audiobook Flying Low by Brian K. Bryans in History

Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Nostalgia!By Dr. JSAs a former Naval aviator who went on active duty a couple of years before Bryan I found much to like in this book which brought back a lot of memories; gave me a look at what might have been in store for me had I made a career of it; and; alas; raised a few questions. I loved the way he marched me back through flight training and experiences at survival school. He visited all the WestPac ports and haunts I had almost forgotten about. Great stuff; and very well written; particularly the fun and nonsense that goes on in a carrier based squadron.My questions arose when he wrote of his jet squadron being prepared to fill the Navy's need for a night and all-weather capability in delivering atomic weapons. I was in All-weather Attack Squadron 35 - - VA(AW)-35. It had formerly been Composite Squadron 35 - - VC-35; which was spun off of VC-3 about 1950 to provide the night all-weather attack capability for each carrier by means of a splinter group of; typically; four planes and five pilots attached to each carrier which; in our case; went out to WestPac. Not only did we provide the first response nuclear capability but also picked up the other varied tasks others were no longer doing such as anti-submarine warfare; torpedoes; mine laying; close air support and; especially; night hecklers. It is said that VC-35 did more damage to the enemy than any other unit during the Korean War. We actually wrote the book on night carrier operations. Even by the time I joined the squadron in the mid 50s we had to qualify day and night on the paddles before we were ever shown the mirror. FCLPs at night on the paddles was something you don't soon forget. By then we were flying the AD5N; the all-weather night attack version of the Spad. Because of our weight and radar; etc.; we did our loft bombing of nuclear weapons with a "wing-under" recovery which found us almost on our backs pulling through riding a stall at 500 feet. Great fun!VC-35 was actually a training squadron; a precursor to "Top Gun" a couple of decades earlier preparing night attack teams to provide the night; all-weather; nuclear capability for each attack carrier. As such it was a very elite all-volunteer squadron to which you had to be invited to volunteer! The typical training cycle was about 15 months as I recall. When my time there was up I anticipated any any other squadron I could be assigned to would be boring; so I got out.My question to Captain Bryan's is whether the "VA-35" which he joined was actually a continuation in some way of VA(AW)-35. By the time I got out in 1958 we had pretty well taught everyone else how to operate at night off a of an aircraft carrier; to the extent that most air war takes place at night. So the squadron as I knew it went out of business. The last I heard of it was that they were towing targets. Sad.Finally; let me thank Captain Bryan again for helping an old man relive an exciting time in his life!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great Navy history tucked in this bookBy Rob KunzigI was actually sitting under a tree by the lake next to McCain NAS (T-45's flying overhead) while reading this and enjoyed it all the more. My son heads to Maine for survival training soon... Hope he doesn't have to have two guys pry his fingers off the neck of his instructor! Thanks for your service Cpt. Bryans; then and now!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Flying LowBy Joseph D. HallThis is one of the best aviation books I've read ... and I've read many; many of them. I had the impression I was in the cockpit with the author during all of his flying career ... a great read. Don't pass it up.