A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Yanking And Banking - Story and photos by PH1 William R. Goodwin,COMNAVBASE Pearl Harbor PAO ..." http://www.mediacen.navy.mil/pubs/allhands/mar99/pg12.htm [25OCT2004]

Like an amusement park ride gone bad, the aircraft pitched and rolled as an intense, hot dot of sunlight roamed the interior of the cabin like a prison searchlight. The smell of gunpowder smoke became nauseating as it filled the cabin, while the in-flight technician shoved yet another sonobouy into its chute.

Above the roar of the aircraft's four, 4,600 horsepower turboprops, a metallic thump, like a sledge hammer against a steel bulkhead, meant another sonobouy was fired from the plane's belly with a shotgun shell-like charge. Welcome to the world of the P-3C Orion, the mighty hunter of submarines.

Amusement rides can be fun, but not if you're on them for eight hours. Still, Combat Aircrew 7 (one of 11 crews of NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii-based VP-47 wouldn't have it any other way.

The squadron's mission is to provide undersea warfare, surface warfare, intelligence collection, mine warfare, command, control and communication electronic warfare and mobility support to Commander, Patrol Wings, Pacific. VP-4, VP-9 and VPU-2 are also homeported at NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii.

On this day, Combat Aircrew 7 was on a training mission in pursuit of an enemy submarine. The sub they were chasing was actually USS Buffalo (SSN 715). USS Kamehameha (SSN 642) was the command ship in the exercise.

Tracking submarines requires a great deal of steep banks and maneuvering at low altitude, where turbulence is greater.

It takes a long time to get used to sitting sideways on the plane, said Aviation Systems Warfare Operator 2nd Class (AW/NAC) Kevin R. Thompson, Combat Crew 7 sensor 1 acoustic operator. Sometimes when you're yanking and banking, you'll go from two feet away from the screen to two inches.

It's fun, and I just enjoy going out there and actually saying you did something for the day, explained Thompson.

A bad day of flying is better than a good day in the hangar, agreed Aviation Electrician's Mate 1st Class (AW/NAC) Scott A. Wells, one of Combat Crew 7's two flight engineers. I particularly like the low altitude, high air speed bombing runs. It's precision work. The flight station (cockpit) crew has to work real close together to keep the plane safe and it takes a lot of effort and a high amount of concentration, explained Wells. That precision is the result of intense training as the VP-47 Golden Swordsmen. Wells didn't get to be a flight engineer overnight.

I had to go to air crew school, which is five weeks of training, said Wells. Then flight engineer school at VP-30 in NAS Jacksonville, Florida, and that's 30 weeks of intensive classroom and in-flight training. Then, search and rescue school and after that you go to the fleet, and it took me about a year to get qualified here.

The typical P-3 crew consists of three pilots, one tactical coordinator, one navigator, two flight engineers, two sonar operators, one electronic warfare operator and one in-flight technician.

Wham! Another sonobouy splashed into the water as the tactical coordinator (TACCO) watched the doors on the aircraft's belly close from his infrared display.

Sonobouys are directional frequency and ranging sensors that listen for targets and transmit the acoustic data back to the aircraft. The acoustic operators monitor the data with headsets and on a multi-purpose display, then pass the information to the TACCO, who then decides where and when to launch the next sonobouy. The TACCO then directs the flight station crew on the proper course for the next launch.

The TACCO lays out a pattern of sonobouys to locate and track the target. On a given mission, more than 100 sonobouys could be launched. That's a big job for the in-flight technician who must keep his balance while loading the sonobouy chutes.

It is a crew aircraft, said LT David Ursini, Combat Crew 7 mission commander. On station, we're a team. No one person is going to save the day by himself or herself. We live or die on the collective efforts of everybody.

That collective effort also emerges during the bailout, ditching and fire drills conducted during the training flight. Although the crew could probably zip through the drills with their eyes closed, they have their game faces on and take this training quite seriously. However, when Combat Crew 7 gets their hooks on a submarine, they prosecute it with a vengeance.

The adrenaline is going a lot more when you track a foreign sub, said Thompson. Everybody's hyped up, because you're going out there to track somebody you've never tracked before. There's more of a sense of urgency. You have to stay on top of them and watch what they do. This is probably the most fulfilling job I've seen.

