Author Topic: Navy Memphis Tailhooks where are you? (Read 4755 times)

Will Hinton · « **on:** February 27, 2011, 03:37:17 PM »

With Ty M. and I trying to recruit new Navy guys, I wonder if there are many former Navy Memphis Tailhooks club members out there? When were you there, where did you go, what/where did you fly? (And do you still have that risque club emblem emblazened coffee cup? Has your wife seen it?

)

Zuriel Armstrong · « **Reply #1 on:** February 27, 2011, 03:48:03 PM »

Will,

I was not a member, but I did fly and learn some of the pattern flying between the old hobby shop and the chapel. I still go to Millington to fly with my friends to this day, just not on the base.

Zuriel

RC Storick · « **Reply #2 on:** February 27, 2011, 04:25:00 PM »

I was there as well

Paul Taylor · « **Reply #3 on:** February 27, 2011, 04:46:17 PM »

Will
I did fly there some as a kid but I was not aware of the club. Any one got any old pictures of the place. Sure would like to see the hobby shop and flying circle.

Will Hinton · « **Reply #4 on:** February 27, 2011, 05:15:13 PM »

Guys,
Duuuhh on me, I didn't think about pictures. I have some black & whites of some flying activities tucked away somewhere - I'll look them up and scan them in.

Leester · « **Reply #5 on:** February 27, 2011, 07:11:01 PM »

I was stationed at Millington in 1969 for P school and AK school. I was first introduced to C/L there, loved the Hobby Shop the smell of Ambroid, dope was wonderful.

Paul Taylor · « **Reply #6 on:** February 27, 2011, 07:31:43 PM »

Quote from: Leester on February 27, 2011, 07:11:01 PM

I was stationed at Millington in 1969 for P school and AK school. I was first introduced to C/L there, loved the Hobby Shop the smell of Ambroid, dope was wonderful.

Yea that is what I remember. I was only about 10-12 yrs old. We lived off base and my mom would go in once a month to get grocery's and she would drop me off at the hobby shop. I would stand at the back door to the building area and would just love the smell of ambroid and dope as I peered in at all the planes. I did fly on the circle with my Cox plastic plane a few times.

Hey Will - I look forward to some photos!!!

Mike Keville · « **Reply #7 on:** February 27, 2011, 08:54:30 PM »

You want the magical aromas of Ambroid and dope, you should've been at the Navy Nats, which ended in 1972. The "workshop hangars" fairly REEKED of the stuff, all the while rubbing elbows with some of the best-known designers and flyers in the hobby. (Note I didn't say "sport". This was a HOBBY back then.)

The average neighborhood hobby shop (may they rest in peace) were redolent with the smells of Ambroid, Testors, and---in some cases---Powermist exhaust. Newbies will never know how sweet that was. We'll never know those days again, except perhaps in our own workshops.

Dennis Holler · « **Reply #8 on:** February 27, 2011, 09:03:34 PM »

H^^Man, we need a pic of this coffe cup!

I hope to make my first Carrier flight this year

Just so it counts, I spent time on CVN 70 (nuke) and my dad on CVN 65 (VA65) (he was on the Connie as well) and well Gramps had it toughest of all on AO58 in WWII...something about Kamakazies....... He was a real man!

Unfortunately I'm think my old man did all his flying at Norfolk or on Bermuda from 62-69.

Will Hinton · « **Reply #9 on:** February 28, 2011, 06:31:38 AM »

Dennis,
I'm so sorry man, I lost my cup during a move - it got broken beyond repair. (No, I don't think the wife had anything to do with it.

) The cup had a rather scantily clad, errr spell that "nude" gal laying back on a tailhook set at about a 30 degree angle. It was truly art!
Other pictures sometime today if all goes well.

I ended up on CVS-9, the old Essex with VS-39 out of Quonset Point. We did two short cruises (Thank goodness they were short!) on the old Tarawa just before the Essex came to the east coast. What a rust bucket THAT was!

Jim Oliver · « **Reply #10 on:** February 28, 2011, 09:05:35 AM »

I spent a few days at sea on the Enterprise some time ago; one arrested landing and one cat shot. Does that count??

