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Text: |
Guido E. Bühlmann |
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Pictures: |
Our
chief photographer, Guido E. Bühlmann, had the opportunity to visit the
Naval Air Station Key West for a few days during his trip to the USA in
January 1975.
Here is his colourful report when the Navy aircraft still had colourful
paint schemes. In a second part, Michael E. Fader then reports on the
Naval Air Station Key West a few years later (1990) on the occasion of
their first joint spotter trip.
Unser
Chef-Fotograf, Guido E. Bühlmann hatte anlässlich seiner USA Reise im
Januar 1975 die Möglichkeit die Naval Air Station Key West ein paar Tage
lang zu besuchen.
Hier sein farbenfroher Bericht als die Navyflugzeuge noch bunte
Bemalungen hatten. In einem 2. Teil berichtet dann Michael E. Fader über
die Naval Air Station Key West einige Jahre später (1990) anlässlich
Ihrer ersten, gemeinsamen Spotter-Reise.
Naval Air Station Key West
Early morning at Boca Chica (Picture courtesy Guido E. Bühlmann)
Grumman TF-9J Cougar BuAer 147287 VT-4 (Picture courtesy Guido E. Bühlmann)
Naval Air Station Key West
is located at the end of the Florida Keys on a landscape called Boca
Chica Keys, close to the small town of Key West.
The Air Station was build in December 1940 during the Second World War
and is still running and under the command of the US Navy. During the
Cuba crises in October 1962 Naval Air Station Key West was one of the
most important Base to the United States and the closest to the Island
of Cuba! Today, after the cold war, only a few fighter squadrons are
based at Key West. Along these squadrons, Key West homes following units
as well:
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Department of Homeland Security
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Air National Guard
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Caribbean Regional Operations Center (CARIBROC)
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U.S. Army Special Forces Underwater Operations School
Naval Air Station Key West
ist eine US Navy Air Station und liegt auf den Boca Chica Keys am
südlichsten Ende der Florida Keys Inseln, etwa 6km. von der kleinen
Stadt Key West.
Diese Air Station wurde im Dezember 1940, also während des zweiten
Weltkriegs, gebaut und wird bis heute von der United States Navy
betrieben. Während der Kubakrise im Oktober 1962 erlangte die Naval Air
Station Key West grosse Bedeutung, war sie doch die Basis der USA die am
nächsten zu Kuba gelegen ist. Heute sind neben einigen Fighter Composite
Staffeln auch folgende Einheiten in Key West zu Hause:
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Department of Homeland Security
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Air National Guard
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Caribbean Regional Operations Center (CARIBROC)
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U.S. Army Special Forces Underwater Operations School.
North American RA-5C Vigilante
North American RA-5C Vigilante BuAer 146641 #300 RVAH-3 (Picture courtesy Guido E. Bühlmann)
North American RA-5C Vigilante of RVAH-3 (Picture courtesy Guido E. Bühlmann)
North American RA-5C Vigilante of RVAH-3 (Picture courtesy Guido E. Bühlmann)
North American RA-5C Vigilante of RVAH-3 (Picture courtesy Guido E. Bühlmann)
North American RA-5C Vigilante of RVAH-3 (Picture courtesy Guido E. Bühlmann)
North American RA-5C Vigilante BuAer 146698 #305 RVAH-3 (Picture courtesy Guido E. Bühlmann)
North American RA-5C Vigilante BuAer 146698 #305 RVAH-3 (Picture courtesy Guido E. Bühlmann)
North American RA-5C Vigilante BuAer 156624 #602 RVAH-5 (Picture courtesy Guido E. Bühlmann)
