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Praetorium Honoris

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Final Flight

 


Last month saw the final flight of the last remaining air-worthy S-3B Viking.  It flew from NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland to the San Diego Air and Space Museum Annex at Gillespie Field in El Cajon CA.  The jet deserves to be in the actual museum in Balboa Park, but it's a pretty big jet and the SDASM, originally an exhibit hall for Ford during a World's Fair, wasn't designed for big jets.  Sure it's got a Hornet in there, but the Viking is a big girl compared to the lean F-18.


While she was with NASA, they used the bird as a test platform for various instruments, as well as conducting research into algae blooms in the Great Lakes, and more:
One of its major contributions was helping NASA’s aeronautical innovators define communications standards that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) can apply to the unmanned aircraft systems for safe operation in U.S. airspace.                                Source

The Viking was decommissioned in 2009 with VS-32 as the last operational squadron, but this particular bird was transferred to NASA in 2006.  The final flight was supposed to happen a year ago, but COVID happened just before the scheduled transfer so the bird sat for a year.  Its first flight in a year was an FCF, or Functional Check Flight to certify its air-worthiness prior to coming out to San Diego.  Prior to that, the bird had been de-mil'd* to some extent, disabling the ejection seats being the biggest part of that process, and some flight instruments were removed as well.  The flight clearance for that final flight only authorized a one-way trip, with one fuel stop (El Paso), and requiring the crew to remain VFR.



They did take a slight diversion to NAS North Island, where the aircraft first flew operationally starting back in 1974.  The crew flew the Bay Approach first.  That's down the Silver Strand, cutting across just south of NAB Coronado, then up the bay, over the Coronado Bridge, then a touch and go on Runway 18.  It's a spectacular view and was my favorite approach when I was flying.  Then they circled around for another T&G on Runway 29, which is the standard pattern for NASNI based on normal winds.  That one's nice too as you fly up the beach a little, and if you're on a precision approach (PAR), right over the Hotel Del Coronado.


If this photo was taken during a PAR, it's clearly offset the lineup to runway 29, probably after the beach residents, all who built or bought well after NASNI was established, complained to the Navy and forced us to pretty much abandon any precision approaches to the airfield.  That bird is in the livery of VS-21, the Fighting Redtails, which was my first outfit.


That's the view down Coronado Beach before beginning the Bay Approach.  The video shows the flight over the Coronado Beach.  Warning- it's quite loud so I recommend you mute your speakers before clicking.



Another gratuitous Hotel Del Coronado shot.


Downtown San Diego during the Bay Approach.  Thanks to Viking Community photog and pilot Tim "Gary" McGarvey for several of these pics and the Bay Approach video.

After the farewell at NASNI, it took a short flight over the hill to Gillespie Field, one final T&G there before a final full stop.  



This is my own video of the local CBS affiliate's story, followed by the independent station's story.  The reporter is the son of a Naval Aviator and a pilot himself so he gave a far more detailed account. 

More from KUSI here.  There was quite a bit of attention for the event, with 30 or so folks at NASNI, a nice get-together at the World Famous I-Bar, and 100 or so folks at Gillespie plus the local TV stations.  Click the link for the NBC News story



That's the newly refurbished World Famous I-Bar, which is now unfortunately a Helo-bubba bar since the Vikings left.  You can see it yourself in the TOP GUN sequel later this year.  It's not the actual bar as filming in it would be quite difficult and compact, but they rebuilt it perfectly out on the beach for a bar scene you can see in one of the trailers. 

 Here's a few final shots from the final flight.  








It was a great day and a great way to say thanks and goodbye to my beloved Viking.  I was glad to see so much coverage and attention to the event.  From now on, I'll have to be content to visit the one on the Midway, the "pig on a stick" on NASNI, or a short trip out east to see this one.  


* Demilitarized

29 comments:

  1. Outstanding post, a bit strange to see that bird in non-Navy colors though. Man, already twelve years since they were retired......got a wee bit dusty here watching all those links. Thanks Tuna!

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    1. You're welcome, it took me a while to put the post together and to find the time to do it but I'm glad I did.

