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Circa Unknown
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HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: Patch ThumbnailCameraVQ-1 Patch Contributed by Tom Grannis grannis1@earthlink.net [11JUL2004]

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: VQ-1 Logo Thumbnail "The Flying Elvises" [17SEP99]

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: VQ-1 Logo Thumbnail "VQ-1 DET ECHO Desert Storm" [17OCT99]

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: VQ-1 Logo Thumbnail "VQ-1 DET ECHO Shield/Desert Storm" [17OCT99]

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: VQ-1 Logo Thumbnail "VQ-1 DET ECHO Desert Storm" [17OCT99]

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: Logo ThumbnailVQ-1 Aircrew Logo [19FEB2000]

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: VP Logo ThumbnailVQ-1 Det Patch [15DEC99]

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: VQ-1 Logo Thumbnail "VQ-1 DET ECHO Desert Storm" [24DEC99]

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: Squadron Logo [11MAY99]

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: Squadron Logo [27APR99]

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: Patch ThumbnailCameraVQ-1 Patch Contributed by Tom Grannis grannis1@earthlink.net [20MAY2002]

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: Patch ThumbnailCameraVQ-1 Patch Contributed by Tom Grannis grannis1@earthlink.net [20JAN2004]

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: Patch ThumbnailCameraVQ-1 Patch Contributed by Tom Grannis grannis1@earthlink.net [17MAY20004]

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: Patch ThumbnailCameraVQ-1 Patch Contributed by Tom Grannis grannis1@earthlink.net [27APR2004]

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: "...Pinning ceremony. The group show as taken in the VQ-1 hangar in NAS Misawa, Japan..." Contributed by MARTIN, AEC Garry E. garry11mm@yahoo.com [15APR2001]
Chief Ceremony ThumbnailCamera
Chief Ceremony ThumbnailCamera

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: "...LETTER OF APPRECIATION - Republic of Korea..." Contributed by CARPENTER, CTOCS(AW) Ed ecarp@iserv.net [21MAY2001]

REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Letter of Appreciation


(Translation)

TO: Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One Detachment ATSUGI
BOX 43
FPO Seattle 98767

It gives me great pleasure to express my appreciation to the Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One Detachment ATSUGI for outstanding meritorious service while engaged in operations following the tragic shooting down of Korean Air Lines Flight 007. During this period, the members of Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One Detachment ATSUGI demonstrated strong resolve and selfless dedication to duty by persistent execution of the task at hand. Your extraordinary accomplishfller1t in this humanitarian operation resulted in outstanding support toward the prosecution of the mission.

In recognition of and with appreciation for your outstanding service to the Republic of Korea, I present this letter of appreciation with my personal good wishes for continued success in the future.

YOON SUNG MIN
Minister of National Defense

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: "...A tale for VQ-1...While a Combat Talon MC130E Chariot of Armageddon crew was on a layover at Agana some time back, they came upon the VQ-1 flag, one each, unsecured. The details have since become hazy but it is remembered that the crew, in the spirit of airmanship, found it disturbing that such a prized and honored Naval relic should be left where it could be pilfered by less honorable persons. The crew secured the flag in a most professional means and manner and then went on to celebrate this interservice task. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and the crew found themselves about to depart Guam. They were recalled to parking and found themselves surrounded by a band of shotgun armed contract Naval security personnel...aka Marines...the aircraft commander heroically placed himself between the armed mob and his crew and politely asked what the problem was. After much gesturing and pointee-talkee and hand signals, it was determined that the guards wanted to inspect the MC130E for contraband, specifically the VQ-1 flag that had once again, been misplaced, and unfortunately, left the Talon crew blamed for its disappearance. The aircraft commander knew immediately that the militia wanted to inspect his crew and aircraft for the classified equipment that was onboard. After quieting the guards down, they were shouting 'you attack us' 'you steal our stuff' 'you apologize', and giving them Hershey's bars and a written promise never to land on Guam again, the crew took off. As for the flag...that's another story...Jim McClain USAF Ret BanzaiSGI@aol.com..." [15APR2001]

