VA-127
Desert Bogeys
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(SDO), is the unit's contact point. They maintain unit rosters, help
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Batmen - about 1970
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Cylon - about 1975
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? - about 1980
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Desert Bogeys about 1990
Patch courtesy of Mark Robbins
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Patch
Handle
Heritage
- 24JUL1961: VF-126 detachment arrives at NAS Lemoore.
- 15JUN1962: VA-127 is formed from the VF-126
detachment.
- 01MAR1987: VA-127 is redesignated VFA-127.
- 23MAR1996: VFA-127 is disestablished.
- History
article
- Back to Table of Contents
Home Ports
Air Wings
Deployments
Aircraft
Commanding Officers
- 31JUL1961: CDR E.G. Tiffany
- 1964: CDR J.S. Harper
- 1965: CDR Woolson S. Brown
- 1966: CDR John Duck
- 1967: CDR Edward W. V. Webster
- 1982: CAPT Wiley P. DeCarli
- 1983: CDR P.J. "Booger" Valovich
- Back to Table of Contents
Events
- History:
VFA-127's history goes back to NAS Moffett Field, CA when it was part
of VF-124, the F-8 RAG squadron. It operated as a separate command in
the same hangar as VA-125 and VF-124. All of us replacement pilots
would go and get our 10 flight under the bag before we would begin our
A-4 or F-8 transition. The first time I see in my log book that I flew
with them Was 4 April of 1960 at NAS Moffett Field. The stamp in my
book says VF-124 Jet instrument Training completed on 15 April 1960.
On July 24, 1961, when an advance party of one officer and 17 enlisted
men arrived at the newly commissioned Naval Air Station Lemoore, CA, as
the nucleus of a Jet Instrument Training Unit. Designated as Detachment
ALPHA -- the first unit to conduct scheduled flying from the jet air
station -- its primary mission was all-weather jet instrument training
for fleet replacement pilots and fleet squadron pilots of the Naval Air
Force, Pacific Fleet.
I flew with VF-124 Det A again 15-25 May of 1962 while I was assigned
to VA-93 as the Asst. Ops and Training Officer. The detachment was re
designated Attack Squadron (VA) 127 on June 15, 1962.
I was assigned to VA -127 in 68-69 as the Flight Training Officer. We
were flying the TA-4F/J. We did a lot of jet transition of VP pilots
who were moving into A-4's because of the shortage of A-4 pilots. We
started the adversary training also at that time. We were still the
primary instrument training squadron on the West Coast. We began
working on a jet spin training program also at this time. The A-7
squadrons were loosing aircraft in Vietnam due to stall spins at high
gross weights. Two of us, the Safety Officer and myself, went to NAF
Monterey to check out in the T-1A. We were slated to receive two of the
T-1A's, however that program fell through. VA-125 was doing A-7A/B
training and VA-122 was doing A-7E training.
In 1974-77 while I was OpsO, XO and CO of VC-7 at NAS Miramar our
support squadron was VC-13 in New Orleans. We could not handle all of
the request for air support missions from Surface Force Pacific so we
requested that NavResFor supply a det from VC-13 to augment us at
Miramar. That worked so well that they were given a home port change to
Miramar. VC-13 got right in on the adversary work as well as target
towing and radar calibration flights. VC-13, VF-126 became the primary
adversary squadrons at NAS Miramar. VC-7 had all we could handle with
the target towing missions.
VA-127 was again re designated VFA-127 on March 1, 1987, in keeping
with its new role as the Pacific Fleet adversary squadron responsible
for training Naval Strike Fighter pilots in air-to-air combat.
In October 1987, the squadron moved to NAS Fallon, making VFA-127 the
only Navy squadron permanently based in Nevada.
Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 127, the Navy's last active-duty
adversary squadron at Naval Air Station (NAS) Fallon, NV, was
disestablished on 23 March 1996. The adversary role performed by the
"Desert Bogeys" at NAS Fallon since 1987 was assumed by the "Fighting
Saints" of Fighter Squadron Composite 13. While VFA-127 flew both F-5's
and F/A-18's in the adversary role, VFC-13 only flies F-5's. Most of
the Hornets from VFA-127 were transferred to the reserve force.
Dick Dellwo
CDR USN(Ret.)
Provided 2005
- 24JUL1961:
VF-124 Detachment ALPHA, from NAS Moffett Field, began conducting
flights out of the new NAS at Lemoore CA. It became the basis of a Jet
Instrument Training Unit for fleet replacement pilots for the Pacific
Fleet.
- 15JUN1962:
Detachment ALPHA is redesignated VA-127.
- SEP1966:
VA-127 changes aircraft to the TA-4 Skyhawk
- 1968-69:
VA-127, the primary instrument training unit for the West Coast, adds
adversary training to their mission.
- OCT 1973:
The Flight
of the Echos to Israel.
- 01MAR1987:
VA-127 is redesignated VFA-127.
- OCT 1987:
VFA-127 moves from NAS Lemoore to NAS FAllon, and is the only
permanently based squadron there.
- 23MAR1996:
VFA-127 is disestablished. The adversary role is picked up by VC-13.
- Back to Table of Contents
Awards
Sources
- LCDR Allen P. Green III USN
- Mark Robbins
- Dick Dellwo
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