Question about NAS Lemoore

[Bone]

Hello Navy types, can you give me some intell, please? I'd like to know what aircraft types were based at Lemoore NAS during the heyday of Miramar NAS. There isn't much info about the base prior to becoming the "west coast master jet base" over the last 10 to 15 years. I've googled the crap out of it, and very little info comes up...it's usually the same limited stuff repeated over and over again.

Thanks.

[TARPSBird]

I'm assuming you consider Miramar's "heyday" period as roughly the ten years 1965-75. At that time Lemoore was the home base for nearly all the West Coast attack (VA) squadrons, both A-4 and A-7. You'd see a whole bunch of those two types, along with assorted others such as C-47's and UC-45's (maybe also a SNJ) as station utility aircraft, C-118's and (later) C-9's providing airlift support to deploying squadrons, and various transient aircraft which could be just about anything. Also there would be UH-2's or CH-3's as SAR helos (CH-34's in the early/mid 60's). There were also a number of A-1 Skyraider attack squadrons stationed at Lemoore up until 1968 when the last Spads were retired. Hope that helps you a bit. There are some former VA guys here at SOH who may be able to provide more details on what squadrons were there and when.

[Bone]

Thanks TARPSBird. Yeah, by Miramar's "heyday" I was refering to it's time when it was known as "Fighter Town" and had prominence with the Top Gun school, up through when it was closed.

It's interesting that when Miramar closed, all the west coast based VF fighter aircraft were transferred to Oceana, and it was a few years before these VF squadrons were sent to Lemoore and redsignated as VFA squadrons, with their transition to the F/A-18.

[TARPSBird]

I retired from the Navy in 1992 so I don't have a timeline for when the West Coast F-14 squadrons deactivated or transitioned to Hornets. Likewise with the VA community's transition from A-7's, although I'm pretty sure the A-7's were gone from fleet squadrons by '93. BTW, by the 1970's C-117's (R4D-8) would have replaced most C-47's as station aircraft at most NAS's.

[Bone]

Thanks. :salute:

[Willy]

PRB might know something. He was in the A-7 community.