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  2. What amazes me is just how crowded San Diego is...nice account of the final flight. Some of the scientists with whom I used to work would get flights in the NASA aircraft. One of them, the late Dave Slater, did his research flying in NASA's B-58 Hustler. He said it was quite a ride!
    -Barry

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  3. Another excellent platform gone too soon with no adequate replacement.

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    1. Sums it up perfectly, Sarge. If the Navy and DoD gave half a damn about fighting and winning wars we'd see a CVW with the capabilities of the Reagan Navy. We'd also see CruDes with comparable capabilities operated by competent mariners.
      Boat Guy

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    2. Defense contractors don't make big money by resurrecting old platforms or keeping them around.

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    3. Can't get hung up on the platforms - it's the capabilities they represent that are important.
      As for "defense contractors" most of the principals need to be hanged right alongside every one of the JCS.
      If the Republic survives long enough.

      Boat Guy

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    4. I get what you're saying. They provide a very important service, but there's lots of bloat and govt weakness when it comes to demanding what we want at a reasonable price. Congress is a huge problem too, with their pet projects for their districts.

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  4. And now the Navy has no dedicated carrier borne anti-submarine aircraft in their arsenal. Hope that does not come back to bite them. Always wondered why they did not turn her into a refueler?

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    1. Yes, we have definitely ignored that mission for far too long.

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  5. San Diego, I flew into the CG Air Station back in 1979 on a water temp patrol in an HU-16, not too long after the midair (Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) Flight 182 in 1978). It was hard to see the other traffic coming in to the airport with all the houses behind it. The pilots were nervous, I remember that part. After landing we taxied across a road to get on to the Coast Guard ramp, I remember that part too.

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    1. That gate across Harbor drive is still there but no more fixed Wing out of that Coast guard Air Station.

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  6. I worked on the Op-Eval S-3 in VX-1 in the early '70s, where I installed a MAD paper recorder to record MAD eval events. Later I rode the S-3 that was being delivered to a VS squadron at NASNI, IIRC non-stop from NAS Pax River. I wish I had recorded the BuNo now.

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    1. Magnetic anomaly detector missions were something I never did. We could never get our mad boom compensated.

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  7. Had a friend who was a Viking pilot. He couldn't transition into F/A-18s, so he flew desk for years, ending up flying drones. He was so excited, I mean this guy when normally excited would lift an eyebrow like Spock, when they announced they were going to try to make a COD out of the Viking that he actually did Italian hand waving and jumping around the room talking at about 3,000 words per minute about how they could easily do it and what a great aircraft it would be and that it wouldn't be hard to retro an ASW package or an anti-ship package into the plane and... that dream died.

    I still think it would have been great to have two CODs, one long range for the fleet carriers based on the Viking and one mid-range to go from fleet carriers to the baby flattops. Sigh. Too much thinking. And the LCSessess sucked so much money away from everything.

    Would have been nice to be at the runway for that final landing. Doubt I could keep my eyes from running though.

    Great plane, great platform.

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    1. We used to have S3 CODs but they went away in the mid-90s. The pig on a stick I referenced is actually an old US-3.

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    2. Beans, check email. I may know the guy.

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  8. The S-3 was an exceptional and versatile aircraft. I think they retired them too soon and have left quite a capability gap as a result.

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    1. And it left a lot of good aviators gapped as well!

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  9. The S-3 was one of those 'unsung heroes' of the fleet.

    Thanks for the nice obit, Tuna!

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    1. Yeah, it was a long time coming. It was nice to see that NASA still had it for a while and it would be seen at various air shows. Vx30 in point mugu flew it for a few years as well but that stopped a good 8 years ago I think.

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  10. Farewell to the mighty War Hoover!
    I wasn't AC, I was a VAST technician working on S-3B avionics. Did a couple of plane checks in the birds--that's as close as I came. Not a glamorous bird, but it filled a niche no other could.
    --Tennessee BUdd

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    1. What are you talking about? It was the most beautiful bird in the fleet!

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  11. I thought that the Hoover was a fine airplane. We may rue losing that capability.

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