RC Storick · « **Reply #11 on:** February 28, 2011, 09:11:46 AM »

Quote from: Jim Oliver on February 28, 2011, 09:05:35 AM

I spent a few days at sea on the Enterprise some time ago; one arrested landing and one cat shot. Does that count??

I was on both the Connie and the big E. Your still here so it must have counted.

Paul Taylor · « **Reply #12 on:** February 28, 2011, 01:41:34 PM »

Come Will.... where are those pictures!!!!
I have been watching and waiting all day!!!

Will Hinton · « **Reply #13 on:** February 28, 2011, 02:54:58 PM »

Okay, okay, I can take a hint! Here goes.
First photo is a bunch of guys waiting for combat to start - my buddy Stu ? is holding my Whatsit and that's yours truly kneeling to start it. why are we kneeling down? Beats the dickens outta me!!! (The hobby shop is to the left)

Will Hinton · « **Reply #14 on:** February 28, 2011, 03:00:00 PM »

next is my buddy, Ken Gurganus and I, Ken's on the right. Ken was a super stunt pilot and threatened to kick my sorry $&^% if I didn't build a Ruffy and fly stunt. (I had just flown two complete stunt patterns with my Whatsit on one flight and I guess he liked it!)
I have been in contact with Ken within the last year, it was neat to email.

Will Hinton · « **Reply #15 on:** February 28, 2011, 03:08:50 PM »

Ken with his newly finished Ruffy from a Sterling kit. His was one of the first built in the area. Notice the Tailhooks' carrier deck set up in the background. Ken was second in the first meet he flew it in somewhere in AK at an Air Force base.

Will Hinton · « **Reply #16 on:** February 28, 2011, 03:12:41 PM »

My Whatsit in the foreground and buddy Stu ? with his in the back. I notice Stu is in civies, dunno how or why, he was in AT school just like I was!

Will Hinton · « **Reply #17 on:** February 28, 2011, 03:14:43 PM »

And finally, this is just special for Ty M. - I know how much you're missing getting to see these LOVELY stoofs!

Will Hinton · « **Reply #18 on:** February 28, 2011, 03:17:22 PM »

So there you are, Paul, Zuriel, and others; these aren't much in the way of showing the hobby shop and chapel, but they're the only ones I have. If not for Photoshop, these wouldn't be all that viewable. (Is that a word?) Now, that's all ya get for now, the cat's hungry!
Blessings,
Will

john e. holliday · « **Reply #19 on:** February 28, 2011, 05:23:17 PM »

That last pic looks like the planes my Brother-in-law was working on when he was at Corpis Christie TX NAS. My son celebrated his first birthday in the little house they lived in off base. Also didn't we always pit are planes close to the ground and then stand up? Thanks for a little history in those pics.

Will Hinton · « **Reply #20 on:** February 28, 2011, 05:37:02 PM »

Quote from Doc - "Also didn't we always pit our planes close to the ground and then stand up?"

Maybe so Doc, maybe so. Glad I got over that, the old knees wouldn't like it now!!! Seems like the ground gets farther away every year, and I ain't gettin' taller!!

Paul Taylor · « **Reply #21 on:** February 28, 2011, 06:42:38 PM »

Thanks Will for the pictures!!!

Will Hinton · « **Reply #22 on:** February 28, 2011, 08:34:40 PM »

You're welcome, Paul!

Ty, we made it through three years with no lives lost, only one airplane. They had a P2V drop a sono-buoy through the starboard prop many miles out, shattered prop wiped out the fuel tanks on that side and the stoof ran out of fuel 6 miles off the stern. Perfect ditching, all four got out and were lined across the next day from the DE that picked them up. My one buddy was radar on that stoof, said the pilot was calm as could be during the ditching, a super hero to them, but became terrified when they strapped him into the bosun's seat for the crossing! The DE got 5 gallons of ice cream per man before they would transfer them.
The only bad memories I have of my Navy time were the storms in the north Atlantic when we had to walk the flight deck to secure the loosened coffin hoists on the airplanes. Cold? That doesn't even come close! I still hate being cold, think it stemmed from that!

