Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:00:01,291 --> 00:00:04,208
(airplane rumbles)
2
00:00:11,580 --> 00:00:14,163
(upbeat music)
3
00:00:18,810 --> 00:00:22,223
- Now I say this a lot,
but how cool is this?
4
00:00:26,970 --> 00:00:30,010
You guys are getting a really
inside look at this thing.
5
00:00:30,010 --> 00:00:31,883
Not everyone gets to do that.
6
00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:37,007
Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam.
7
00:00:43,191 --> 00:00:45,774
(mellow music)
8
00:00:49,430 --> 00:00:52,860
Hitting US Navy squadrons in mid 1971,
9
00:00:52,860 --> 00:00:55,120
The EA-6B Prowler was developed
10
00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:58,460
from Grumman's A-6
Intruder attack aircraft.
11
00:00:58,460 --> 00:01:01,026
The Prowlers primary role
was to protect Navy ships
12
00:01:01,026 --> 00:01:05,300
and aircraft by jamming enemy
radar and communications.
13
00:01:05,300 --> 00:01:08,740
But it could also perform
electronic surveillance as well.
14
00:01:08,740 --> 00:01:11,850
Known as electronic attack, the EA-6B
15
00:01:11,850 --> 00:01:14,880
was more than capable of
jamming anti-aircraft gun
16
00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:17,329
and missile radars as well as radio,
17
00:01:17,329 --> 00:01:21,420
internet and even cell
phone communication.
18
00:01:21,420 --> 00:01:23,430
Although it didn't carry any guns,
19
00:01:23,430 --> 00:01:26,800
this aircraft wasn't without teeth.
20
00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:30,960
Carrying up to four ALQ-99 jamming pods,
21
00:01:30,960 --> 00:01:34,253
the Prowler was one of the
baddest aircraft in the air.
22
00:01:35,580 --> 00:01:37,440
Although the Prowler first entered service
23
00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:39,980
during the Vietnam war, it has seen action
24
00:01:39,980 --> 00:01:43,460
in Operation Desert
Storm, Enduring Freedom,
25
00:01:43,460 --> 00:01:48,460
over Bosnia, Herzegovina,
Kosovo, and most recently Syria.
26
00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:53,160
But after nearly 50 years of service,
27
00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:55,850
the venerable Prowler
is now being replaced
28
00:01:55,850 --> 00:01:59,620
with a more capable EA-18 Growler,
29
00:01:59,620 --> 00:02:03,693
an offshoot of the successful
FA-18 Super Hornet.
30
00:02:05,650 --> 00:02:08,250
Let's get up in the cockpit
of the EA-6B Prowler
31
00:02:08,250 --> 00:02:10,700
at Wings Over the Rockies
Air and Space Museum,
32
00:02:10,700 --> 00:02:13,563
and explore the unique
features of this aircraft.
33
00:02:14,620 --> 00:02:17,000
Like we like to do on "Behind the Wings,"
34
00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:19,480
we like to get you guys
into places that most people
35
00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:21,780
are not gonna see and bam,
36
00:02:21,780 --> 00:02:23,330
here you are in the cockpit.
37
00:02:23,330 --> 00:02:24,517
How cool is this?
38
00:02:24,517 --> 00:02:27,490
And this is where two
of the four crewman sat.
39
00:02:27,490 --> 00:02:29,571
You had a pilot and three ECMOs,
40
00:02:29,571 --> 00:02:32,480
which are electronic
countermeasure officers.
41
00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,811
And their sole purpose
was to jam radar sets,
42
00:02:35,811 --> 00:02:38,650
listen in on a radio conversations
43
00:02:38,650 --> 00:02:41,850
and generally wreak havoc on
the electronic battlefield.
44
00:02:41,850 --> 00:02:43,442
And they did a great job at it.
45
00:02:43,442 --> 00:02:46,712
One of the things I really
love about this cockpit
46
00:02:46,712 --> 00:02:50,650
is it's been signed by
one of the former pilots.
47
00:02:50,650 --> 00:02:53,360
It's a Lieutenant Commander J. Elrod,
48
00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:55,700
who was known as Yum Yum.
49
00:02:55,700 --> 00:02:57,565
But VAQ-134, which was the squadron
50
00:02:57,565 --> 00:03:01,670
that flew this in combat was transitioning
51
00:03:01,670 --> 00:03:05,581
over to the EA-18
growler, which is actually
52
00:03:05,581 --> 00:03:08,730
the Hornet version of this plane.
53
00:03:08,730 --> 00:03:10,640
And so they didn't need these anymore.
54
00:03:10,640 --> 00:03:12,720
And we are lucky enough to have gotten
55
00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:15,030
what's known as the CAG bird.
56
00:03:15,030 --> 00:03:17,030
That's why it's so colorful.
57
00:03:17,030 --> 00:03:20,570
And CAG stands for Commander Air Group,
58
00:03:20,570 --> 00:03:24,290
which means the guy that
commanded the entire air group
59
00:03:24,290 --> 00:03:27,949
on the George H.W. Bush flew this plane
60
00:03:27,949 --> 00:03:29,493
and I'm sitting in it.
61
00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:32,891
If you take a closer look at our Prowler,
62
00:03:32,891 --> 00:03:35,640
you start to see some interesting details.
63
00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:37,510
Like on the wing of this aircraft,
64
00:03:37,510 --> 00:03:39,190
there's what looks like a bomb.
65
00:03:39,190 --> 00:03:41,300
Nope, this is just a drop tank,
66
00:03:41,300 --> 00:03:43,750
but there used to be a weapon here.
67
00:03:43,750 --> 00:03:47,160
Now, what would have been
carried here on a real mission
68
00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:49,656
would have been an ECM Pod, which stands
69
00:03:49,656 --> 00:03:52,320
for electronic countermeasures,
70
00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:55,240
which is a bigger part
of this guy's mission,
71
00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:59,320
which is SEAD, which is
suppression of enemy air defenses.
