P-3 CHECK RIDE

[@circlepfarm9729]

Wow! Great video! Kept waiting for the "Low Power Number 4" on the takeoff! I started out as a groundpounder in VP-11, an FE in VP-8, NADC, VP-46, VP-31 and VP-17. Thanks for publishing this video!

[@dillodigger1510]

Wow. Brings back memories seeing hanger 1,2,3. Ground pounded for VP 50 back in '72-'75. Awesome experiance.

[@rworsham0033]

VP 49, HS 1, SIG, Moffett AIMD. Left in 91... man the quake was wild... was in Maint Control in Hanger two when it hit.. watched the runways look like the sea. Thanks for the memories.

[@jackshittle]

Great video! I served as an IFO from 1990-1995 in VP-10 out of NAS Brunswick I was the aft observor one time for a check ride that the CO was giving while on deployment to Puerto Rico. I was sitting at station 9 & could tell that an engine shut down. I look out my window & 3 & 4 are still turning. So I go over to station 10 and look out the window and both #1 & #2 were stopped dead. It looked so odd to see both engines on the same wing shut off. Some chief told me I'd probably never be on another flight where that happens on purpose & of course he was right. The furthest I ever went west in a P-3C was to Hill AFB in Utah. Some pilots need cross country hours so they figured if the plane is going anyway - then who in the squadron wants to go skiing or snowboarding? Of course I brought my snowboard. We stopped in Colorado Springs for JP5 & had Dominos Pizza delivered right to the bottom of the ladder (that our nav called in while still enroute). The girl deliverer asked for a picture of her with some of the crew which we did. We had rooms reserved at the Marriott in Ogden & the USAF let us use a van. Everyone familiar with Utah's ski areas wanted to go Alta but I opted for Snowbird as I was just there a few months earlier on vaca and knew my way around. So I got let out of the van at Snowbird & then at the set time they picked me up & we went back to the hotel. I got sunburned as it was April and I didn't apply the sunblock to my face evenly in my haste to get on the chair lift. So back at the hotel that night I saw how my face had hand prints on it & was too embarrassed to go out to the bar with everyone. I was lucky to have been a Naval Aircrewman in a P-3C squadron. Cheers!

[@jamesmarchetti575]

Nice flashback man!! VP-48 & VP-31, 1985-1992

[@stbridgens9544]

Hello Jim, Yea I just saw this, great flashbacks and great timea at VP-48 (IFT Crew 11) 1985-1988

[@bobbailey4954]

I miss the roar of those Allison's. AMS-1 Bailey Served with VP-11 Brunswick me. 76-80. Loved every minute especially the two med cruises.and the UNITAS 19 south America training missions. Bless all the hero's of CAC 8 who lost there lives in the canary islands we still think of you and miss you.

[@carltonbond6059]

Was also at NAS Brunswick 77-80 VP-26 good times. Long cold winters got used to it now get a kick out of everyone here in Virginia when they call for an inch of snow.

[@P3cNavyBrat]

Lived on Moffett for a few years in the late '70s, while my dad was with VP-9, VP-31. I was only 10 then, but rode by bike all the way around that runway. There was a golf course near there and if you followed the road all the way around, you would come to an airplane grave yard behind the wind tunnel. The MPs would always chase us out of there! We would get extra spending money by washing private planes that parked by Hanger One. Good times.

[@GarySanOly]

Would have been the Moffett flying club. When I was going through VP-31 in 1977 I used to rent the twin a BE-95 Baron.

[@dillodigger1510]

Back in'74 I think was a terrible crash between VP-47 and a NASA plane had crashed on the golf course. I was on my way to hanger 2 on perimeter rd.. Had to go back to barracks it was shutdown. Chiefs Swinson and Morgan told me take day off. Sad day.😓😓

[@mtbales0805]

Trained at Moffett for FE certification then assigned to VP40. Transferred to Whidbey Island when Moffett closed. GREAT memories 90-95

[@GarySanOly]

You were probably in VP-40 when CDR Chavez was the XO and Skipper; he was my division officer in VP-1 when I made Chief in 1986. I was taught for Embry Riddle up at Whidbey around the time you were there too.

[@pauldurante2656]

+GarySanOly. hey gary, completely forgot i shared this like 8 months ago. Yeah, im sure we crossed paths. Trying to remember my buddies in VP 1 nut it was so long ago. VP 17 also. I think it was VP 1 that flew into the cliffs if i recall. My roomate was on that flight. Dont mean to rehash a tragic memory but that coulda happened to any of us. Just recently found out bout the new P 8 s. Man hav things changed! Nothing like buzzin round in those old birds though. Was livin a dream!!Lol!!😎

[@billdavis8643]

It all started at VP-31, NAS Moffett Field, 11/71 to 5/72: P-3 In-Flight Tech (IFT) School before heading to VP-17 in Hawaii. President Nixon extended the Viet Nam War in 1972; 2 days later I was off to join VP-17 on deployment in Okinawa (3-4 week TDY assignments to each Taiwan, Midway, Philippines, and flights into the Territorial Waters, Republic of Viet Nam). God how I loved the P-3's; the VERY BEST job I ever had even though "a slow day" was 18 hours long.

[@TUKUMZ]

used to live under the traffic pattern into moffet field...p 3s always flying over. used to look fwd to sunday night around 730... there was a united dc-8 that would fly over From honolulu to SJC. stretch dc-8 was the best

[@Renner95634]

Yep. I grew up in Mountain view and every morning starting at 5am you could count on five or six P-3's sitting at the end of the runway at 100% power doing their run-up before takeoff. You didn't need an alarm clock in Mountain View during the Cold-War.

[@tubealloys3494]

P-3s didn't need to do engine runups. And an engine runup wouldn't be at "100% power" as you say.

[@larrythomas5725]

Transferring from F/E in the Connie to the P3 would have been my next assignment. Of course, had to pass the jet course first.

[@rickscott7350]

Gads I miss the center seat.

[@PhillipMorton]

Did you end up buying the software?

[@guybachelor7490]

Home. Runway 32 right.

[@guybachelor7490]

AW sensor 2/3. VP 9.