Back in the day, we had more squadrons in all services than we do today…
Somebody (probably an Admiral), decided they wanted a photo op of all the squadrons…
Front to back, VP-5, VP-16, VP-24 (Batmen!), VP-45, VP-49, VP-56
And the city of Jacksonville in the background.
This was taken in the mid-80s, prior to the revised low vis paint scheme. Back when we still were allowed to paint the colorful tails…
Sigh…
Squadrons were smaller back then? I only see 6 planes.
I believe it is one plane from each squadron.
Very cool pic. Why aren’t planes painted blue to blend in with the sky and be more stealthy? LMAO
At least those paint jobs look familiar. As you mentioned to me in HI, older vets like me wouldn’t recognize today’s military.
My biggest fear is the way Obama has gutted the military what will happen in the event of another attack on America.
A bit off topic here, but in looking at those tail designs, I got to wondering how soon it will be before Mullah Obama has Air Force One’s American flag replaced with the gays rainbow flag. Or worse, the ISIS black flag.
Don’t laugh. With this asswipe, it could happen.
The military hasn’t been “gutted” in any way that matters. We still have almost 2 MILLION men and women in uniforms of various colors including the Navy’s “ocean camoflage”. We still have ten carriers and another ten smaller flat tops that are as big as the carriers other countries have. We still have ten active duty Army divisions and those forces still get plenty of training. And out military budget is still nearly half a trillion dollars a year. In what rational world is that “gutted”? At the moment, we aren’t even at war with anyone. And after Obama leaves office, the Army will still get smaller, because it is bloated now and has more troops than we need and more than we can afford.
It’s a very nostalgic photo.
Prof/Gerry- One from each of the operational squadrons in Jax.
Fargo- The ‘new’ paint scheme is a shade of blue. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Orion.usnavy.750pix.jpg
Rev- Nope… sigh
Rick- If so, we’re screwed!
Scottie- O.M.G. didn’t even consider that he would go that far… Don’t give him any ideas!
LL- That it is… Around 1985.
Too bad Lockheed wasn’t as good at selling planes as Boeing. Boeing builds good stuff but until Airbus came along, no one could match them at marketing. Always thought the Electra was the best answer for a short/medium small market airframe. Those Allisons were/are awesome performers.
(sigh) Old memories of VP-56
Back in the day … when we had a military that was supported and funded by a president who wasn’t a SCOAMF and congresscritters who still had some shreds of decency … Sigh…
WSF- They were the ‘winner’ until politics got in the mix… Sigh…
Ray- Yep…
Tim- You’re dead on the money, the only problem today is the only dead are the military… sigh
Electras falling from the sky didn’t help sales one whit.
Yes, they fixed the problem, but “our planes’ wings don’t just fall off” is an easy sales pitch for Boeing.
Never been to NAS Jax, but my recollections of Jacksonville and the surrounding area, don’t have any large hills in the background. What is on the right hand side of the photo in the background?