72
00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:01,620
So a whole lot of acronyms
being thrown at you at once
73
00:04:01,620 --> 00:04:04,368
And trust me, it does not come
off the tongue very easily.
74
00:04:04,368 --> 00:04:07,780
But that's the mission of an EA-6B
75
00:04:07,780 --> 00:04:10,650
is to suppress enemy aircraft defenses.
76
00:04:10,650 --> 00:04:11,600
Now, what does that mean?
77
00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:15,480
That means that if you've
got anti-aircraft missiles,
78
00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:19,900
anti-aircraft guns, they're
all controlled by radar today.
79
00:04:19,900 --> 00:04:23,340
And the pods that would be
right here are jam packed
80
00:04:23,340 --> 00:04:26,800
with electronic gear
that can totally take out
81
00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:28,420
these things by jamming them.
82
00:04:28,420 --> 00:04:33,109
But, better yet, they can
launch a very specific weapon.
83
00:04:33,109 --> 00:04:34,950
This thing doesn't carry bombs.
84
00:04:34,950 --> 00:04:36,890
It doesn't carry its own guns.
85
00:04:36,890 --> 00:04:39,050
It carries a very specific weapon called
86
00:04:39,050 --> 00:04:40,070
a HARM.
87
00:04:40,070 --> 00:04:41,350
One more acronym.
88
00:04:41,350 --> 00:04:44,389
That's high speed anti-radiation missile.
89
00:04:44,389 --> 00:04:46,590
This guy is incredible.
90
00:04:46,590 --> 00:04:49,370
It's got a speed of 1,400 miles an hour
91
00:04:49,370 --> 00:04:51,340
and a range of nearly a 100 miles,
92
00:04:51,340 --> 00:04:54,029
which means that these
guys can sit way back,
93
00:04:54,029 --> 00:04:55,790
launch their missile.
94
00:04:55,790 --> 00:04:58,439
And even if the bad guys
turn off their radar,
95
00:04:58,439 --> 00:05:02,490
the HARM remembers
where they are and boom,
96
00:05:02,490 --> 00:05:05,043
no more problem for the
fighters and the bombers.
97
00:05:09,570 --> 00:05:11,360
I'm standing in front
of the spaghetti bowl,
98
00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:12,193
at least that's what I call it.
99
00:05:12,193 --> 00:05:15,060
It's nothing more than
really just all the wing
100
00:05:15,060 --> 00:05:16,800
fold mechanism for this aircraft.
101
00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:19,470
Now, why would you wanna fold the wings?
102
00:05:19,470 --> 00:05:22,380
Because like I mentioned
earlier, this is a Navy plane.
103
00:05:22,380 --> 00:05:23,526
And when you're on an aircraft carrier
104
00:05:23,526 --> 00:05:25,590
space is at a premium.
105
00:05:25,590 --> 00:05:26,960
So what do you do?
106
00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:28,509
You fold the wings and you can jam
107
00:05:28,509 --> 00:05:30,709
a whole lot more planes together.
108
00:05:30,709 --> 00:05:33,770
Just look at all that detail up there.
109
00:05:33,770 --> 00:05:35,117
Somebody had to think all that stuff up
110
00:05:35,117 --> 00:05:37,820
and I'm glad it wasn't me
'cause I ain't no engineer,
111
00:05:37,820 --> 00:05:39,237
that's why I'm in the museum field.
112
00:05:39,237 --> 00:05:41,710
But let's do one more thing here.
113
00:05:41,710 --> 00:05:44,650
Let's go talk about the
history of this plane
114
00:05:44,650 --> 00:05:48,393
in VAQ-134, because
that's the important part.
115
00:05:49,917 --> 00:05:52,500
(upbeat music)
116
00:05:53,410 --> 00:05:54,727
Bam!
117
00:05:54,727 --> 00:05:57,420
What is this?
118
00:05:57,420 --> 00:05:58,940
It's Garuda.
119
00:05:58,940 --> 00:06:00,210
All right, what is Garuda?
120
00:06:00,210 --> 00:06:05,210
We'll Garuda is the Hindi
folklore Mount of Vishnu.
121
00:06:06,698 --> 00:06:08,060
All right, I don't understand all that,
122
00:06:08,060 --> 00:06:12,340
but it was pretty cool to
the guys that started VAQ-134
123
00:06:12,340 --> 00:06:14,640
because they named their
squadron the Garudas.
124
00:06:15,620 --> 00:06:18,423
So this is one of two
aircraft in our collection
125
00:06:18,423 --> 00:06:21,370
that has actually seen combat.
126
00:06:21,370 --> 00:06:23,240
I liked that kinda stuff.
127
00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:25,540
Most of the other planes
into here are just trainers,
128
00:06:25,540 --> 00:06:28,313
but this guy, been there and done that.
129
00:06:29,310 --> 00:06:32,480
While the EA-6B Prowler
is no longer in service,
130
00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:35,410
VAQ-134 still is.
131
00:06:35,410 --> 00:06:37,700
So let's go check out what
the Garudas are flying
132
00:06:37,700 --> 00:06:39,880
at the home of electronic attack,
133
00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:42,803
Naval Air Station Whidbey
Island, Washington.
134
00:06:44,757 --> 00:06:47,340
(mellow music)
135
00:06:53,840 --> 00:06:56,380
Woo, it is a chilly brisk morning here
136
00:06:56,380 --> 00:07:01,310
in Washington State and we're
at NAS, bam, Whidbey Island.
137
00:07:01,310 --> 00:07:05,400
NAS standing for Naval Air Station.
138
00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:10,110
It's the home of VAQ-134,
the Garudas, woo-hoo.
139
00:07:10,110 --> 00:07:14,400
And it's the home for
airborne electronic attack
140
00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:16,710
for the entire Department of Defense.
141
00:07:16,710 --> 00:07:20,090
That's a huge job, which
means there are 8,400
142
00:07:20,090 --> 00:07:22,630
different sailors here on base.
143
00:07:22,630 --> 00:07:26,183
And since we haven't seen
anything, it's time to get going.
