Houston Action

[Lance 147thFW]

#8

[g0_command0]

VMFA-134 will be gone soon i heard

[André]

Lance,

Nice job !

Do you know if the're any houses for rent down there as I might consider to move over as well, he, he.  

I was surprised to see that the VFA-201 birds wear new colors as they had these black and gray camoflage patterns making them a kind of aggressors.

André

[Roger]

Great shots Lance!  Hope to see one of those F-5's some time...

[Lance 147thFW]

 Thanks for the compliments guys.

 VMFA-134 WILL be disbanded this year from what I heard, sad indeed.

 Andre'- TONS of houses to rent/buy here in Houston and the surrounding communities. VFA-201 swapped jets with VFA-203. The 'Blue Dolpins now have their adversary birds.

 Roger- F-5 is a gorgeous airframe, I only wish VFC-13 would come in.

-Lance

[g0_command0]

Arent the BLue DOlphins disbanding also?

[Lance 147thFW]

 VFA-203 will be disbanding here shortly. All the Navy/Marine Reserve (fighters at least) are scheduled to stand down.

 Andre'-Here are a few more shots, one being of VFA-201's current linebirds as well as ex-201 birds in VFA-203 service.

-Lance

[Lance 147thFW]

 VFA-203 #1

[g0_command0]

So VFa-201 will be gone also?

[André]

Lance,

Thanks for the shots. Strange to see both squadrons changing birds just before disbanding.

Here's the VFA-201 CAG in Sept. 2002.

André

[André]

And VFA-203 CAG as well that day.

[Lance 147thFW]

 Andre' where were those taken? Fallon, 29 Palms? I saw 203's CAG bird in 2002 as well but my camera was KIA at the time, I was upset.

-Lance

[André]

El Centro, during a course of CVWR-20. Nice event as the whole wing was in except for the Prowlers.

Never leave home with only one camera in your bag. A hard learned lesson for me as well.

André

[g0_command0]

I think they switched birds because VFA-201 went on a deployment and i guess they didnt want camo birds to come along?

[André]

Go Com.

Just checked some more of VFA-201. They were activated to service in CVW-8 at October 2002 due to a shortage of available units in the USN. This shortage was caused by many units still in the process changing from F-14 to F-18 Super Hornet. Kind of unique as VFA-201 is a reserve unit, becoming the first one activated to service inside a carrier wing since the Korean war.

They took their adversary birds with them to the USS Roosevelt and changed to other (gray) machines in Spring 2003. These "new" F/A-18A's came from VFA-203 and 204 and were upgraded with new equipment to F/A-18A+ standard. I am not really sure what exactly this upgrade was but I think an AMRAAM modification was involved.

André