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HistoryVP-49 HistoryHistory

Circa Unknown
Can you identify the Month and or Year?

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: "...I recalled an incident of which you (CDR Freeman starwood@rof.net) may have been part. I was an AM2 on EA-8, both the PBM and the P5M, and on the latter I was the bowman and was acting as such when 8 Boat landed at NAS Norfolk, Virginia one "dark and stormy night" being piloted by a LCDR. This pilot was in a hurry since he had to be approaching the ramp and buoy at about twenty knots. I was hanging out the bow hatch when the copilot's spotlight flashed across the buoy for an instant. I shoved the mooring line out into the darkness and retrieved it to the mooring post as though I knew what I was doing even though I could see absolutely nothing. No one, except possibly the pilot, was more surprised than I to see the buoy being lifted out of the water into the light from the bow hatch. I would estimate that perhaps 10 milleseconds elapsed between "Buoy made, Sir" and the throttles being cut. And I had already envisaged 8 Boat going up the ramp bow first with no wheels. I was wondering if you could have been that pilot (or know who he was). As long as I'm in a remembering mood I had another experience beaching a PBM on a "Visitor"s Day" (Armed Forces Day?) in NAS Bermuda. As I was fastening the beaching gear on the plane I stepped out onto the float cans to rotate the gear under the chine as the loudspeaker blathered on about our highly trained and efficient crews. Except this highly trained and efficient crew member had missed the upper latch on the plane and was left with his ass hanging out the side hatch as the gear bobbed away to be retrieved by the beach crew, A good time was had by all..." Contributed by ROIDT, AM2 Mike lvmroidt@aol.com [28NOV2001]

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: "...Records Safe Flying Time - VP-49: 192,700 hours and 28 years...." Naval Aviation News July-August 1990 Page 32 [10JUL2001]

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: VP-49 Logo ThumbnailCamera"VP-49 FE Patch" "...World famous VP-49 FE..." Contributed by ADCS Ed Flow, USN Ret. vinnfizz@aol.com [02MAR99]

UPDATE "...I also viewed the famous VP-49 Flight Engineer Patch with pride and emotion because I am the person responsible for producing it. I fixed a Television set for Lt. Mike Holland who drew it for me as payment for that repair...." Contributed by John N. Eubanks AECS-USN retired fesa@leading.net [17MAR2000]

UPDATE "...VP-49 Flight Engineer original painting by Lt. Mike Holland who also designed the VP-49 tail logo when the squadron transitioned (1969) to the P3C Aircraft. Prior to his design VP-49 had a single white lightning bolt logo on the tail of their P3A aircraft. Lt Holland also dresigned the Cover of the first P3C operational deployment book which had a profile view of a helmeted Viking bust. His tour in VP49 was cut short by an aircraft acident in the Keflavik Flying Club's Aircraft. He qualified to fly the aircraft and flew ATC Glenn Pollereisz, AE1 Dick Dorrheim, A01 Jerry Brown and myself to the AirForce H3 radar sight for a three day fishing trip. We landed at the strip and there was no one there other than those on board until a civilian arrived with the Air Force duty driver. We went with the duty driver and the civilian returned to Keflavik aboard the Beechcraft. Upon landing in Keflavik there was an Aircraft accident that injured Lt Holland and the Icelandic Civilian passenger. Lt Holland had a severely injured leg. He was subsequently transferred from VP49 for medical treatment. VP-49 received the Navy Unit Citation for this deployment durring the month of September 1970..." Contributed by John N. Eubanks AECS-USN retired fesa@leading.net [24MAR2000]


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