Slide taken during VA-122 pilot carrier qualifications aboard USS Lexington. Delivered new to the US Navy as an A-7C on 17 September 1969. Later converted to a TA-7C and assigned to VA-122. On 13 October 1981 this aircraft crashed due to engine failure. Both crew successfully ejected.

Taxiing up to the starboard catapult for launch. The Lex normally only used the starboard catapult as the port catapult and jet blast deflector intruded into the landing area when it was in use.

This A-7E has just made an arrested landing. The hook runner (a flight deck crew member) appears to be signaling not to let the aircraft taxi as the arresting cable is fouled in the arresting hook. The USS Lexington saw heavy combat in World War Two. As with all carriers of that vintage it had a teakwood deck. Although the landing area was modified with steel plating, other areas were still wood when this photo was taken as evidenced by the teak planks visible in the lower part of the photo.

These VA-122 A-7Es are conducting pilot carrier qualification flights. VA-122 at the time was an A-7E training squadron. Although marked with USS Lexington on the fuselage, there was no air wing assigned to the carrier as it was strictly used for carrier qualifications. Many of the training squadrons that regularly used AVT-16 unofficially carried the ship's name on their aircraft.

Slide taken aboard Lex during A-7 carrier qualifications (CQ) by VA-122. VA-122 at the time was an A-7 training squadron. Initial CQ in an A-7 normally consisted of 10 day arrested landings and 8-10 night arrested landings over a two to three day period. This A-7E was accepted by the Navy on 20 April 1979, just six weeks before I took this slide.

This T-2C is queued up behind the starboard catapult blast deflector awaiting launch. A flight deck crewman has a tiller steering bar to assist with the precise nose wheel alignment needed for catapult hookup.

VT-9 is based at NAS Meridian, Mississippi. As it is quite a distance inland from the Gulf of Mexico the squadron would deploy aircraft to NAS Pensacola for carrier qualification training using the USS Lexington operating off the Florida coast. The Lexington has been retired since 1991, and now all Training Command carrier quals are conducted aboard fleet aircraft carriers either offshore the Pacific or Atlantic coasts.

This T-2C is clearing the landing area aboard the USS Lexington and taxiing towards the starboard (right) catapult. The T-2C was the basic jet trainer for Naval Aviation for decades. Basic jet carrier qualification consisted of at least two touch and go approaches (hook up) and at least four arrested landings. Note the Foreign Object Damage (FOD) screens on the intakes. These were attached after each arrested landing and removed before the catapult launch.

A student Naval Aviator taxiing his T-2C towards the starboard (right) catapult during basic jet training carrier qualifications. All carrier qualification flights are solo, with no instructor in the aircraft. Note the FOD screen on the intake. This was attached after landing and removed prior to the catapult launch. The T-2 was susceptible to foreign object damage to the engines due to the low ground clearance of the intakes.

The A-4 did not have nose gear steering, the pilot using differential braking to make turns. That was fine for taxiing around airfields, but in the confined areas aboard ship it was an issue. As a result, a steering bar or tiller was used by a flight deck crewman to precisely maneuver the a/c. This was especially important for lining the jet up on the catapult. Here we see the crewman and a/c headed to the starboard catapult aboard USS Lexington.

Slide taken aboard USS Lexington during TA-4J carrier qualifications for VT-7 Student Naval Aviators. This TA-4J is clearing the landing area (note speed brakes still open). A successful qualification is six arrested landings and six catapult shots. After the last catapult, each pilot will hold overhead the ship and when the last of the flight joins up they will return to NAS Pensacola. As they leave another flight of 3 or 4 TA-4Js will be arriving to begin their qualifications.

This VT-7 TA-4J is awaiting being positioned on the USS Lexington's starboard catapult. Student Naval Aviators were required to perform two touch an go and six arrested landings in order to carrier qualify with the TA-4J. All carrier qualification flights were solo, with no instructor in the aircraft. This was near the end of the advanced jet syllabus. This a/c was lost near NAS Meridian, Mississippi on 8 June 1986 due to engine failure. Both crew ejected safely.

This was the third C-1A to be named Blue Ghost. Lex's COD (Carrier Onboard Delivery) flew two round trips a day from NAS Pensacola out to the ship. Shown here taxiing clear of the landing area after arriving from Pensacola. Name "Blue Ghost #3" is on the rear fuselage.

Slide was taken aboard USS Lexington which was operating south of Pensacola, FL. VA-42 was conducting pilot carrier qualification operations aboard "Lady Lex".