RISE to the occassion!
http://www.acepilots.com/discussions/vejtasa.html
Coincidentally enough ....
Capt. Vejtasa was the commanding officer of the Connie when my father's squadron, VFA-144 (The Road Runners), transferred over from the USS Lexington after transitioning from the FJ Fury to the A4 skyhawk.
Dad was the plane captain (brownshirt) of the lead aircraft (404) in the photo in this link:
http://www.skyhawk.org/5e/g149487/html/149553a.htmThe basic job description of a plane captain (which, to my knowledge, hasn't changed over the years):
"Otherwise referred to as 'brown shirts,' plane captains invest long days, hard work and every ounce of their knowledge and experience into ensuring multimillion dollar aircraft and their pilots make it safely back to the deck every day.
According to the Naval Safety Center, modern naval aircraft are inherently complex, and plane captains often represent the sole source of expertise on daily and turnaround inspections.
Plane captains spend 12 to 15 hours per day with their assigned aircraft (Dad often slept on the wingroot). In addition to the constant inspections, brown shirts check fluid levels, prepare the cockpit for flight and ensure there is no foreign object debris that could damage the "bird." Prior to handing the aircraft over to the pilot, the plane captains act as the final set of eyes."
http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/navy/a/planecaptains.htmOne of the pilots in Dad's squadron:
"The first loss of an A-4 occurred on 5 August 1964, when LTJG (USN) Everett Alvarez, VA-144, flying from the USS Constellation, was shot down while attacking enemy torpedo boats in North Vietnam. LTJG Alvarez safely ejected after being hit by AAA fire, and became the first US Naval POW of the war; he was released as a POW on 12 February 1973."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-4_SkyhawkLieutenant Alvarez flew plane 411. I wore his POW ID bracelet in elementary school until his release.