144
00:07:28,610 --> 00:07:30,957
Naval Air Station Whidbey
Island is located two hours
145
00:07:30,957 --> 00:07:34,760
northwest of Seattle and has
two locations on the island.
146
00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:38,080
Ault Field is where you'll
find the EA-18 Growlers,
147
00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:39,660
which we'll check out in a bit.
148
00:07:39,660 --> 00:07:42,440
But first we're going to the
original side of the base
149
00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:43,933
on the Sea Plane side.
150
00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:48,900
So we're on the support
side of NAS Whidbey Island.
151
00:07:48,900 --> 00:07:50,260
So what does that mean?
152
00:07:50,260 --> 00:07:52,490
Well, actually it means
that the base exchange
153
00:07:52,490 --> 00:07:54,200
is right over there and you can't see it,
154
00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:57,040
but you're gonna see it through
the magic of the camera.
155
00:07:57,040 --> 00:07:59,850
There's also the grocery
store and the gas station,
156
00:07:59,850 --> 00:08:02,719
basically everything you need
to live here on the island.
157
00:08:02,719 --> 00:08:06,900
Now, the cool part about it
is that the building that
158
00:08:06,900 --> 00:08:11,140
the basic exchange is in
used to be a PBY base.
159
00:08:11,140 --> 00:08:13,068
Now a PBY, you'll probably know it better
160
00:08:13,068 --> 00:08:17,240
as the Catalina was one of
the most famous aircraft
161
00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:18,500
of World War II,
162
00:08:18,500 --> 00:08:20,110
and it's a sea plane.
163
00:08:20,110 --> 00:08:23,360
So you're actually looking
at an old sea plane base
164
00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:25,600
from 1942.
165
00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:26,850
Now, why was it here?
166
00:08:26,850 --> 00:08:29,350
Well we're right next to the Pacific.
167
00:08:29,350 --> 00:08:30,980
Who is in the Pacific with us?
168
00:08:30,980 --> 00:08:31,970
The Japanese.
169
00:08:31,970 --> 00:08:34,630
It's 1942, we got to keep an eye on them.
170
00:08:34,630 --> 00:08:37,290
They had submarines out
there and we had to have
171
00:08:37,290 --> 00:08:41,090
our patrol boats out there
flying around to make sure
172
00:08:41,090 --> 00:08:42,880
that they didn't come here.
173
00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:46,156
As cool as that is and as
beautiful as the scenery is,
174
00:08:46,156 --> 00:08:48,500
there is way more to this base
175
00:08:48,500 --> 00:08:50,560
and let's go check out
some of the awesome stuff
176
00:08:50,560 --> 00:08:52,050
that's here.
177
00:08:52,050 --> 00:08:55,070
As we headed up to Ault
Field to find some Growlers,
178
00:08:55,070 --> 00:08:57,400
we stumbled across this
interesting contraption
179
00:08:57,400 --> 00:08:59,067
that we had to show you.
180
00:09:01,690 --> 00:09:03,390
Holy smokes.
181
00:09:03,390 --> 00:09:04,630
Look at this thing?
182
00:09:04,630 --> 00:09:06,637
We were just driving around
kind of exploring the base
183
00:09:06,637 --> 00:09:08,367
and we came across this.
184
00:09:08,367 --> 00:09:10,180
What is it?
185
00:09:10,180 --> 00:09:12,850
Well, it's actually where the ABs train.
186
00:09:12,850 --> 00:09:14,060
Now, what is an AB?
187
00:09:14,060 --> 00:09:15,210
If you don't speak Navy,
188
00:09:15,210 --> 00:09:17,389
that's aviation boatswain's mate.
189
00:09:17,389 --> 00:09:20,350
And those are the guys
that are on the flight deck
190
00:09:20,350 --> 00:09:21,270
of a carrier.
191
00:09:21,270 --> 00:09:23,340
And they're responsible
for aircraft movement,
192
00:09:23,340 --> 00:09:26,389
aircraft firefighting,
all that kind of stuff.
193
00:09:26,389 --> 00:09:29,600
And if you get onto an aircraft carrier,
194
00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:32,340
you have to take this training.
195
00:09:32,340 --> 00:09:35,300
And that all goes back to 1967,
196
00:09:35,300 --> 00:09:38,410
when there was a massive
fire on the USS Forrestal
197
00:09:38,410 --> 00:09:41,290
and they had a heck of a
time trying to get it out.
198
00:09:41,290 --> 00:09:44,950
So now, no matter where
you are on a carrier
199
00:09:44,950 --> 00:09:46,900
you take this training.
200
00:09:46,900 --> 00:09:48,450
It's kind of like the Marine Corps,
201
00:09:48,450 --> 00:09:53,037
every Marine a rifleman, every
carrier sailor a firefighter.
202
00:09:53,037 --> 00:09:54,950
There's still more to come.
203
00:09:54,950 --> 00:09:56,043
Let's keep going.
204
00:09:58,128 --> 00:10:00,711
(upbeat music)
205
00:10:05,090 --> 00:10:07,610
So we've been boogieing around
the base on a windshield tour
206
00:10:07,610 --> 00:10:09,500
and we've seen some awesome things,
207
00:10:09,500 --> 00:10:12,400
but this is why we're here.
208
00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:15,227
Home of electronic attack, more than 17
209
00:10:15,227 --> 00:10:17,640
different VAQ squadrons.
210
00:10:17,640 --> 00:10:22,579
But why is NAS Whidbey Island right here?
211
00:10:22,579 --> 00:10:25,280
That's what we're gonna find out next.
212
00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:26,550
Good timing too.
213
00:10:26,550 --> 00:10:29,400
I was ready to get out of this
Pacific Northwest weather.
214
00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:33,990
To answer my questions about the base
215
00:10:33,990 --> 00:10:36,960
was Public Affairs Officer Mike welding.
216
00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:38,120
So Mike as we were doing
217
00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:40,576
our kind of windshield tour of the base,
218
00:10:40,576 --> 00:10:45,227
we started on the other side
which was the Sea Plane Base,
219
00:10:45,227 --> 00:10:49,070
but we're not, I mean, we're
right next to the water,
220
00:10:49,070 --> 00:10:52,770
but we've got a runway here
and it's called Ault Field.
