Carrier Air Group Five Deployed Aboard The Bon Homme Richard, For The Second Cruise, Of The Recently Recommissioned Ship.
10 July 1957 To 11 December 1957.
The Air Group Would Not Return To The Ship Until
Her Last Three Cruises, This Time As Carrier Air Wing Five,
The Navy Having Changed The Designation Of All Air Groups, To Air Wing In Octorber Of 1963.
The Configuration Of The Air Wing Would Change After The 1968 Cruise.
With VA-22 Replacing VA-93,
And VA-144 Replacing VA-212.
This Would Be The Air Wing Configuration For The Final Two Cruises The BHR Would Make.
It Must Be Remembered The Navy At This Time Was
Phasing Out The A-1 Skyraider.
Which Was Being Replaced By The A-6 Intruder as the Navy's medium attack aircraft.
The F-8 Crusader Which Was Already Being Replaced By The F-4 Phantom.
The A-4 Skyhawk Which Was Being Replaced By The A-7 Corsair II.
This Would Of Course, Lead To The Eventual Demise Of The Hancock Class Carriers.
Since They Were Unable To Operate The Newer Aircraft Then Coming Into The Fleet.
A Few Would Stay With The Fleet Until The Mid-Seventies, Operating With An All Jet Air Wing.
Eventully, They Would Join Their Sisters At The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
To Await Their Turn Under The Ship Breakers Torch.
A Handful Have Escaped That Ignominious Fate To Become Museums.
Places In Which Future Generations Will Hopefully Be Able
To Get A Glimpse Of Naval Aviations Maturing Years.
A Special Thank You To Willi Schumacher For The Patches He Sent,
Without Which This Page Would Be Very Barren.
Carrier Air Group Five
As It Deployed To
Bon Homme Richard
10 July 1957 To 11 December 1957
 | ||||
 VF-51 FJ-3 Call Sign: Batter Up |
 VA-54 AD-6/7 Call Sign: Warcry |
 VF-141 F-4D-1 Call Sign: Click Here To Learn More About VF-141 |
 VA(AW)-35 AD-5N Det-Lima Call Sign: |
 VA-56 F-9F-8B Call Sign: Champion |
 VFP-61 F-9F-8P Det-Lima Call Sign: Royal Blue |
 VAW-11 AD-5W Det-Lima Call Sign: Overpass |
 VAH-2 A-3D-2 Det-Lima Call Sign: Folder |
 HU-1 HUP-2 Det-Lima Call Sign: Clementine | |
Carrier Air Wing Five
As It Deployed To Bon Homme Richard
27 January 1968 to 10 October 1968
 | ||||
VF-51 F-8H Call Sign: Batter Up |
 VA-93 A-4F Call Sign: Raven |
VF-53 F-8E Call Sign: Firefighter |
 VA-94 A-4E Call Sign: Hoboken |
 VA-212 A-4F Call Sign: Flying Eagle |
 VFP-63 Det-31 RF-8G Call Sign: Cork Tip |
 VAW-111 Det-31 E-1B Call Sign: Sea Bat |
 VAW-13 Det-31 EKA-3B Call Sign: Robinson |
HC-1 Det-31 UH-2C Call Sign: Clementine | |
Carrier Air Wing Five
As It Deployed To Bon Homme Richard
18 March 1969 to 29 October 1969
And
2 April 1970 To 12 November 1970
This Would Be Bon Homme Richard's
Final West-Pac Deployment
| ||||
VF-51 F-8J Call Sign: Batter Up |
 VA-22 A-4F Call Sign: Beef Eaters |
VF-53 F-8J Call Sign: Firefighter |
VA-94 A-4E Call Sign: Hoboken |
 VA-144 A-4F Call Sign: Warpaint |
VFP-63 Det-31 RF-8G Call Sign: Cork Tip |
VAW-111 Det-14 E-1B Call Sign: Sea Bat |
 VAQ-130 Det-31 EKA-3B Call Sign: Robinson |
HC-1 Det-31 UH-2C Call Sign: Clementine |
 HC-7 Det-31 SH-3A Call Sign: Big Mother |