missions and memories the P-3 Orion will always be number 1 the POS P-8 is garbage do it a favor fly it in the ocean the P-3 is far more superior in the sky just do me a favor and keep many around on standby or reserve you will need them trust me

[@erickcruz9315]

GO WAR EAGLES! VP-16

[@phataviator]

No iPhone view?

[@patrickhoover7172]

My father was VP-5 mad foxes P-3 for ever way better than the POS P-8 Piece P-3s are instant power prop life lol

[@CombatVet65]

Had to be politically correct, I guess. 37,000 men have sat the SS-3 seat, so you posted a pic of a female there. Nice.

[@whasagoodun]

You had to put the women on the crew in the video. Thanks for the reminder. Not.

[@Tailhooker2024]

Awesome time flying the P-3. The good old days. VP-24/VP30