221
00:10:52,770 --> 00:10:56,576
How did Ault come about and
is it named for anybody?
222
00:10:56,576 --> 00:10:59,020
- Well, so when they established the base,
223
00:10:59,020 --> 00:11:01,100
Sea Plane Base was of
course the first base
224
00:11:01,100 --> 00:11:04,370
that they had here for patrol missions.
225
00:11:04,370 --> 00:11:08,656
And it was surveyed in 1941,
and they established that,
226
00:11:08,656 --> 00:11:10,527
but they were also looking for a base
227
00:11:10,527 --> 00:11:12,936
where they could have
land attack aircraft,
228
00:11:12,936 --> 00:11:16,280
and they needed some place
that was relatively flat.
229
00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:19,574
Clover Valley provided
that ideal location.
230
00:11:19,574 --> 00:11:23,490
It was a very rural area,
and there were mostly farms
231
00:11:23,490 --> 00:11:27,200
that were there so the
government was looking at that.
232
00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:30,110
And at the time there
were hostilities going on
233
00:11:30,110 --> 00:11:33,307
with the Japanese and not an outright war,
234
00:11:33,307 --> 00:11:37,050
but the survey for Ault
Field actually happened
235
00:11:37,050 --> 00:11:41,030
on December 8th, the day after
the attack at Pearl Harbor.
236
00:11:41,030 --> 00:11:43,760
So the Navy bought out all
the land from about 20 farmers
237
00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:47,760
and it was about 4,000 acres
And that was Ault field.
238
00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:50,472
The base was ultimately named
after Commander William Ault
239
00:11:50,472 --> 00:11:54,490
who led the airborne attack
against the Japanese fleet
240
00:11:54,490 --> 00:11:57,032
at the Coral Sea, which
was very significant
241
00:11:57,032 --> 00:12:01,430
in stopping the Japanese
advance down towards Australia.
242
00:12:01,430 --> 00:12:03,630
And it was the first
time that they had met
243
00:12:03,630 --> 00:12:06,520
the Japanese forces and
fought them to a stalemate.
244
00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:07,877
- That's a big deal.
245
00:12:07,877 --> 00:12:11,110
So let's jump forward quite a few years.
246
00:12:11,110 --> 00:12:14,789
Now, Whidbey Island is literally the home
247
00:12:14,789 --> 00:12:17,560
of electronic attack.
248
00:12:17,560 --> 00:12:19,860
And it's not just the
home for electronic attack
249
00:12:19,860 --> 00:12:23,150
for the Navy, it's kind of service wide.
250
00:12:23,150 --> 00:12:26,410
- Yeah, so electronic attack
is one of the primary missions
251
00:12:26,410 --> 00:12:29,894
that we have here and
Whidbey is the home base
252
00:12:29,894 --> 00:12:33,240
of the Department of
Defense's airborne electronic
253
00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:34,385
attack community.
254
00:12:34,385 --> 00:12:39,090
So in 1972, they brought
the EA-6B Prowler here,
255
00:12:39,090 --> 00:12:42,010
and that was the Navy's
electronic attack aircraft.
256
00:12:42,010 --> 00:12:45,230
The air force used to do the
electronic attack aircraft.
257
00:12:45,230 --> 00:12:48,750
They had the F-111, which
was taken out of service
258
00:12:48,750 --> 00:12:50,300
in the 1990s.
259
00:12:50,300 --> 00:12:53,240
And then that mission
became the Navy's mission
260
00:12:53,240 --> 00:12:56,345
electronic attack with the EA-6B Prowler.
261
00:12:56,345 --> 00:13:00,283
So the Prowler brought a
significant improvement
262
00:13:00,283 --> 00:13:02,814
to the safety of our
aircraft when they operate
263
00:13:02,814 --> 00:13:04,352
in a hostile environment.
264
00:13:04,352 --> 00:13:07,598
Over 1,600 American aircraft
were shot down over Vietnam
265
00:13:07,598 --> 00:13:10,265
before we had that capability.
266
00:13:10,265 --> 00:13:14,470
By Desert Storm it was
down to about two aircraft
267
00:13:14,470 --> 00:13:15,670
that were shot down.
268
00:13:15,670 --> 00:13:18,425
So that played a significant
factor in us being able
269
00:13:18,425 --> 00:13:21,760
to control that environment when we go
270
00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:25,610
into a hostile territory and
it has remained like that.
271
00:13:25,610 --> 00:13:29,390
With the Prowler, it came here in 1972,
272
00:13:29,390 --> 00:13:32,654
it was an aging platform
in the early 2000s.
273
00:13:32,654 --> 00:13:36,523
And they picked the EA-18G
Growler, which is a derivative
274
00:13:36,523 --> 00:13:40,425
of the FA-18 Super Hornet to replace it.
275
00:13:40,425 --> 00:13:43,513
And that transition started in 2008
276
00:13:43,513 --> 00:13:46,053
and was completed in 2015.
277
00:13:49,340 --> 00:13:51,320
- Now that we have the base established,
278
00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:55,540
it's time to see these
EA-18 Growlers up close.
279
00:13:55,540 --> 00:13:58,563
Now if we could just find
a Garuda to show us around.
280
00:14:00,256 --> 00:14:04,490
Bam, here's a pilot,
Lieutenant John MacDonald.
281
00:14:04,490 --> 00:14:06,558
Tell us a little bit about
how you got into the Navy
282
00:14:06,558 --> 00:14:10,460
and what you do for the VAQ-134 Garudas.
283
00:14:10,460 --> 00:14:13,270
- Well, I've been flying since 2012,
284
00:14:13,270 --> 00:14:14,758
so a little over six years now.
285
00:14:14,758 --> 00:14:17,500
Been in Whidbey since 2014 and then
286
00:14:17,500 --> 00:14:20,060
with the squadron since 2015,
287
00:14:20,060 --> 00:14:21,471
I'm a pilot in the squadron.
