Second VA-125 (U.S. Navy)

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Attack Squadron 125
An A-7A Corsair II, formerly of VA-125, in the aircraft boneyard at Davis Monthan AFB in 1971
Active30 June 1956 - 1 October 1977
CountryUnited States
BranchUnited States Navy
TypeAttack
Nickname(s)Skylancers
Rough Raiders
Aircraft flown
AttackF9F-8 Cougar
A4 Skyhawk
A-7 Corsair II

VA-125 was an Attack Squadron of the U.S. Navy, and was the second squadron to bear the VA-125 designation. It was established as VA-26 on 30 June 1956, and redesignated VA-125 on 11 April 1958. The squadron was disestablished on 1 October 1977. Its nickname was Skylanchers from 1956-1958, and Rough Raiders thereafter.[1]

Operational history[edit]

  • 11 April 1958: The squadron’s mission was changed from air-to-ground/surface attack to the indoctrination and training of pilots and enlisted personnel in attack aircraft for assignment to combat carrier squadrons.
  • 11 December 1958: The squadron’s commanding officer, Commander J. E. Thomas, was killed in an aircraft accident.
  • March 1960: With the addition of the A4D-2N Skyhawk, the squadron added radar and inflight refueling training to its flight syllabus.
  • 19 May 1966: VA-125 was the first squadron in the Navy to receive the TA-4F Skyhawk.
  • June 1966: The first of several groups of Australians arrived for training by the squadron on the A-4 Skyhawk. The pilots were to form the nucleus of Australia’s first A-4 squadron scheduled for assignment to HMAS Melbourne.
  • 13 March 1967: The squadron’s commanding officer, Commander J. D. Shaw, was killed in an aircraft accident during a routine carrier qualification exercise on the USS Kearsarge.
  • 31 March 1969: The last A-4 Fleet Replacement Pilot class began.
  • 30 June 1969: The last A-4 Fleet Replacement Enlisted Maintenance training program was completed.
  • November 1969: The squadron began to develop the required training program for the Light Attack Weapons School. In December 1969 the squadron, in conjunction with VA-122, inaugurated a graduate level course for the Light Attack Weapons School that involved all phases of attack aviation.
  • January 1970: The first A-7 Fleet Replacement Enlisted Maintenance and Fleet Replacement Pilot classes began.[1]

Home port assignments[edit]

The squadron was assigned to these home ports, effective on the dates shown:[1]

Aircraft assignment[edit]

The squadron first received the following aircraft on the dates shown:[1]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons.

  1. ^ a b c d Grossnick, Roy A. (1995). "Second VA-125" (pdf). Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons. Vol. 1. Washington, DC: Naval Historical Center. p. 196.

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