Bob Reeves · « **Reply #23 on:** March 01, 2011, 04:35:45 AM »

Didn't really get into model airplanes till after but I was in the NAVY.. That's me with my elbow hanging off the wing on the far right.
YA NAVY....

Will Hinton · « **Reply #24 on:** March 01, 2011, 07:19:56 AM »

I know what you mean, Ty, I used to see those things disappear under waves (or so it seemed) while we were refueling them! Never felt so good about being an airdale in my life!

RC Storick · « **Reply #25 on:** March 01, 2011, 03:55:05 PM »

Never before seen picture..

Anyone care for a popcycle?

Will Hinton · « **Reply #26 on:** March 01, 2011, 05:22:25 PM »

Would this individual happen to know anything about motorcycles?

Tom Niebuhr · « **Reply #27 on:** March 01, 2011, 05:30:59 PM »

Sparky,
You used to be good looking!

Bill Little · « **Reply #28 on:** March 07, 2011, 10:25:42 AM »

HI Will, and all!

I never made it to Millington, but my Dad was there for at least two different tours as an Avionics/electronics instructor. His career with carriers is too long to list. He was in the Gulf of Tonkin on the Big E during the Christmas season of 1968, IIRC. Got a real nice Seiko watch that Christmas! LOL!! He had a plank on the Saratoga and was the first crew chief (Captain's plane) assigned to it. Also a "plank" on the Big E.

When I tried to get in, I was turned down. So having never "lived" with my Dad (only "his" Dad

) I missed Millington, Poway, Milton, and a bunch of other places. I can still call him and ask any "electronics" question and get the correct answer.

Big Bear

Will Hinton · « **Reply #29 on:** March 07, 2011, 01:19:18 PM »

Bill,
I was at NATC Memphis in 1959, I wonder if your dad was there then. He might have been the guy who could nail a guy in the ear with a piece of chalk if he fell asleep! I got up and went to the back to stand one day to keep awake, as the instructor had advised to do in times like that, I even fell asleep standing up! I woke up with a piece of chalk about three feet from me and ON THE FLY! He missed me because I reacted quickly enough! I told him I was used to hitting curve balls!
Blessings,
Will

Paul Taylor · « **Reply #30 on:** March 07, 2011, 02:50:58 PM »

It was in the 70's and one of the classes my step dad taught was driving safety. I think when the guys got a ticket on base it was a mandatory class. He had some type of seat on a sled that guys had to ride to show the benefit of seat belts. I was too chicken to try it out.

Bill Little · « **Reply #31 on:** March 10, 2011, 10:25:09 AM »

Quote from: Will Hinton on March 07, 2011, 01:19:18 PM

Bill,
I was at NATC Memphis in 1959, I wonder if your dad was there then. He might have been the guy who could nail a guy in the ear with a piece of chalk if he fell asleep! I got up and went to the back to stand one day to keep awake, as the instructor had advised to do in times like that, I even fell asleep standing up! I woke up with a piece of chalk about three feet from me and ON THE FLY! He missed me because I reacted quickly enough! I told him I was used to hitting curve balls!
Blessings,
Will

HI Will,

Dad was there sometime around 1960, give or take. Could have been there in 1959! I would say, off hand, that he would have been a good candidate for hitting people with a piece of chalk pretty accurately.

It might help if I knew the "courses" he taught and the dates of his tours there. I am guessing he was a CPO then, "W.T. Little, Jr." Some time around 1961 he was involved with the Polaris missile development program. He dropped by the house on the way to DC about that time with a brief case handcuffed to this wrist........... years after, I saw some of the declassified materials he was dealing with. Blast zones of different nuclear war heads was among the stuff, pretty "scary".

Big Bear

Will Hinton · « **Reply #32 on:** March 10, 2011, 05:14:22 PM »

Hey Bill,
it would be a small world indeed if I happened to have your dad in avionics training! Gives me a warm feeling to think it could have been.
Will