VA-126/VF-126 Bandits

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Nulli Secondus about 1960
Courtesy Harry S.Gann
W.A. Lucy/Sean Keenan
Fighting Sea Hawks about 1967
Courtesy Harry S.Gann

Bandits about 1980
Courtesy Harry S.Gann
Gary Verver

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Handle
Heritage
  • ABOUT VA/VF-126 and TOP GUN
    NFWS (TOP GUN ) is sometimes confused with the VF-126 Fighting Seahawks / Bandits. NFWS (TOP GUN) and VF-126 are two different entities.

    The Naval Fighter Weapons School (TOP GUN) was originally established as a "school" within VF-121, a F-4 Phantom Replacement Air Group (RAG) at NAS Miramar. NFWS was tasked with providing graduate level Air Combat Maneuvering (ACM) training, and the first class started March 3, 1969.
    NFWS initially began as a VF-121 department (school), evolving in January 1972 into a separate VF-121 detachment, all the while using VF-126 A-4’s and maintenance support personnel.
    The NFWS instructors flew the A-4’s, and each crew going through as students brought with them their own squadron maintenance personnel and own squadron aircraft.
    In July 1972 NFWS was given full squadron status as the Naval Fighter Weapons School. NFWS handled the graduate courses for Navy pilots, while VF-126 was more of a "day to day" adversary unit, supporting the F-4's & F-14's at Miramar.

    Navy Attack Squadron 126 (VA-126) was established 1958 with the Grumman TF-9 Cougar for fleet instrument training. When the Skyhawk was being replaced as the fleet attack aircraft in 1967, "126", now VF-126, was already providing aircraft for aggressor training. The Skyhawk was chosen as the bandit aircraft because of its small size, maneuverability and smokeless trail, similiar to a MiG-17. VF-126 started providing the adversary mission from Miramar in April 1967. VF-126 continued the bandit mission until they were disestablished in April 1994.

  • APR 1958: VA-126 established from VA-126, VA-125 and VA-54 all of which were decommissioned to establish VA-126.
  • 15 OCT 1965: VA-126 redesignated VF-126.
  • History article.
  • April 1994: VF-126 disestablished.
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Home Ports
Air Wings
Deployments
Aircraft
Commanding Officers
  • 1956: Commander G. L. Cassel.
  • 1960: Commander C. J. Lee
  • 1961: Commander W. C. Chapman
  • 1962: Commander C. R. Johnson
  • 1963: Commander P. F. Cunningham
  • 1964: Commander R. A. Braid
  • 1965: Commander V. R. Hubka
  • 1966: Commander R. E. Mcjunkin, Jr.
  • 1967: Commander W. J. Hickman
  • 1968: Commander F. J. Breaux
  • 1969: Commander K. R. Wiley
  • 1970: Commander R. C. Evans
  • 1971: Commander R. K. Huisman
  • 1972: Commander E. D. Deweese
  • 1973: Commander R. M. Scruggs
  • 1974: Commander C. Black
  • 1975: Commander K. Russell
  • 1976: Commander J. K. Schoenfeld
  • 1977: Commander R. W. Musgrove
  • 1978: Commander R. W. Castle, Jr.
  • 1980: Commander J. W. Nunn
  • 1981: Commander R. A. Knutson
  • 1982: Commander D. J. Carey
  • 1984: Commander N. R. Criss
  • 1985: Commander R. H. Cunningham
  • 1987: Commander W. J. Butterworth, Jr.
  • 1988: Commander T. R. Brown
  • 1990: Commander M. A. Szoka
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Events
  • March 1956:
    VA-126 assigned with thirteen Chance-Vought F7U-3M, Cutlass was based at Naval Air Station Miramar after returning from a WESTPAC cruise on United States Ship Hancock. The Squadron was located in the old "nose dock" hangers (now gone) at Miramar. The big concrete hangars had not yet been built. Sharing the area was sister squadron, VA-116, also flying the F7U-3M.
    The squadron Leading Chief was AMC R. Doshe. He was one of the first E7's to be promoted to E8, and one year later, to E9.

  • APR 1958:
    Present squadron established from VA-126, VA-125 and VA-54. All three were decommssioned and recommissioned as VA-126. Squadron mission was to provide instrument training in jets.

  • OCT 1964: VA-126 began providing adversary missions. During the Vietnam War they used the TF-9J, TA-4F and the A-4E for adversary training.

  • MAR 1965:
    I transferred into the squadron as an AEAN in March 1965. I was stationed at NAS Coronado, VP-31, and was training as an aircrewman on the P5Ms (a.k.a. pigboats) when they were decommissioned. The P5Ms and P2Vs were being phased out by the P3 Orions stationed at NAS Moffet Field, Detachment Alfa. I checked into VF-126 under the command of Cdr. R. A. Braid and served under Cdrs. Verne Hubka, R. E. "Fishhook" Mcjunkin, Jr., and W. J. Hickman. When I checked into the squadron, they were flying TF9J Cougars and performed maintenance in nose docks. Our squadron spaces were wooden buildings and the area in which they were located was called "Splinterville." Our next door neighbor was squadron VU7 (a.k.a. Vacation Unit 7), The squadron was training pilots in advanced instrument flying called "flying under the hood" because a curtain kept the pilots from looking out when flying instruments. While at VF126 I obtained an OMIS card so I could fly back-seat in the TF9J. In 1965, NAS Miramar had a "pick rocks beer bust" to clear the space for its new golf course. There was free beer for the men that toiled for that purpose. The designation VF126 replaced the VA126 in a small ceremony. A metalsmith whom we called, "Far East Foster," was photographed "painting" the new designation on a TF9J. The Nulli Secundus (Second to None) squadron patch was replaced by the diving eagle with a background shield divided in half, the yellow depicting day, and the dark with stars depicting night. Otherwise, VF126's training for day/night flying capability. In 1967, we had a ceremony to "push off" the last TF9J. Men were photographed pushing the last TF9J off, otherwise replacing them with the TA4J which we recently received. Ironically, the last TF9J did not start for the ferry pilot. However, when I was assigned to check out the aircraft, it started immediately. The next day the last TF9J was gone, being fully replaced by the TA4Js. I was not fully checked out on the TA4J because I was being discharged. In 1973, I was assigned to VT24 in NAS Beeville, Texas where they flew the TA4Js. The TA-4J was a nice flying aircraft. I flew back-seat numerous times.
    Wallace Begay, USN Retired
    Historian, U. S. West, University of New Mexico

  • 15 OCT 1965:
    Redesignated VF-126.

  • APR 1967:
    VF-126 started providing the adversary mission from NAS Miramar in April 1967.
    They also had several other missions, Pacific Fleet Out-Of-Control flight training and instrument training.

  • 03 MAR 1969: NWFS is established as a school within VF-121 utilizing VF-126 A-4 a/c and maintenance assests. VF-126 Bandits handled the day to day aggressor role while the TOP GUN Instructors flew graduate level missions against their students.
    VF-126 continued the "Bandit" mission until they were disestablished in April 1994.

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Awards

Sources
  • Harry S. Gann
  • Fred Krause
  • Jeff Malone
  • Karl A. Schnack, CWO2, USN, RET.
  • Mike Shapiro
  • Ed Tysko

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