Pursuing submarines is the bread and butter of the 116-foot long, 139,760-pound P-3C. The first P-3V entered the Navy's inventory 36 years ago, and after three upgrades, the P-3C is the Navy's only land-based, long-range, anti-submarine aircraft. It has advanced submarine detection sensors such as directional frequency and ranging (DIFAR) sonobuoys and magnetic anomaly detection (MAD) equipment.

The avionics system is integrated by a general-purpose, digital computer that supports all of the tactical displays, monitors and automatically launches ordnance and provides flight information to the pilots. Additionally, the system coordinates navigation information and accepts sensor data inputs for tactical display and storage. The P-3C can carry a mixed payload of weapons internally and on wing pylons.

As the saying goes, what goes up, must come down and back on the ground, VP-47 like all VP squadrons, has an extensive line up of support services. Administrative, command services, operations, maintenance, safety, training and tactics are the primary departments of VP-47.

Because we are a sea-going squadron, there's a lot more travel and you learn more here than out in the fleet, said Yeoman 3rd Class Peggy A. Jackson. When we deploy, we pack up our computers, our office supplies and service records. When we get to our new site we set everything up and we're up and running. We have almost 400 people in our squadron, we have to write orders for the crews and everyone who's going on the airlift, plus maintenance personnel in case the plane breaks down. We also have to make sure everyone is ready medically and has a government passport. It takes a lot of time, but I've learned more here than anywhere else.

When VP-47 deploys, it's a major undertaking. In January 1998, they relieved VP-4 in NSF Diego Garcia where they assumed peacekeeping responsibilities in the Western Pacific and Arabian Gulf. Many months of careful planning and preparation enabled nine aircraft, 11 crews, and nearly 400 personnel to complete the 9,000-mile, 10-time zone journey to this small island in the Indian Ocean.

Immediately upon arrival in NSF Diego Garcia, six aircrews and five aircraft detached to the Arabian Gulf. Three crews patrolled the Arabian Gulf around the clock for U.N. sanctions while the other three crews detached to Masirah, Oman, where they flew critical patrol missions armed with Maverick and Harpoon missiles.

VP-47 is also keeping pace with the recent installation of Anti-Surface Warfare Improvement Package (AIP). These cutting-edge enhancements are designed to make the crews' lives easier.

One of the great features of AIP is that previously, on a typical P-3 you only see a certain function at the tactical stations, said Ursini. With AIP, the TACCO is able to split his screen so that he can bring up and physically look at the acoustic gram, for example, without getting out of his seat. With the push of the button, he can look at the acoustic gram and the radar while maintaining the tactical plot. It allows him to better manage his assets.

[The] OASIS [tactical data processor] is an easier way to pass contact information and is linked into the worldwide net, Ursini added. So literally, if I detect a contact somewhere, then send it to my operational commander via OASIS, he can automatically link it in and can bounce it via satellite to whomever needs to see that info, in real time. VP-47's Combat Crew 7 has adapted quite well to the changing role of the P-3C aircraft and its new enhancements.

After hours of yanking and banking, the shroud of darkness loomed over the mighty hunter and the hot dot of sunlight was replaced by stars rolling past the overhead windows of the flight station in a dizzying, surreal display.

As the mission drew to a conclusion, Combat Crew 7 had their hands and minds securely engaged in doing what they do best: Prosecuting submarines.

A BIT OF HISTORY: "...Honolulu, Hawaii, 7 June 99.....from the Honolulu Advertiser: The last operatiional aircraft remaining at NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii left today for deployment to Japan. The base closes July 1. VP-47, P-3 Orion submarine hunting airplanes, will be stationed at Misawa Air Base and Kadena Air Base. The 370 personnel will conduct a variety of missions, including maritime patrol support, escort services, medical evacuations, and search-and-rescue operations. When the squadron returns to Hawaii in December, it's new home will be Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe..." Contributed by Stan Wright, VP-17 (1967-1970) stanwright@hawaii.rr.com [08JUN99]

"VP-47 History Summary Page"

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