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VX-20’s C-2A Greyhound, BuNo 162142, is shown on its last flight, which took place last month. “It’s one of those airplanes that you can just count on,” said CDR Matthew “Cupcake” Tharp, VX-20’s commanding officer. “When we needed it, it came through for us.” (U.S. Navy photo by Erik Hildebrandt)
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VX-20, one of the U.S. Navy’s test and evaluation squadrons at the service’s premier air-test facility in Patuxent River, has just retired their Grumman C-2A Greyhound, BuNo 162142, which they lovingly referred to as The Old Gal. The aircraft has been serving faithfully at ‘Pax’ River in both test and support roles since 1992. Old Gal went up for one last hurrah before the cameras before shutting down her engines for the last time on March 19th. She is destined for display at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum with some of the long-serving test airframes at ‘Pax’ in the near future. The type’s original test pilot at Grumman, Dave Seeman, was on hand to witness this fond farewell.
VX-20’s C-2A Greyhound, BuNo 162142, is shown on its last flight, which took place last month. “It’s one of those airplanes that you can just count on,” said CDR Matthew “Cupcake” Tharp, VX-20’s commanding officer. “When we needed it, it came through for us.” (U.S. Navy photo by Erik Hildebrandt)
Long-time C-2A aircrew Jim Fortini, left, and Al Griffin wave from the back of C-2A Greyhound BuNo 162142 on its last flight, which took place last month. The aircraft, which has been flying with VX-20 for nearly 30 years, will be retired to the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum. (U.S. Navy photo by Erik Hildebrandt)
C-2A Greyhound BuNo 162142 rolls through a water cannon salute at Naval Air Station Patuxent River following its final flight on March 19, 2020. (U.S. Navy photo by Steve Wolff)
Dave Seeman, center, a retired Grumman test pilot who was one of the first to fly the C-2A Greyhound when it debuted in 1964, shares an anecdote with VX-20 test pilots LCDR Eric “Turbo” Thurber, left, and LT Paul “Digger” Deluca following the final flight of VX-20’s C-2A Greyhound, BuNo 162142 in March. Seeman was the guest of honor for the ceremony welcoming 142 home for the last time. (U.S. Navy photo by Steve Wolff)
Interestingly, this particular Greyhound was involved in testing the U.S. Navy’s latest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford CVN 78, as late as this past January when she took part in evaluating the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), a new generation of aircraft catapult driven by a linear induction motor instead of the more traditional, steam-powered versions more typically seen on carriers. Indeed, the Ford is pioneering this style of equipment. EMALS is apparently lighter and easier/cheaper to maintain and, due to its smoother action, less stress-inducing to both the airframe and aircrew it helps hurl into flight. VX-23, also based at Pax River, took part in these same trials, fielding their examples of the F/A-18F Super Hornet and EF-18G Growler to evaluate their performance on the carrier’s new catapult and arresting gear. Interestingly, while the Greyhound performed flawlessly, with no major squawks in its systems, the same was not so true for the latest generation jets involved in the exercise. Indeed, the Old Gal had to fly back to shore to pick up spares for those aircraft!
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 21, 2020) Sailors assigned to USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) air department wait for the arrival of a C-2A Greyhound assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 20 on Ford’s flight deck. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Zachary Melvin)
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 21, 2020) A C-2A Greyhound, assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 20, prepares to land on the flight deck of USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). The Ford was conducting Aircraft Compatibility Testing to further test its Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Zachary Melvin)
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 17, 2020) A C-2A Greyhound, assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 20, prepares to land aboard USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) flight deck. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ryan Carter)
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 17, 2020) A C-2A Greyhound, assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 20, prepares to land aboard USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) flight deck. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ryan Carter)
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 17, 2020) A C-2A Greyhound, assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 20, prepares to land aboard USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) flight deck. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ryan Carter)
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 17, 2020) A C-2A Greyhound, assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 20, lands aboard USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) flight deck. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ryan Carter)
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 17, 2020) A C-2A Greyhound, assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 20, lands aboard USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) flight deck. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ryan Carter)
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 28, 2020) A pilot assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 20, prepares to board a C-2A Greyhound, on USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) flight deck. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Angel Thuy Jaskuloski)
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 21, 2020) A C-2A Greyhound, assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 20, transits USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) flight deck. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Zachary Melvin)
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 21, 2020) A C-2A Greyhound, assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 20, prepares to launch from USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) flight deck. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Zachary Melvin)
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 21, 2020) Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) Derrick Williams, from Charlotte, North Carolina, assigned to USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) air department, directs an F/A-18F Super Hornet, assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23, on the flight deck during flight operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Indra Beaufort)
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 21, 2020) Sailors assigned to USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) air department tow an E/A-18G Growler, assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23, on the flight deck during flight operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Indra Beaufort)
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 21, 2020) Sailors assigned to USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) air department tow an E/A-18G Growler, assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23, on the flight deck during flight operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Indra Beaufort)
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 21, 2020) An F/A-18F Super Hornet, assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23, lands on USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) flight deck during flight operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Indra Beaufort)
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 21, 2020) Sailors assigned to USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) air department prepare to tow an E/A-18G Growler, assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23, on the flight deck during flight operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Indra Beaufort)
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 21, 2020) Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 1st Class Vincent Cardente, from Warwick, Rhode Island, assigned to USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) air department, directs an E/A-18G Growler, assigned to Air Test an Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23, on the flight deck during flight operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Indra Beaufort)
Another fine study by the legendary photographer, Erik Hilderbrandt, showing the Old Gal in action from October 2017. CHESAPEAKE BAY, Md. (Oct. 16, 2017) An E-2D Hawkeye and a C-2A Greyhound assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 20 fly over USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) as the ship travels to its new home port of San Diego, California. Zumwalt was commissioned in Baltimore, Maryland, Oct. 15 and is the first in a three-ship class of the Navy’s newest, most technologically advanced multi-mission guided-missile destroyers. (U.S. Navy photo by Erik Hildebrandt/Released)
More details on the final flight celebrations are available HERE.
Richard Mallory Allnutt's aviation passion ignited at the 1974 Farnborough Airshow. Raised in 1970s Britain, he was immersed in WWII aviation lore. Moving to Washington DC, he frequented the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, meeting aviation legends.
After grad school, Richard worked for Lockheed-Martin but stayed devoted to aviation, volunteering at museums and honing his photography skills. In 2013, he became the founding editor of Warbirds News, now Vintage Aviation News. With around 800 articles written, he focuses on supporting grassroots aviation groups.
Richard values the connections made in the aviation community and is proud to help grow Vintage Aviation News.