- Nice.
288
00:14:21,471 --> 00:14:22,760
- So yeah.
289
00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:25,558
- So you are flying this
lovely thing right here.
290
00:14:25,558 --> 00:14:26,391
- Yep.
291
00:14:26,391 --> 00:14:28,950
That's the EA-18G Growler.
292
00:14:28,950 --> 00:14:32,400
The Garudas have been flying
it or about three years now.
293
00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:34,790
We are the last squadron
to go a safer flight
294
00:14:34,790 --> 00:14:35,623
in this airframe.
295
00:14:35,623 --> 00:14:37,567
Before for that we flew the EA-6B Prowler,
296
00:14:37,567 --> 00:14:39,910
then sundown that in 2014.
297
00:14:39,910 --> 00:14:42,918
- And we are lucky enough
actually to have the old CAG bird
298
00:14:42,918 --> 00:14:44,777
for VAQ-134.
- That's right.
299
00:14:44,777 --> 00:14:46,630
- And we were really happy to have it.
300
00:14:46,630 --> 00:14:48,347
Thank you, US Navy.
301
00:14:48,347 --> 00:14:50,770
Let's go take a walk around this thing
302
00:14:50,770 --> 00:14:52,238
and look at some of this stuff.
303
00:14:52,238 --> 00:14:53,470
- [Lt. McDonald] All right.
304
00:14:53,470 --> 00:14:58,210
- So since the EA-18 Growler
is primarily a carrier
305
00:14:58,210 --> 00:15:01,238
aircraft, you guys have
got a really serious
306
00:15:01,238 --> 00:15:03,089
set of landing gear here.
307
00:15:03,089 --> 00:15:04,060
- Yes, we do.
308
00:15:04,060 --> 00:15:06,038
So you notice it's
obviously a lot beefier,
309
00:15:06,038 --> 00:15:10,060
more robust than the landing
gear you find on your basic
310
00:15:10,060 --> 00:15:12,890
civilian aircraft or even
an air force fighter jet.
311
00:15:12,890 --> 00:15:15,160
How big it is really is so when we land
312
00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:17,450
on the aircraft carrier, we
fly like a constant angle
313
00:15:17,450 --> 00:15:19,787
of attack all the way
down to the flight deck.
314
00:15:19,787 --> 00:15:22,947
So there's no flaring
or any kind of pushing
315
00:15:22,947 --> 00:15:24,158
of that landing at all.
316
00:15:24,158 --> 00:15:24,991
- You literally just slamming right into-
317
00:15:24,991 --> 00:15:27,777
- Yeah, it's gotta be
able to absorb that abuse.
318
00:15:27,777 --> 00:15:32,777
So hence the largeness
of the landing gear.
319
00:15:33,289 --> 00:15:35,470
- That's cool.
320
00:15:35,470 --> 00:15:37,617
Well, while we're talking
about being on a carrier,
321
00:15:37,617 --> 00:15:39,870
let's go take at the
wings because you guys
322
00:15:39,870 --> 00:15:43,170
do something that every
carrier aircraft does.
323
00:15:43,170 --> 00:15:44,520
- Yep.
- And you fold the wing.
324
00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:46,583
- That's right, yep.
- Let's go look at that.
325
00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:48,473
What?
326
00:15:48,473 --> 00:15:49,464
Oh, sorry.
327
00:15:49,464 --> 00:15:52,230
I get all goofy when
I'm looking at planes.
328
00:15:52,230 --> 00:15:55,280
All right, so right here is the wing fold.
329
00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:57,342
And so you guys can literally
fold the tips of your wings up
330
00:15:57,342 --> 00:15:59,310
so you can get, what?
331
00:15:59,310 --> 00:16:00,143
- Correct.
332
00:16:00,143 --> 00:16:02,816
So from here to the length of
the wingtips on either side,
333
00:16:02,816 --> 00:16:05,260
you can fold the wings up and that's so
334
00:16:05,260 --> 00:16:06,980
when you're on the deck
of an aircraft carrier,
335
00:16:06,980 --> 00:16:08,530
it's obviously close quarters.
336
00:16:08,530 --> 00:16:10,900
So we raise those wings in
order to create more space
337
00:16:10,900 --> 00:16:12,620
on the flight deck so the directors
338
00:16:12,620 --> 00:16:14,880
can park us in a tighter.
339
00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:16,780
- So, and your wingspan is like, what?
340
00:16:16,780 --> 00:16:18,130
40..
- About 45 feet.
341
00:16:18,130 --> 00:16:19,050
- [Matt] 45 feet.
342
00:16:19,050 --> 00:16:21,400
So if you can shave anything off of there,
343
00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:23,227
it's good for the carrier
and getting more aircraft on.
344
00:16:23,227 --> 00:16:24,740
- Yep.
- All right,
345
00:16:24,740 --> 00:16:27,230
so you guys are more than
just a regular Super Hornet.
346
00:16:27,230 --> 00:16:28,770
You're carrying ECM Pods.
347
00:16:28,770 --> 00:16:31,290
I mean, that's the reason you exist.
348
00:16:31,290 --> 00:16:32,123
- Correct.
349
00:16:32,123 --> 00:16:36,045
So we carry typically up to
three ALQ-99 jamming pods,
350
00:16:36,045 --> 00:16:39,880
which are the same pods that
the EA-6B carried as well.
351
00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:41,600
- Okay, yeah.
- So those are used
352
00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:43,816
to target enemy radars
and jam their signals.
353
00:16:43,816 --> 00:16:48,480
We also have ALQ-218 on each wingtip,
354
00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:50,435
which are essentially receiver pods,
355
00:16:50,435 --> 00:16:53,340
which can detect emitting
signals from radars
356
00:16:53,340 --> 00:16:54,715
and then we can geo locate them.
357
00:16:54,715 --> 00:16:57,530
And then we also have air to ground
358
00:16:57,530 --> 00:16:59,040
and air to air capabilities.
