VPU-1 ‘Old Buzzards’ to disestablish

P-3 Interest Group ^ | 5/16/12

[pabianice]

A specially equipped P-3 Orion assigned to the "Old Buzzards" of VPU-1 is ready to start its turboprop engines on the Hangar 511 flight line at NAS Jacksonville. The squadron will be disestablished on Friday.

A specially equipped P-3 Orion assigned to the "Old Buzzards" of VPU-1 is ready to start its turboprop engines on the Hangar 511 flight line at NAS Jacksonville. The squadron will be disestablished on Friday.

Special Projects Patrol Squadron (VPU) 1 will hold its disestablishment ceremony April 27 at 10 a.m. at NAS Jacksonville Hangar 117. The “Old Buzzards” trace their lineage back 40 years when the Chief of Naval Operations requested the creation of a specially trained maritime patrol unit possessing the necessary expertise, flexibility and quick reaction capability to respond to immediate tasking from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As a result, a unique “special projects” detachment of P-3s was formed from operationally proven aircrew and maintenance professionals.

[pabianice]

The Incredible Shrinking Navy. Where is one brave government whistle-blower to show which social programs are getting the military's money under Obama?

[Poundstone]

Better to go with UAVs anyway. Manned patrol planes are obsolete.

[LSUfan]

I just don’t know about the switch from the P-3 to the P-7 (737). Two engines versus four, less endurance, no great increase in relevant performance.

A further updated P-3 with the latest avionics would seem to me to have been the better choice. I think politics played a role.

[A.A. Cunningham]

[LSUfan]

I stand corrected. The aircraft that beat out the Orion was the P-8, a maritime patrol version of the 737.

[Afterguard]

That’s a beautiful aircraft.

---

You are absolutely correct. I had the privilege to serve in five P-3 squadrons over 22 years and accumulated a little over 5000 flight hours in them, and they are magnificent assets. Wags occasionally referred to the as graceful gray gazelles. They aren’t that pretty, in my opinion,but they and their crews and maintainers served the nation well.

[A.A. Cunningham]

less endurance,

That will come as a surprise to P-8 crews while they refuel in flight, something they couldn't do in a P-3.

[hiramknight]

My years with VP-24 were some of the best of my life. My squadron was disesstablished by our last “progressive” president in 1994.

[Thrownatbirth]

Yep. The P-8A (737-800) Multi-Mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA) has been in T&E at Pax River and will be operational later this year. Current plan is 84 airplanes between FY12-19 to replace 120 P-3Cs.

[Eccl 10:2]

The squadron will be disestablished on Friday.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

But that would run counter to those who believe in antidisestablishmentarianism.

(I wanted to be able to say I used that in a sentence once. It even passed the spellcheck.)

[Flintlock]

Just so long as they’re being REPLACED and not disbanded.

Barry’s wunnerfull groovey safe ‘ol world seems none too safe for me.

[pabianice]

The problem is P-3 airframes. They’ve had it. Designed, I believe, for 20,000 hours. Some have exceeded 60,000 and they are just worn out. The P-8 is a 737-800EX variant and no, it is not a good replacement for ASW work. It wull fly at 20,000 feet and do high altitude ASW. The problem is that high altitude ASW doesn’t work after the detection phase. The Navy wanted 156 P-8s. That is down to 107 officially. Won’t happen. Will end-up with one operational squadron on each coast plus some in HI — which will then be moved to Guam. Since 1991 we have basically abandoned ASW and AMW.

[Sequoyah101]

Aren’t they? For a tube with pointy ends it has always looked clean. The paddle props ooze power and reliability for some reason. Like a C-130, but pretty.

[maine yankee]

It’s kinda hard to go ‘low and slow’ with a 737.

Oh, how I remeber the fun of sneaking up on russian ‘trawlers’, and scaring the crapp out of them.

We considered damage due to salt water intake to be part of the job. That’s why God and the Navy gave us four engines.

[lowflyn]

If more than 14 hr endurance was required then the navy could have put ARF on them. I worked heavy depot on these for 11 years and they are an incredibly versatile aircraft especially after the update 3 mods. ESSI/ SSI-K was fixing the wings which was the major problem in the life expectancy. The Army actually proposed that the Air Force allow them to buy the P-3 for convoy protection due to the loiter time and Maverick capabilities.
I started out unimpressed with the airframe but after 11 years I found it to be one ugly, rugged, wonderful aircraft.

[pabianice]

>>Oh, how I remeber the fun of sneaking up on russian ‘trawlers’, and scaring the crapp out of them.

Me, too. Then the Kinder, Gentler Navy removed our 20 million candlepower spotlights. Man, did turning them on make Soviet crews crap their pants!

[A.A. Cunningham]

It wull fly at 20,000 feet and do high altitude ASW.

Once gain you are quite mistaken.

[Afterguard]

Me, too. Then the Kinder, Gentler Navy removed our 20 million candlepower spotlights. Man, did turning them on make Soviet crews crap their pants!

---

Dude, you go as far back as I do! P-3s haven’t had searchlights on them since the early A models in the mid-70s. loved to illuminate trawlers, but was always a little concerned by the flaming copper slag that dribbled into the basket at the bottom of the searchlight.... Lol.

[maine yankee]

When I got to my squardon, we stil had a couple Willy vickers.

The great news was the bomb bays would hold more kegs than the P-2V’s for the run up to Kef.