Retired with 30 years service from Verizon Telecommunications since June 30, 2009. The company was in the process of selling off to Frontier Communications here in West Virginia, so in order to keep my benefits and get the best "buyout," I left. Not currently employed, just living the "good life," enjoying grandchildren, walk 2 miles daily, mountain bike, caving/spelunking, fly fishing, sightseeing, shortwave listening, traveling, camping, hiking, computers, etc. Working on getting my "camp" fixed up in Summersville, WV. I hurt my back while shoveling heavy snow during the Winter of 2013-2014 bulging three disks in my lower back so I had to give up running. Still have much to occupy my time and looking forward to doing many new things too.
1972-1976, A-37 Dragonfly
From Year 1972
To Year 1976
Personal Memories
I did field level maintenance on a squadron of these for 3.5 years at England AFB, LA
Image
A-37 Dragonfly Details
Aircraft/Missile Information
The Cessna A-37 Dragonfly was born out of a need for close-support aircraft to assist in the Vietnam War. As such, the T-37 jet trainer was converted for the role and became the A-37 series of aircraft. The system would go on to see usage in that conflict and make its way into the inventories of other nations around the globe but in particular, throughout South America.
The A-37 differed from its training counterpart in that the Dragonfly was could field a variety of munitions on eight underwing hardpoints. Additionally, the crew of pilot and trainer was scaled down to a single pilot and increasingly powerful General Electric engines were used. The A-37A was the first of the Dragonfly series fielded and were bascially converted T-33 trainers with wintip fuel tanks and better engines. The A-37B model version featured larger fuel tanks, an inflight refuling probe for extended loitering time and a reinforced internal structure to combat the rigors of low-level combat. A Forward Air Control variant existed as the OA-37B.
Standard armament for the Dragonfly consisted of a six-barrel minigun. The underwing hardpoints could mount a variety of air-dropped munitions in the form of bombs. Additionally, the Dragonfly could engage ground targets with forward-firing high-explosive rockets and / or gunpods.