|
Navigation
|
VU-2/VC-2 "Blue Falcons"
Squadron history Navy Fleet Support Squadron Two was assigned with various support missions such as training aircraft controllers and ship gunners, assisting radar testing, training new pilots and conducting air combat maneuvering against fleet squadrons, VU-2 became the first supersonic Atlantic fleet utility squadron when it transitioned to the F8U-1 in July 1961. The squadron was based at NAS Oceana, Virginia, and maintained several detachments: "Det. 33" at NAS Jacksonville, Florida, "Det. Key West" and "Det. Quonset Point" in Rhode Island.
Equiped with the Crusader, the squadron was able to assist the Fleet Anti-Air Warfare Training Center improve on high-speed aircraft intercepts. It also flew missions towing the Delmar towed target for air-to-air and sea-to-air missile training. The Blue Falcons tranisitioned to the F-8C Crusader in April 1964. In July 1965, the squadron was redesignated VC-2. The squadron became the first composite squadron to fire live Sidewinder missiles in December 1965 with a 76% kill rate, while also developing new techniques to tow supersonic targets. In 1966, the Blue Falcons received the all-weather F-8E model.
In 1967, the squadron transitioned back to the older F-8A model before receiving the modernized F-8K in July 1969. In 1970, VC-2 began transitioning to the A-4 Skyhawk and US-2 Tracker. During the period in which it flew Crusaders, the squadron was praised for its outstanding services and especially flight safety, for which it received several unit citations. VC-2 was disestablished in September 1980. Crusader models used:
Tailcode:
Links:
|
||||||||||||||||||
