I was in an Intruder squadron in the USMC, Marine All Weather Attack Squadron 224 based at Cherry Point, NC. Back then (1969 - 1973) we flew A6-A's & B's and had KA-6D tankers. On 17 Nov 1971, we went to Vietnam aboard the USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) and came back 12 July 1972. I made sergeant during the WESTPAC cruise. Cheers from eastern TN
The Enlisted Aircrew berthing compartment aboard the USS Ranger was located in the port sponson just forward and below of the angle deck... and learning how to sleep thru the Intruder and Tomcat launches became easy when you were so tired all the time. By the way, the Intruders were significantly louder than the Tomcats. RIP Lt'. Costen and Lt. Turner, KIA 18 January 1991 during a coordinated Air Wing 2 mining strike on the port facility of Um Qasr, Iraq. I was the SENSO aboard the lead Viking during that mission dropping TALDs to stimulate their air defenses.. Our job was to get the AAA and SAM sites to light us up so the Intruders could come in the back door and sucker punch 'em. USS Ranger... "The Night Carrier" during Desert Storm.
Thank you for this. I was stationed at VA-42, "Green Pawns" A-6 Intruders at NAS OCEANA, my first love, that beefed up bomber with that nose! We had 3 TC-4C Prop trainers, Gulfstreams, as well. Best Squadron ever. AMH2 R. BARNES. 1980-1984, in memorial, AMHC Ronald Aitken. I know, I should have said yes, when you asked me.❤️❤️ I know where you rest...Robin Blair now.
I read it when I was like 13. There’s an intimate love scene description. lol…you must’ve loved that at 9. I love how SamCity ended the book. Not that silly GI Joe ending from the movie. Cool to read people so excited about the A-6. I’m flying one around the world right now in Flight Simulator 2020. Cheers
My husband was an ADJ3 Green Shirt. He was in VA165 on the USS Ranger deployed to Tonkin 67/68. Also went to North Korea when the USS Pueblo was captured. Fly Navy!
Hello, I was surprised that Rear Admiral Donald Boecker left out part of his post ejection story. I first read this in Lou Drendel's A-6 Intruder In Action book. Before Rear Admiral Boecker made his dash towards his hiding spot, he accidentally inflated his nice, bright yellow rescue raft! He described it as the superhuman strength born of fear & adrenalin when he tore that raft to pieces! He said in the book that he tried to duplicate this feat several times over the course of his career, but never could. It also turns out that prolific aviation Author Lou Drendel & Admiral Boecker were schoolmates in their younger days. Admiral Boecker arranged for Lou Drendel to get a first hand experience of being an A-6 B/N with an orientation hop when Boecker returned stateside. Unfortunately, I don't have that "In Action" book anymore, so perhaps someone can point out any errors in my recollection of Admiral Boecker's ejection story? Thanks & Cheers!
The pilot talking about getting shot down reminded me of another pilot's story. A young officer was shot down and hid from enemy forces. After a few days he was located and extracted by Air Force PJs. Every year that officer would send a bottle to the unit that rescued him. He continued that tradition even when he became the General of the Air Force. He is retired now. But I am willing to bet he still shares a bottle with those PJs every year.
There was an update for the Intruder, it was to become the "A-6F', it would have a new radar, two non-afterburning GE F404 engines, and other improvements.
Had he pleasure of knowing some VA-75 Squadron aboard the Independence. I was assigned to VF-41 at the time, and we were deployed with them at the time. Beautiful aircraft.
I really miss seeing the Tadpole at EAA. Despite not having an afterburner it was still quite loud and I happen to like its lines when clean! As a testament to how advanced it was at the time the A-7 and A-4 were exported while the A-6 was held for only the US navy and not sold to any foreign nation. Unfortunately that also means we will never see a civilian owned example on the air show circuit. (Which I would love to see an A-6 in the air again!)
16:40 "The Intruder has absolutely no air-defense capability" is not an accurate statement. It was definitely capable of carrying AIM-9s for self-defense. However, judging by most accounts, that capability was rarely ever used and never in anger.
Most wonderful documentary coverage video about A-6 intruder aircraft of US navel forces...which participated as US back bone aircraft's of US navigation operators in Vietnam 🇻🇳 war..USSR nevagation technology capabilities weren't found suitable eliminated answers?! even at 1991..thats proved obviously superiority of A-6 intruder aircraft's designs and characteristics.....Mike Guardia channel always sharing excellent subjects thanks for sharing
Back when Discovery and History channel had actual good documentaries on instead of all that stupid "reality tv" shit they replaced it with that was nothing but garbage fake drama.