359
00:16:59,040 --> 00:17:03,240
So our air-to-ground
weapons are the HARM AGM 88.
360
00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:04,821
- Okay, yep.
- Which targets
361
00:17:04,821 --> 00:17:07,010
radiating emitters.
362
00:17:07,010 --> 00:17:10,760
And then our air to air
capability is the AIM 120,
363
00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:13,122
the AMRAAM used to target enemy fighters.
364
00:17:13,122 --> 00:17:14,373
- Well, that's very cool.
365
00:17:14,373 --> 00:17:17,493
Well, I know people are gonna
ask when they see this video,
366
00:17:17,493 --> 00:17:21,220
so let's go look at
what powers this bad boy
367
00:17:21,220 --> 00:17:23,061
so we can talk about how fast it goes.
368
00:17:23,061 --> 00:17:25,813
'Cause that's what you wanna know, right?
369
00:17:25,813 --> 00:17:28,241
So this is where all
the cool stuff happens.
370
00:17:28,241 --> 00:17:31,590
This is the arresting
hook, which does what?
371
00:17:31,590 --> 00:17:34,190
- Yep, so our tail hook,
when you're landing aboard
372
00:17:34,190 --> 00:17:37,430
the aircraft carrier it'll
be down and it'll take you
373
00:17:37,430 --> 00:17:38,320
from your approach speed.
374
00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:41,442
So roughly 130 to 140
knots based on your weight
375
00:17:41,442 --> 00:17:44,270
to an abrupt stop, as
he tried to catch one
376
00:17:44,270 --> 00:17:46,080
one of the wires with this hook.
377
00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:48,000
- Oh, I bet that's a fun ride.
378
00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:48,941
- Yeah, it is pretty fun.
379
00:17:48,941 --> 00:17:50,590
- (chuckles) I bet.
380
00:17:50,590 --> 00:17:53,790
And then these guys are the GE 414s
381
00:17:53,790 --> 00:17:55,821
and that gets you from point A to point B
382
00:17:55,821 --> 00:17:58,619
really, really fast.
- Yep, so dual engine.
383
00:17:58,619 --> 00:18:01,240
You'll notice there these
look like turkey feathers
384
00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:02,073
on the back.
385
00:18:02,073 --> 00:18:04,111
Those are the vents, the
variable exhaust nozzles.
386
00:18:04,111 --> 00:18:06,450
So the shape of the engine
will actually expand
387
00:18:06,450 --> 00:18:09,110
and contract based on a throttle position
388
00:18:09,110 --> 00:18:10,150
and how much thrust you're kicking out
389
00:18:10,150 --> 00:18:11,099
at that time.
- Oh, that's very cool.
390
00:18:11,099 --> 00:18:15,470
Yeah, these guys kick out,
what is it like 22,000 pounds
391
00:18:15,470 --> 00:18:17,170
of thrust in afterburner?
- That's right.
392
00:18:17,170 --> 00:18:18,390
- Each?
- Yep.
393
00:18:18,390 --> 00:18:20,493
Each one.
- That's a heck of a ride.
394
00:18:20,493 --> 00:18:21,830
- It is fun.
395
00:18:21,830 --> 00:18:24,360
A supersonic jet goes faster
than the speed of sound
396
00:18:24,360 --> 00:18:26,403
so.
- Woo, what is your top speed?
397
00:18:28,320 --> 00:18:30,440
- Well, if it's, don't
have a whole lot of stores
398
00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:32,045
hanging off the jet, it can go
399
00:18:32,045 --> 00:18:33,083
above 1.5, 1.6.
400
00:18:34,300 --> 00:18:36,980
So, but typically with our load out,
401
00:18:36,980 --> 00:18:38,100
you're going to a little bit slower.
402
00:18:38,100 --> 00:18:38,933
- Yeah, I bet.
403
00:18:38,933 --> 00:18:40,240
You're carrying a lot of stuff.
404
00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:42,350
Speaking of carrying a lot of stuff,
405
00:18:42,350 --> 00:18:44,040
you have an EWO in back, and I hear
406
00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:45,570
he's running around somewhere.
407
00:18:45,570 --> 00:18:46,403
- He's somewhere.
408
00:18:46,403 --> 00:18:47,236
He's behind me, yeah.
409
00:18:47,236 --> 00:18:49,230
- All right, let's go, let's go find him.
410
00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:54,320
It didn't take long after
talking with Lieutenant McDonald
411
00:18:54,320 --> 00:18:56,320
to find an ECMO from the Garudas.
412
00:18:56,320 --> 00:18:57,840
And we found a good one.
413
00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:00,923
Lieutenant Rob 'Slow Roll' Heller.
414
00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:04,514
So you were an EWO.
- Yes.
415
00:19:04,514 --> 00:19:07,803
- What exactly does that mean?
416
00:19:08,820 --> 00:19:10,820
- We're basically going
after enemy radars.
417
00:19:10,820 --> 00:19:14,760
I mean, if you think about
it, I dunno, a boxing match,
418
00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:18,610
or even like kids playing at
a birthday party at a Pinata.
419
00:19:18,610 --> 00:19:21,410
it's hard to hit that Pinata
when there's a blindfold
420
00:19:21,410 --> 00:19:22,720
over a kid's face, right.
- Okay.
421
00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:26,427
- So, I think that we basically just
422
00:19:26,427 --> 00:19:28,770
put the blindfold over the enemy's face.
423
00:19:28,770 --> 00:19:32,940
so the US can go in and
accomplish our mission
424
00:19:32,940 --> 00:19:34,550
and get out without ever being seen.
425
00:19:34,550 --> 00:19:36,690
- I liked that analogy,
but you mentioned something
426
00:19:36,690 --> 00:19:37,523
that's interesting.
427
00:19:37,523 --> 00:19:41,507
We have a Prowler in our museum
and that carried four guys.
428
00:19:41,507 --> 00:19:45,050
The Growler only carries two.
429
00:19:45,050 --> 00:19:47,620
Is that more of a workload for you?
