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UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995
1981-Continued
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Space Shuttle Columbia, with its all Navy crew, touches down at Edwards AFB, Calif, after its first flight.
26 May During night air operations on Nimitz, an
EA-6B Prowler from VMAQ-2 crash landed on the
flight deck and careened into parked aircraft on the
bow. Fourteen men lost their lives. The men of Nimitz
and CVW-8 prevented further loss of life and damage
to the carrier by prompt rescue, damage control and
fire prevention operations. On 30 June, Nimitz
returned to operations at sea after two days in port in
Norfolk to repair the damage incurred as a result of
the 26 May crash.
1 June Patrol Wing 10 was established in cere-
monies held at NAS Moffett Field, Calif. The opera-
tional patrol wing would act as the middle link
between the patrol squadrons and Commander, Patrol
Wings, Pacific. This was the third time that the Patrol
Wing 10 designation had been used. It was originally
established in December 1940, disestablished in June
1947, established in June 1963 and disestablished once
more in 1973. In early 1942, PBY squadrons of the
patrol wing fought courageous delaying actions
against the Japanese as Allied forces were driven
southward from the Philippines. Later in the war, the
legendary Black Cats operated under Patrol Wing 10.
6 June The Order of Daedalians presented their
Weapon System Award for Outstanding System
Achievement to NAVAIR. The specific system which
occasioned the award was NAVAIR's A-6E TRAM project.
15 June The Blue Angels, the Navy's Flight
Demonstration Squadron, celebrated their 35th
anniversary. Since its beginning, the squadron had
flown the F8F Bearcat, F6F Hellcat, F9F Panther, F9F-5
Cougar, F 11F-1 Tiger, F-4J Phantom II, and the A-4
Skyhawk.
16 June The first fleet operational CH-53E Super
Stallion helicopter, built by Sikorsky Aircraft Division,
was delivered to Marine Air Group 26 for assignment
to HMH-464. The newly improved CH-53E, the west-
ern world's largest helicopter, could transport cargo of
over 16 tons or ferry 55 fully equipped Marines. It was
also capable of delivering aircraft on board carriers.
29 June The Secretary of Defense approved full pro-
duction of the F/ A-18 Hornet. The aircraft had met all
requirements for use as a Navy and Marine Corps
fighter and would replace the aging F-4 Phantom II.
1 July VS-0294 was established at NAS North
Island, Calif. The reserve unit's mission would be to
train and qualify pilots, NFOs, aircrewmen and main-
tenance personnel to augment fleet carrier ASW
squadrons. The reserve squadron, with the exception
of maintenance personnel, would train on simulators
or trainers, which were realistic mock-ups of S-3A
aircraft, thereby reducing the high cost of utilizing
actual aircraft.

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