338

UNITED STATES NAVAL AVIATION 1910-1995

1982-Contin ued

dence on supplies of 100-percent imported natural

rubber. Potential military applications for guayule rub-

ber were aircraft tires, jet engine mounts, hydrophone

arrays, truck tires, tank treads, submarine acoustic tiles

and medical supplies.

1 October Master Chief Avionics Technician Billy C.

Sanders assumed the duties of Master Chief Petty

Officer of the Navy. He was the second person with

an aviation background to hold the position since it

was established on 1 March 1967. Master Chief

Thomas S. Crow, who preceded Sanders, was the first.

1 October Helicopter Tactical Wing One was estab-

lished at NAS Norfolk, Va. The new wing consisted of

HC-6, HC-16, HM-12, HM-14 and HM-16. It was

responsible for the administrative and operational

activities of these helicopter squadrons with regard to

training, material support and overall readiness.

Captain John W. Osberg was its first commander.

7 October ARAPAHO at-sea testing was completed

at the Norfolk International Terminal, Norfolk, Va.,

when the 18,000-ton container ship Export Leader-

configured with a portable modular aviation facility-

returned to port after having logged 178 day and 45

night helicopter landings. ARAPAHO was a research

and development project to demonstrate the feasibility

of equipping merchant ships with emergency aviation

support in wartime and of operating ASW helicopters

and other combatant aircraft from these vessels.

16 October Saratoga conducted her first sea trials

since entering the shipyard as the first carrier to under-

go SLEP. She was completing the final phase of the

modernization and overhaul program.

28 October The 30th anniversary of the first flight of

the A-3 Skywarrior, affectionately known as the Whale.

The aircraft had been in the fleet since 1956 and had

been used as a heavy bomber, radar trainer, electron-

ics reconnaissance platform, tanker, tanker-electronics

jammer, photoreconnaissance platform, dedicated

electronics jammer, airborne weapons test bed and

VIP transport.

11 November The first operational flight of the

Space Shuttle Columbia was launched with astronauts

Vance D. Brand, Robert F. Overmyer, William B. Lenoir

and Joe P. Allen aboard. Astronauts Brand and

Overmyer were former Navy and Marine Corps avia-

tors, respectively. Lenoir and Allen were civilians. This

was the first time four astronauts were aboard the shut-

tIe for a flight. Previous test flights conducted by the

Space Shuttle Columbia carried only two astronauts.

15 December Naval Aviation News celebrated its

65th year of publication. The Navy's oldest periodical

in continuous print and one of the oldest aviation

magazines in the country, the magazine originally

began as a weekly bulletin published by the Chief of

Naval Operations.

1983

7 January The first F/ A-18 Hornets entered opera-

tional service (excluding operational training

squadrons) with the Black Knights of VMFA-314,

replacing the F-4 Phantom II. This transition marked

the beginning of the replacement of F-4 and A-7 air-

craft with the Hornet.

21 January HSL-41 was established with Comman-

der Michael B. O'Connor Jr., as the Seahawks' first

commanding officer. The squadron would be flying

the new Sikorsky SH-60B Seahawk and, as the LAMPS

MK III fleet readiness squadron, would train pilots, air-

crew and maintenance personnel for SH-60B fleet

squadrons.

11 March The first fleet CH-53E Super Stallion was

delivered to the HM-12 Sea Dragons. The CH-53E

could transport heavier loads over longer distances

than previous helicopters used for logistics in the fleet.

I -

The new heavy lift CH-53E Super Stallion in flight.