Grumman Visitors Coming to FRG 10/25

[cancidas]

Bite your tongue, rotor head
The only Rhino is the F-4 Phantom, not that little wannabe F-18!

LOL! i haven't heard that in a while. thanks...

now, as far as the super bug goes i was told it's called a rhino nowadays, in an effort to make sure the arrestor cables are set to the right weight. this i was told personally by a current USN super bug pilot.

[PhantomII]

No problems, cancidas - I know the super bug guys like to use the Rhino name, but the Rhino will always be the F-4 to many of us.

[moose135]

The Three Musketeers spent a little time on the ramp after dark with the E-2C. The EA-6B wasn't here, heard they had MX issues en route, not sure if or when it will arrive. Now I need to get a little sleep before I head out to catch that Growler arrival in the morning.

[h2opunk1822]

the ea-18 wont be coming in today. b/c of the celing they wont release it out of Pax River. (well thats what i was told).. and the prowler had MX issues, so the only a/c arriving which is there is the e2c.

[cancidas]

the ea-18 wont be coming in today. b/c of the celing they wont release it out of Pax River. (well thats what i was told).. and the prowler had MX issues, so the only a/c arriving which is there is the e2c.

i smell trout....
this is the wx from both Pax River (KNHK) and Farmingdale (KFRG) this morning around 0800 this morning:

KFRG 251353Z 14015G21KT 10SM OVC075 17/14 A3017 RMK AO2 SLP216 T01670139
KNHK 251352Z 13012KT 10SM FEW041 SCT095 18/15 A2999 RMK AO2 SLP154 T01780150

i'll translate for those who don't speak metar, Farmingdale's ceiling was at 7500 ft while Pax River's had no definitive ceiling.

[fk6065]

Any idea of when the E-2C will be departing, hopefully on Sunday? Thanks.

[moose135]

Any idea of when the E-2C will be departing, hopefully on Sunday? Thanks.

Yes, should be early afternoon from what the pilot said. I guess the Navy doesn't like to get the super bug wet...

[Gerard]

[quote="h2opunk1822"]the ea-18 wont be coming in today. b/c of the celing they wont release it out of Pax River. (well thats what i was told)..

Mmmm, interesting that since Thursday the Navy has been inspecting hundreds of older F/A -18s for cracks in part of a wing assembly.
636 F-18A through D models are being inspected for stress cracks.
Not sure if THAt has anything to do with the non-arrival.

[fk6065]

Thanks for the info, hope to make it out there on Sunday.

Fantastic shots!

Due to the potential F/A-18 "stress crack" issue I wonder how fast the few remaining Tomcats can be taken out of "mothballs"

[moose135]

Due to the potential F/A-18 "stress crack" issue I wonder how fast the few remaining Tomcats can be taken out of "mothballs"

Don't hold your breath...

http://hamptonroads.com/2008/10/navy-in ... ing-cracks

The Navy is inspecting its entire fleet of F/A-18 Hornets after discovering cracks in more than a dozen of the planes' wings. There have been no flight mishaps and no planes have been grounded, the Navy said. Navy mechanics found the cracks this month during routine post-flight maintenance on a currently deployed plane, said Lt. Clayton Doss, a spokesman.

The damage was in the aluminum outer wing panel outboard aileron hinge. Ailerons help control the rolling motion of the aircraft, so a failure of this hinge could lead to further damage and the loss of the plane. Subsequent inspections found similar cracks in 14 other planes. Five of the planes are deployed and are scheduled for immediate repair. The other 10 were in depot, reserve or training status, Doss said.

The Navy has issued a call to inspect all 636 of its older "legacy" Hornets - the A, B, C and D variants. There are 112 such Hornets deployed worldwide; the remainder are in depot, reserve or training status. The F/A-18 Super Hornets - E's and F's - are not affected.

The Navy has issued an inspection bulletin dictating that every Hornet be inspected within its next 15 flight hours. It should take several weeks to complete the inspections. A panel replacement is a minor repair that can be done in the field or on the carriers, Doss said, while a hinge replacement is major and would require taking the plane to a land-based facility.

In the meantime, the Hornets continue to fly missions.

[fk6065]

LOL, I was just making a joke, the Tomcat days are long over.

[moose135]

Here are a few more from today's event. With only one Navy aircraft on hand, the museum moved some of their aircraft out for display also.







Check the oil and clean the windshield, please...

[fk6065]

Great shots as always (been lurking here for a long time b/4 registering)

If any update on the E-2C's departure time comes along passing it on would be very much appriciated.

Thanks

[nikon50bigma]

Will those Grumman birds still be there tomorrow?

[Derf]

E2 leaving between 11 and 1pm.... probably closer to 1pm