430
00:19:47,620 --> 00:19:48,869
- It's definitely a huge workload,
431
00:19:48,869 --> 00:19:52,589
but just like everything
else, technology has improved.
432
00:19:52,589 --> 00:19:56,138
As a crew we really work
together to knock out
433
00:19:56,138 --> 00:19:59,220
still the same workload
that those four people had.
434
00:19:59,220 --> 00:20:00,053
- That's amazing.
435
00:20:00,053 --> 00:20:02,058
So, you're in your flight suit,
436
00:20:02,058 --> 00:20:04,599
but when you go flying, you're definitely
437
00:20:04,599 --> 00:20:06,680
in a lot more gear than just this.
438
00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:07,513
- Oh yeah.
439
00:20:07,513 --> 00:20:08,840
- Do you have some of that we can look at?
440
00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:09,683
- Oh, of course.
441
00:20:13,980 --> 00:20:14,813
- All right, Slow Roll.
442
00:20:14,813 --> 00:20:17,420
Take us through what it takes
to get all of this stuff on
443
00:20:17,420 --> 00:20:19,070
'cause you're not just flying are ya?
444
00:20:19,070 --> 00:20:20,070
- No, absolutely not.
445
00:20:20,070 --> 00:20:22,389
So, the four main pieces
of gear that we use,
446
00:20:22,389 --> 00:20:24,867
my favorite would be the G-Suite.
447
00:20:24,867 --> 00:20:28,149
So all air crew have a
baseline G tolerance.
448
00:20:28,149 --> 00:20:31,520
Gs being the amount of
gravity on the body.
449
00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:32,430
- Okay.
- So one G
450
00:20:32,430 --> 00:20:34,818
would be normal earth gravity,
and then two to three Gs
451
00:20:34,818 --> 00:20:37,629
would be two to three times
the gravity, all right.
452
00:20:37,629 --> 00:20:40,670
So every air crew has a baseline for that.
453
00:20:40,670 --> 00:20:42,480
Mine's about three and a half,
454
00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:45,167
but this bad boy gives me
about an extra one to two GS
455
00:20:45,167 --> 00:20:48,407
without doing anything
without doing any type
456
00:20:48,407 --> 00:20:50,590
of anti-G training maneuver.
- Oh wow.
457
00:20:50,590 --> 00:20:54,120
- So, it's designed to
have a few bladders in it.
458
00:20:54,120 --> 00:20:56,658
One at the top of the
legs and then one down
459
00:20:56,658 --> 00:21:01,658
near the calves where it
helps me keep all the blood
460
00:21:01,850 --> 00:21:03,789
above my waist as we're pulling Gs
461
00:21:03,789 --> 00:21:06,120
so I don't black out or pass
out or anything like that.
462
00:21:06,120 --> 00:21:07,715
- Otherwise the blood is just
coming right out of your head
463
00:21:07,715 --> 00:21:09,727
and then your vision
goes into tunnel vision,
464
00:21:09,727 --> 00:21:10,970
- Exactly.
- And then boom, you're out.
465
00:21:10,970 --> 00:21:13,180
- Without oxygen in your
head or to your eyes,
466
00:21:13,180 --> 00:21:15,117
it gets dark really quick.
467
00:21:15,117 --> 00:21:17,010
So-
- That's important
468
00:21:17,010 --> 00:21:18,350
if you're flying.
- Oh yeah.
469
00:21:18,350 --> 00:21:19,980
Definitely wanna be able
to see if you're flying.
470
00:21:19,980 --> 00:21:20,813
You know what I mean?
471
00:21:20,813 --> 00:21:23,277
The next thing would be the harness.
472
00:21:23,277 --> 00:21:26,117
Now this has eight connection
points that connect directly
473
00:21:26,117 --> 00:21:28,500
to the seat.
474
00:21:28,500 --> 00:21:30,820
Which is super important
because that seat actually
475
00:21:30,820 --> 00:21:31,700
has a parachute in it.
476
00:21:31,700 --> 00:21:34,683
So if we eject, if that day comes for me,
477
00:21:34,683 --> 00:21:36,041
if I don't have this connected,
478
00:21:36,041 --> 00:21:38,080
I could be falling out
of that parachute, right?
479
00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:39,771
So that's gonna be super important to have
480
00:21:39,771 --> 00:21:42,720
this connected at all eight points.
481
00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:43,643
- All also important.
482
00:21:43,643 --> 00:21:46,511
So what you're saying is all
this gear is very important?
483
00:21:46,511 --> 00:21:47,344
- Yes.
484
00:21:47,344 --> 00:21:50,360
This is, all this is
essential for survival.
485
00:21:50,360 --> 00:21:51,690
- Good to know.
486
00:21:51,690 --> 00:21:55,067
- Next we have the survival vest.
487
00:21:55,067 --> 00:21:57,580
This has a few cool things on it.
488
00:21:57,580 --> 00:21:59,180
So this is our LPUs.
489
00:21:59,180 --> 00:22:01,930
If I'm ever in water, it's
automatically activated
490
00:22:01,930 --> 00:22:03,780
by seawater.
- Oh wow.
491
00:22:03,780 --> 00:22:06,020
- So if I'm knocked out
or anything like that,
492
00:22:06,020 --> 00:22:09,300
I hit the water, boom, this
can inflate right away.
493
00:22:09,300 --> 00:22:10,330
So that's super cool.
494
00:22:10,330 --> 00:22:11,253
Keep you alive.
495
00:22:11,253 --> 00:22:14,603
We have a radio and we have
a bunch of little pockets
496
00:22:14,603 --> 00:22:18,080
that have things like knives
in them, we have flashlights,
497
00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:20,570
we have water, all types of
things that can keep you alive
498
00:22:20,570 --> 00:22:24,392
if you're ever in the wilderness
from after an ejection.
499
00:22:24,392 --> 00:22:27,560
Lastly, on this we have our air regulator.
500
00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:29,981
So this is gonna be super good to have,
501
00:22:29,981 --> 00:22:33,317
having this oxygen hose
because as you fly 25,
502
00:22:33,317 --> 00:22:35,710
30,000 feet in the air,
air is a lot thinner.