North American RA-5C Vigilante BuAer 156625 #601 RVAH-6 (Picture courtesy Guido E. Bühlmann)
North American RA-5C Vigilante BuAer 156625 #601 RVAH-6 (Picture courtesy Guido E. Bühlmann)
North American RA-5C Vigilante BuAer 156625 #601 RVAH-6 (Picture courtesy Guido E. Bühlmann)
North American RA-5C Vigilante BuAer 156625 #601 RVAH-6 (Picture courtesy Guido E. Bühlmann)
North American RA-5C Vigilante BuAer 156625 #601 RVAH-6 (Picture courtesy Guido E. Bühlmann)
Mc Donnell Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk
Mc Donnell Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk BuAer 154616 #061 VA-43 (Picture courtesy Guido E. Bühlmann)
Mc Donnell Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk BuAer 154305 #073 VA-43 (Picture courtesy Guido E. Bühlmann)
Mc Donnell Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk BuAer 153671 VA-43 (Picture courtesy Guido E. Bühlmann)
Mc Donnell Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk BuAer 154305 #073 VA-43 (Picture courtesy Guido E. Bühlmann)
Mc Donnell Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk BuAer 154618 #000 VA-43 (Picture courtesy Guido E. Bühlmann)
Mc Donnell Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk BuAer 154343 #341 RVAH-3 (Picture courtesy Guido E. Bühlmann)
During the modernization of
the US Navy aircraft fleet in the past decades the colorful paint
schemes of Navy Jets completely disappeared. Today’s “gray in gray”
paint schemes may guarantee less visibility to the enemy pilot’s, but
are not attractive anymore to us aircraft
spotters. Luckily an attempt to go back to more colorful paintings can
be seen, regarding some squadron signs on several Navy Jets.
We would look forward to more colorful times to come!
Key West Air Station has three concrete runways as follows:
Runway 7/25:
10'001 x 200ft. (3'048 x 61m)
Runway 3/21: 7’002 x150ft. (2’134 x 46m)
Runway 13/31: 7’001 x150ft. (2’134 x 46m)
On our second part of our Key West report, later on this year, Mike E.
Fader will provide you with some details about all the squadrons based
in the past and present at Naval Air Station Key West and as always some
nice images.
Im Zuge der Modernisierung der
vergangenen Jahrzehnte sind leider auch die farbenfrohen Bemalungen der
verschiedenen Navy Staffeln in den 60er, 70er und 80er Jahren den heute
bekannten „grau in grau“ Tönen der modernen Kampfjets gewichen.
Zum Glück gibt es aber auch heute wieder zaghafte Versuche etwas mehr
Farbe auf die Flugzeuge zu bringen und sei es im Moment nur die
Staffelabzeichen.
Vielleicht kommen ja wieder buntere Zeiten?
Key West Air Station verfügt über drei Betonstartbahnen wie folgt:
Runway 7/25: 10'001 x 200ft. (3'048 x 61m)
Runway 3/21: 7’002 x150ft. (2’134 x 46m)
Runway 13/31: 7’001 x150ft. (2’134 x 46m)
Im 2. Teil unsere Reportage wird dann unser Chef-Redaktor, Mike E.
Fader, auf die verschiedenen Staffeln während seines Besuches im August
1990, näher eingehen.
Mc Donnell Douglas F-4J Phantom II
Mc Donnell Douglas F-4J Phantom II BuAer 155562 #054 VF-101 Det. KW
Mc Donnell Douglas F-4J Phantom II of VF-101 Det. KW (Picture courtesy Guido E. Bühlmann)
Mc Donnell Douglas F-4J Phantom II BuAer 154782 #103 VF-101
Mc Donnell Douglas F-4J Phantom II of VF-101 (Picture courtesy Guido E. Bühlmann)
Grumman US-2B Traker
Sikorsky UH-3H Sea King
Sikorsky UH-3H Sea King BuAer 149696 (Picture courtesy Guido E. Bühlmann)
Sikorsky UH-3H Sea King BuAer 149696 (Picture courtesy Guido E. Bühlmann)
Sikorsky UH-3H Sea King BuAer 149696 (Picture courtesy Guido E. Bühlmann)
Note * Douglas EA-3B Skywarrior BuAer 144850 This aircraft went down in the Med in March 1987 off the USS Nimitz due to a landing accident. All seven crewmen perished in the accident.