Can we get back on topic now?
After Topgun, my brother started on these, A-7 Man-eaters. compare the size of that low slung intake to the pilot, thus the unofficial name for the Corsair. I've seen thse babies sucking water off the deck. Had he been one class ahead of his in topgun, he would have got to fly the now pornified by Ken (et al) Trojans, but he got second best fun bird, the A-4 Skyhawk. Most of his flight hours, Cats and Traps, were recorded on the Man-eater. These replaced the A-4 Skyhawk on larger carriers in Viet Nam, but the smaller kept the A-4's going for their excellent STOL (Al already defined it, so you have to go back and re-read if you forgot

). The Marines held onto A-4's until past their last order in '78 for the STOL in the jungle.
After transitioning to F-18's, he ended up the CO of the Golden Dragons on the USS Kitty Hawk when it was stationed in Japan.
Finally he made Captain, and got to fly any and all of Air Wing 1's aircraft, as was their commander.
Carrier Air Wing One - Wikipedia
Last surviving War Hero in my family (although his daughter is a Marine officer in Kuwait). He was the oldest pilot in the navy by the time he stepped down as CVW-1 Commander and went on the NAVPERS, Memphis, the his dream job, ROTC and Prof at three Universities in and around Chicago.
Capt. Jim's story in a nutshell. As I understand it
