American A-4 makes Emergency Landing At Bagotville

[Montcalm]

Just heard this An Amarican A-4 made an emergency landing at a Canadian Air force Base,more to come later when news site gets updated,don't expect any video of the landing i think they're classified Top-Secret

[RogueIce]

Just heard this An Amarican A-4 made an emergency landing at a Canadian Air force Base,more to come later when news site gets updated,don't expect any video of the landing i think they're classified Top-Secret

A-4, as in the Skyhawk? We still use those things? Sexy as they may be, they're kinda...old.

[Montcalm]

A-4, as in the Skyhawk? We still use those things? Sexy as they may be, they're kinda...old.

They didn't say but i know what an A-4 looks like,anyway the Snowbirds are using a 50+ year old aircraft.

[Burak Gazan]

Hey, don't run down the Scooter


Doesn't the US Navy still use A-4s for Dissimilar ACM training?

[Howedar]

Perhaps, but they wouldn't be up in Canada.

[Burak Gazan]

Unless there's an exercise of some sort being run up in the Goose Bay area

[RadiO]

It could be one of the A-4N target tugs that BAE SYSTEMS (nee Flight Systems) use on contracts.
Here we go.

[Montcalm]

Again this is annoying,i see it on a French-Canadian news program,but nothing on any news sites its not as important as an intern sucking an amarican Prez.

[Admiral Valdemar]

It could be one of the A-4N target tugs that BAE SYSTEMS (nee Flight Systems) use on contracts.
Here we go.

Geez, they really do use Skyhawks? Always thought it was a joke or something. I love those planes though.

[RadiO]

They were shot at repeatedly during 20+ years of service witn the Israeli Air Force, and now it's happening all over again, just this time with a civil registration painted on the side

[Admiral Valdemar]

They were shot at repeatedly during 20+ years of service witn the Israeli Air Force, and now it's happening all over again, just this time with a civil registration painted on the side

Don't forget the Vietnam era where they could have ECM and cannons, but not both at once because firing the cannons fucked the ECM circuits up.

[Frank Hipper]

There's a couple A-4s out here at Williams Field, they're used for training Saudi pilots.
I expect to see one disintegrate in mid-air everytime I see them fly over the house.

[Admiral Valdemar]

There's a couple A-4s out here at Williams Field, they're used for training Saudi pilots.
I expect to see one disintegrate in mid-air everytime I see them fly over the house.

They may have been underdogs most of their life, but they worked and got the job done. The belief that they're flying versions of Ford Pintos is a bit off, I'd certainly like to fly one today.

[Wicked Pilot]

A-4, as in the Skyhawk? We still use those things? Sexy as they may be, they're kinda...old.

The services seem to have a hard on for old aircraft. I've flown Tweets with '56 painted on the tail. And don't get me started on the C-130 and B-52s.

[Montcalm]

I expect to see one disintegrate in mid-air everytime I see them fly over the house.

That makes me think of the home video they shown on tv of the F-117 that broke apart at an airshow.

[Admiral Valdemar]

A-4, as in the Skyhawk? We still use those things? Sexy as they may be, they're kinda...old.

The services seem to have a hard on for old aircraft. I've flown Tweets with '56 painted on the tail. And don't get me started on the C-130 and B-52s.

When they're made that good, a few years is nothing to them.

Eh, they don't make 'em like they used to, lad.

[Frank Hipper]

There's a couple A-4s out here at Williams Field, they're used for training Saudi pilots.
I expect to see one disintegrate in mid-air everytime I see them fly over the house.

They may have been underdogs most of their life, but they worked and got the job done. The belief that they're flying versions of Ford Pintos is a bit off, I'd certainly like to fly one today.

Trust me, I'm well aware of what they achieved during thier active service life, and how they surpassed expectations.
What I am not aware of is how these planes are being maintained.
That's what worries me. And by worry, I mean "occasionally wonder about".

[Stuart Mackey]

Ahh..the A4 Skyhawk. NZ was operating them up uintill recently with F16 A/B avionics in them..Labour government cancelled the plan to by F16's bastards

[Aaron]

Ahh..the A4 Skyhawk. NZ was operating them up uintill recently with F16 A/B avionics in them..Labour government cancelled the plan to by F16's bastards

Hasn't the NZ military been gutted? I seem to recall reading something that said they were effectively shutting down the Air Force and the Navy, and reducing the Army to one brigade.

[Stuart Mackey]

Ahh..the A4 Skyhawk. NZ was operating them up uintill recently with F16 A/B avionics in them..Labour government cancelled the plan to by F16's bastards

Hasn't the NZ military been gutted? I seem to recall reading something that said they were effectively shutting down the Air Force and the Navy, and reducing the Army to one brigade.

Err..not eactly.
What has happned is this:
Air Force:
Due a fortunate meeting of minds from the Greenies and the left of the Labour party and a pinch of selective accounting it was decided to scrap the air-combat squadrons.
However the Orions are to be upgraded {but not with new ant-sub gear } and they may well get Harpoon.

They are to get new helicopters to replace the museum grade Iroquios.
We are to have our C-130's upgraded {we were going to get the new J model but airforce doesnt like them..too many teething problems and a lack of redundancy}.
The new Kaman Seaspites continue to be delivered {we are to have 5}.

Navy: We have two ANZAC class {MEKO 2000}, one Broad Beamed Leander, one tanker, 4 next to useless inshore patrol craft and a hydrograhpics ship. We are to get a so called Multi Role Vessell to replace the Leander, what shape this MPV will take is anyones guess, but I hope for a modified LPD. we are to get a pair of OPV's and three or four new insore patrol vessels.

Army: Our army has purchaced 105 LAV3 wheeled APC's with 25mm cannon, cueing for our Mistral SAM's and they are supposed to get Javilin ATGM. Supposedly they are to get those 40mm automatic grenade launchers. We have some 48 light 105mm towed arty.

Organisationally our army, on paper, could feild a light motorised brigade quite quickly, but thats on paper . We have two regular Btn's and 6 territorial regiments of one Btn each.
Realisticaly we can suststain a full strength battliaon overseas for about 6 months, and thats streaching it, a smaller battlion can be sustained for a couple of years with constant rotations of adhoc btn's. This is peace keeping BTW, like East Timor {talk to the guys who were there, and that deployment was anything but peace keeping.}

We have only ever been able to have a paper brigade since the mid fifties, its just far too expensive for a nation of our size.
The days of sending a division or more to fight are long gone unless there is a direct threat to the nation, or its economic interests.

[Sea Skimmer]

The services seem to have a hard on for old aircraft. I've flown Tweets with '56 painted on the tail. And don't get me started on the C-130 and B-52s.

The first production C-130 was only retired in 1995...

[Exmoor Cat]

THe Harrier had the A4 for breakfast.....

[PainRack]

Hey, we're still using the A4 over here you know......

And probably will continue to do so until the Typhoon chaps arrive and show that the Typhoon is superior to the Rafale.

[Sea Skimmer]

THe Harrier had the A4 for breakfast.....

Any fighter built since the mid 1950's equipped with AIM-9L could have done the same. Shooting down anything that is unescorted and bomb laden is not a challenge.