Discovery Wings 1988-2003 SeaWings, narrated by Edward Easton, was a separately-branded program that focused on United States (and some foreign) naval aircraft from World War II to the present day, including: Grumman A-6 Intruder ("Thunder from the Sea")
I think the A6 would be a good choice for a personal plane for fun flying in retirement. You can give rides to friends/wives etc. and sit side by side. But if I was a billionaire ecommerce god, rather than launching satelites and selling low earth orbit taxi rides, I would buy a few SR71's and equip a shop to recommission and maintain them. And buy a refinery so I can make JP7. It is sad that Concorde and SR71 had higher technology 50-60 years ago than we will have 40 years from now.
I loved seeing 7 or more Intruders on the status board for a recovery the I was an air traffic controller on RANGER or INDEPENDENCE. We could run them 50 - 55 seconds apart at night.
@@TheEvilOnes666 Oh, I still would have wanted the Super Hornet, but not to replace the Tomcat (yes, Tomcat 21), but as an "upgrade" to the Legacy A/B/C/D Hornets.
Back when TV was great. I grew up with this. Had such an impact on me growing up. Sad to see where we are at today. Nothing motivating on any show now days.
I was in an Intruder squadron in the USMC, Marine All Weather Attack Squadron 224 based at Cherry Point, NC. Back then (1969 - 1973) we flew A6-A's & B's and had KA-6D tankers. On 17 Nov 1971, we went to Vietnam aboard the USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) and came back 12 July 1972. I made sergeant during the WESTPAC cruise. Cheers from eastern TN
Intruders and Tomcats, Grumman Ironwork, gone, not forgotten and not properly replaced. DAMN BUGS !
The Enlisted Aircrew berthing compartment aboard the USS Ranger was located in the port sponson just forward and below of the angle deck... and learning how to sleep thru the Intruder and Tomcat launches became easy when you were so tired all the time. By the way, the Intruders were significantly louder than the Tomcats. RIP Lt'. Costen and Lt. Turner, KIA 18 January 1991 during a coordinated Air Wing 2 mining strike on the port facility of Um Qasr, Iraq. I was the SENSO aboard the lead Viking during that mission dropping TALDs to stimulate their air defenses.. Our job was to get the AAA and SAM sites to light us up so the Intruders could come in the back door and sucker punch 'em. USS Ranger... "The Night Carrier" during Desert Storm.
You had time to sleep? Nice!
Thank you for this. I was stationed at VA-42, "Green Pawns" A-6 Intruders at NAS OCEANA, my first love, that beefed up bomber with that nose! We had 3 TC-4C Prop trainers, Gulfstreams, as well. Best Squadron ever. AMH2 R. BARNES. 1980-1984, in memorial, AMHC Ronald Aitken. I know, I should have said yes, when you asked me.❤️❤️ I know where you rest...Robin Blair now.
I would love to see this series in HD! Too bad Discovery channel is into real life soap nowadays.
Yes they care more about a bunch of sweaty middle aged men knee deep in the blubber at some mine in Alaska 😂
If it wasn't for me reading 'Flight of the Intruder' when I was about nine or so years old, I never would have fallen in love with this plane.
I read it when I was like 13. There’s an intimate love scene description. lol…you must’ve loved that at 9. I love how SamCity ended the book. Not that silly GI Joe ending from the movie. Cool to read people so excited about the A-6. I’m flying one around the world right now in Flight Simulator 2020. Cheers
I was an Aviation Electrician and worked on the A-6 Intruder for close to 10 years. Best bird on the flight deck. The hornet can
not do the same job.
My husband was an ADJ3 Green Shirt. He was in VA165 on the USS Ranger deployed to Tonkin 67/68. Also went to North Korea when the USS Pueblo was captured. Fly Navy!
Hello,
I was surprised that Rear Admiral Donald Boecker left out part of his post ejection story.
I first read this in Lou Drendel's A-6 Intruder In Action book.
Before Rear Admiral Boecker made his dash towards his hiding spot, he accidentally inflated his nice, bright yellow rescue raft! He described it as the superhuman strength born of fear & adrenalin when he tore that raft to pieces!
He said in the book that he tried to duplicate this feat several times over the course of his career, but never could.
It also turns out that prolific aviation Author Lou Drendel & Admiral Boecker were schoolmates in their younger days. Admiral Boecker arranged for Lou Drendel to get a first hand experience of being an A-6 B/N with an orientation hop when Boecker returned stateside.
Unfortunately, I don't have that "In Action" book anymore, so perhaps someone can point out any errors in my recollection of Admiral Boecker's ejection story?
Thanks & Cheers!