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: "...The P4M-1 Martin Mercator was designed primarily for antisubmarine warfare, and competed with the Lockheed P2V Neptune for Navy procurement in the mid-to-late 1940s. The aircraft first flew on 20 September 1946; the last of 21 aircraft bought by the Navy was delivered in September 1950. VP-21 got the first aircraft. The P4M originally was designed for a nine-man crew. Its propulsion was provided by two Pratt and Whitney R-4360s, producing 3,200 horsepower, and two Allison J-33s, 4,6000-pound-thrust engines. It had an operating range of 2,000 smiles and a ceiling of 17,000 feet. It could cruise at 150 knots or dash up to 340 knots with all four engines on line. The Q-configuration was installed in the P4M-1 that was delivered to the Patrol Unit/NavComUnit 32G in February/March 1951. The back-end installation was unsatisfactory, so work to modify the configuration commenced immediately. Four APR-4s and four APR-9s were installed - each with its own tuning unit and panoramic adaptor. An improved intercom system isolated the cockpit and forward stations from the operators and the supervising evaluator. The evaluator could talk to each or all of his operators and the pilot; the pilot could override and be heard by all crew members for flight safety. Each operator position also had a direction-finding capability and wire recorder. The evaluator had an SLA-1 pulse analyzer that could be switched to receive video and audio signals from any operator position. A camera mounted on the SLA-1 camera harness was solenoid-actuated by the first video signal pulse so that the visual record of an intercept could be achieved. This was an exceptionally useful tool in cases where the signals were of very short duration because it permitted later analysis. Frequency coverage was from 50 to 10,750. This configuration was incorporated in three additional P4M-1Qs, which arrived to replace all of the PB4Y-2s by June 1951. Lieutenant Robert L. Ashford, U. S. Naval Reserve, was the original designer. The configuration eventually served as the basis for the modification of the WV-2 and A-3B aircraft to a Q-configuration (WV-2Q/EC-121M/and EA-3B). These aircraft became operational in the Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadrons, VQ-1 and VQ-2, a few years later..." "Cold War Snooper" by R. C. M. Ottensmeyer, NAVAL HISTORY, United States Naval Institute April 1997, Page 40 Contributed by George Winter pbycat@bellsouth.net

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: "..."If These Planes Could Talk" from the November-December 2000 edition of Naval Historical Center - Naval Aviation News..." Contributed by Mahlon K. Miller mkwsmiller@cox.net [07MAR2001]

IF THESE PLANES COULD TALK

VAH-21 P2 ThumbnailCameraVQ-1 P-3 BUNO: 153433


The "Boneyard" is a place of antiques and historic symbolism, a burial ground for aircraft. On 6 December 1999, P-3 Orion side number PR-44 (buno 153433), inset, one of many aircraft used by Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron (VQ) 1, brought to a close its life as a logistics support aircraft.

When VQ-1 received PR-44 on 20 August 1991, the aircraft had already accumulated 15,614.8 flight hours, and served well in VQ-1's tactical reconnaissance mission.

The Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center (AMARC) aboard Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., is the location of the "Boneyard" and PR-44's final resting place after logging 3,532 flight hours and 9,426 landings at VQ-1. The facility was created in 1946 for storage purposes, and the Air Force used it first to preserve its B-29 bombers. It wasn't until 18 years later that the Navy began using the facility for aircraft storage.

After an aging or retired aircraft is inducted into the inventory at AMARC, it goes through a complete system check. This involves removing or setting safeties for all explosive devices and removal of all classified gear, which is stored in a vault on site. AMARC personnel eventually put in 10/10 oil, give it a power turn and spray preservative on the exterior.

"The aircraft is like a person in the military. It lives and works for 20 years or longer and when it gets too old, it retires," said AMARC's Senior Chief Brooks. But to some, the place is more than a retirement community for aircraft. It holds sentimental value. "There are many things one remembers by just looking at an old airplane," Brook's added, "such as a squadron you were in or people you knew. There are many memories attached to just one bird."

Now PR-44 waits with 5,000 other aircraft to be used again, either for war reserves, foreign military sales or government agency purposes. About 25 percent of such aircraft actually return to the fleet.

When the last crew members of PR-44 said goodbye, they left their signatures for posterity, demonstrating that wherever the aircraft ends up they are grateful for the part it played in accomplishing the mission.

Naval Historical Center - Naval Aviation News November-December 2000. Story by AA Jennifer Lewis.

HistoryA BIT OF HISTORY: Coming Out of the Shadows Shadows - Back in the old days, O-club bars around the world were populated with fighter pilots who shared many a story about their exploits in car-rier aviation. In those same bars, there was another group of aviators who would not and could not talk about their mission or where their travels had taken them. If a fighter pilot engaged them in 6G hand maneuvers, these aviators could only wonder if the fighter guy knew anything about what their EA-3B or EP-3 had been doing behind the scenes for the battle group. The reconnaissance community avoided attention because it might compromise its mission, possibly endangering the aircraft and the aircrew..."
Naval Historical Center, Department Of The Navy, Washington, D. C http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/ [10MAY2001]
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