503
00:22:35,710 --> 00:22:37,740
So we needed to have something pumping
504
00:22:37,740 --> 00:22:39,330
pure oxygen to us at all times.
505
00:22:39,330 --> 00:22:42,070
- And you wear that from start to finish.
506
00:22:42,070 --> 00:22:43,333
- From take off to shutdown.
- Wow, okay.
507
00:22:43,333 --> 00:22:44,950
- Yeah.
- Now,
508
00:22:44,950 --> 00:22:46,752
this being the Pacific
Northwest and this being
509
00:22:46,752 --> 00:22:49,680
a survival vest, is there some way
510
00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:52,480
to put like Starbucks in
there or maybe Telly's?
511
00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:53,760
- Oh man, I wish.
512
00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:56,237
I mean maybe a few hot cocoa packets.
513
00:22:56,237 --> 00:22:59,750
You can actually carry
up to five extra pounds
514
00:22:59,750 --> 00:23:00,619
on that thing but,
- Oh really.
515
00:23:00,619 --> 00:23:02,460
- It's pretty heavy already.
516
00:23:02,460 --> 00:23:03,510
So it just depends.
517
00:23:03,510 --> 00:23:04,910
You got to really make some decisions
518
00:23:04,910 --> 00:23:05,950
on what you wanna take.
519
00:23:05,950 --> 00:23:07,586
So this is the big coup de
grace, right, the helmet.
520
00:23:07,586 --> 00:23:10,580
This bad boy is our JHMCS, Joint Helmet
521
00:23:10,580 --> 00:23:11,469
Mounted Cueing System.
522
00:23:11,469 --> 00:23:16,469
And this is super
expensive for what it does.
523
00:23:17,720 --> 00:23:20,778
So it has a computer on the top of it.
524
00:23:20,778 --> 00:23:24,667
And it basically gives
me a ton of information
525
00:23:24,667 --> 00:23:27,640
right to my eyes.
526
00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:29,737
So it's almost like
having a HUD on your head.
527
00:23:29,737 --> 00:23:31,090
- Wow.
528
00:23:31,090 --> 00:23:32,700
That is really cool.
529
00:23:32,700 --> 00:23:34,340
And I'm assuming it also works with like
530
00:23:34,340 --> 00:23:35,863
night vision goggles and
all that kind of stuff.
531
00:23:35,863 --> 00:23:36,793
- Yes, it definitely does.
532
00:23:36,793 --> 00:23:38,440
Yeah.
(Matt whistles)
533
00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:40,290
- So you were telling
me earlier that you can,
534
00:23:40,290 --> 00:23:41,579
if you're literally wearing this
535
00:23:41,579 --> 00:23:44,740
and you're looking around
and you can't find a target,
536
00:23:44,740 --> 00:23:47,139
you can look down and it'll
look right through the plane.
537
00:23:47,139 --> 00:23:49,870
- Well, it won't show you
like the systems in the plane,
538
00:23:49,870 --> 00:23:50,703
but yes.
539
00:23:50,703 --> 00:23:52,770
You can definitely see
something right through.
540
00:23:52,770 --> 00:23:54,550
If it's below you, if
it's to the side of you
541
00:23:54,550 --> 00:23:55,579
if it's without your vision.
542
00:23:55,579 --> 00:24:00,350
If I'm looking for one of my wingman,
543
00:24:00,350 --> 00:24:01,490
I can definitely look out.
544
00:24:01,490 --> 00:24:03,010
And if I can't see him right away
545
00:24:03,010 --> 00:24:05,070
I can get an indicator showing
me exactly where he's at.
546
00:24:05,070 --> 00:24:06,410
- That is cool.
- Definitely.
547
00:24:06,410 --> 00:24:08,493
- Well, Slow Roll, I
appreciate everything.
548
00:24:08,493 --> 00:24:10,125
You have been awesome.
- Definitely.
549
00:24:10,125 --> 00:24:11,960
- Now, are you flying today?
550
00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:14,260
- I'm not flying but there are a few guys
551
00:24:14,260 --> 00:24:16,010
getting ready for a mission so
let's stick around for that.
552
00:24:16,010 --> 00:24:18,593
(mellow music)
553
00:24:54,015 --> 00:24:57,300
(upbeat music)
554
00:24:57,300 --> 00:24:59,324
- If you wanna rule the
electronic battlefield,
555
00:24:59,324 --> 00:25:01,593
this is your aircraft.
556
00:25:01,593 --> 00:25:06,070
It's given stealth to the US
military for nearly 50 years
557
00:25:06,070 --> 00:25:08,730
and has only just recently given its job
558
00:25:08,730 --> 00:25:10,882
to a more sophisticated aircraft.
559
00:25:10,882 --> 00:25:13,930
From exploring the unique
features of the Prowler
560
00:25:13,930 --> 00:25:15,735
in our collection at
Wings Over the Rockies,
561
00:25:15,735 --> 00:25:18,920
to visiting Naval Air
Station Whidbey Island
562
00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:21,150
to check out the successor
of this aircraft,
563
00:25:21,150 --> 00:25:24,295
the Growler, we've taken
you behind the wings
564
00:25:24,295 --> 00:25:26,913
of the EA -6B Prowler.
565
00:25:29,404 --> 00:25:31,987
(upbeat music)
566
00:25:45,404 --> 00:25:50,040
And this says over temp, but
I swear it said oven temp.
567
00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:52,130
This is why it takes a
long to film something.
568
00:25:52,130 --> 00:25:53,570
We always got planes going around.
569
00:25:53,570 --> 00:25:55,380
I have to look at them.
570
00:25:55,380 --> 00:25:57,923
This is much is blah.
571
00:25:59,350 --> 00:26:00,183
Ah!
572
00:26:01,210 --> 00:26:02,043
Donald.
573
00:26:03,330 --> 00:26:04,717
So Slow (chuckles).
574
00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:06,593
All right.
44885
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.