My husband was in the Navy for 6yrs. He was in VA 165 A6 Intruder. Online in 1967-68. Green Shirt ADJ3. Deployed on the USS Ranger.
The pilot talking about getting shot down reminded me of another pilot's story.
A young officer was shot down and hid from enemy forces. After a few days he was located and extracted by Air Force PJs. Every year that officer would send a bottle to the unit that rescued him. He continued that tradition even when he became the General of the Air Force. He is retired now. But I am willing to bet he still shares a bottle with those PJs every year.
WFFT! ATKRON 65! '84-'86🐯❤🔥❤🔥...Kudos Mike Guardia for this presentation of just a couple years of my younger days. It was a great airplane!
One of my all time favorite aircraft. Thanks!
There was an update for the Intruder, it was to become the "A-6F', it would have a new radar, two non-afterburning GE F404 engines, and other improvements.
Had he pleasure of knowing some VA-75 Squadron aboard the Independence. I was assigned to VF-41 at the time, and we were deployed with them at the time. Beautiful aircraft.
Oh man, when Discovery and History channels were amazing.
Bingo! We were always glued to the TV when Wings or Sea Wings came on. “Reality” shows ruined History and Discovery
I really miss seeing the Tadpole at EAA. Despite not having an afterburner it was still quite loud and I happen to like its lines when clean! As a testament to how advanced it was at the time the A-7 and A-4 were exported while the A-6 was held for only the US navy and not sold to any foreign nation. Unfortunately that also means we will never see a civilian owned example on the air show circuit. (Which I would love to see an A-6 in the air again!)
A fabulous part of one of the best warplane series ever given to the American people. God bless the brave airmen that went in harm's way in them.
16:40 "The Intruder has absolutely no air-defense capability" is not an accurate statement. It was definitely capable of carrying AIM-9s for self-defense. However, judging by most accounts, that capability was rarely ever used and never in anger.
Was very sad to see the EA-6's retirement when I was at Cherry Point. Such a beast.
Most wonderful documentary coverage video about A-6 intruder aircraft of US navel forces...which participated as US back bone aircraft's of US navigation operators in Vietnam 🇻🇳 war..USSR nevagation technology capabilities weren't found suitable eliminated answers?! even at 1991..thats proved obviously superiority of A-6 intruder aircraft's designs and characteristics.....Mike Guardia channel always sharing excellent subjects thanks for sharing
Like the its ' British contemporary the Buccaneer the A6 deserves much more recognition as a very significant cold war warrior
Great show as always, but when the pilot said how missiles flew around them...that's funny.
Awesome!
Notice the similarity to the ya9 and Su25?
Bring it back!
Back when Discovery and History channel had actual good documentaries on instead of all that stupid "reality tv" shit they replaced it with that was nothing but garbage fake drama.
The SSN Changed too to 300 something
Mike, you have something against listing the year this first aired and the name of the narrator?
Discovery Wings 1988-2003
SeaWings, narrated by Edward Easton, was a separately-branded program that focused on United States (and some foreign) naval aircraft from World War II to the present day, including:
Grumman A-6 Intruder ("Thunder from the Sea")
I think the A6 would be a good choice for a personal plane for fun flying in retirement. You can give rides to friends/wives etc. and sit side by side. But if I was a billionaire ecommerce god, rather than launching satelites and selling low earth orbit taxi rides, I would buy a few SR71's and equip a shop to recommission and maintain them. And buy a refinery so I can make JP7. It is sad that Concorde and SR71 had higher technology 50-60 years ago than we will have 40 years from now.
44:42 Rockeye ready to Rock!!!!
I loved seeing 7 or more Intruders on the status board for a recovery the I was an air traffic controller on RANGER or INDEPENDENCE. We could run them 50 - 55 seconds apart at night.
I wish they had ended up building the A-6F, which was a (1980s/90s) modernized A-6, with modern avionics and a more efficient engine.
That along with the super tomcat 21 being approved rather than the super hornet.
Wtf?
@@TheEvilOnes666 Oh, I still would have wanted the Super Hornet, but not to replace the Tomcat (yes, Tomcat 21), but as an "upgrade" to the Legacy A/B/C/D Hornets.
@@kendog52361 I actually agree. I think the Super Tomcat 21 and the Super Hornet would have been a pretty good combination.
Wonder why they neglect to mention the use of A-6s against Libya in the 80s?
17 Years Plus 6 Minute
I went to PC school there
I'd give anything to fly the A-6 or F-111 over n.vietnam
Lot of Frequencies Modulation Push Out WTF double Shake,
Fjb
Back when TV was great. I grew up with this. Had such an impact on me growing up. Sad to see where we are at today. Nothing motivating on any show now days.