User talk:Willy Victor

Reference the new Aircrewman Rating, (AW), in the late 50's and early 60's there was an aircraft that required large numbers of aircrewman. Known as the WV-2 and later designated the EC-121, it was a modified Lockheed Super Constellation and carried up to 32 crewman. It was assigned to VW and VQ squadrons and served primarily as an Early Warning and Radar Search Aircraft for the seaward extension of the DEW Line (Distance Early Warning), air reconnaisance, typhoon/hurricane reconnaisance and fleet early warning (AEW). Ratings associcated with this aircraft who operated the radar and ECM equipment on board were AirControlman (Warning) (ACW) up thru E-5 and then redesignated ATW around the early 60's. The Aircontolman rating at the time had three separate designations:  ACT (Tower); ACR (Radar for GCA (Ground Controlled Approach systems) and the aforementioned ACW rating.  Primary duties in the VW squadrons were flight.  Aircrewman wings, same as used today, were issued at the squadron level after certain qualifications were met.  The ACW school "A" school was located at NAS Glynco, near Brunswick, Georgia, whose curriculum was about six months after which all graduates were assigned  to about 10 VW squadrons and the lone ZW squadron.  (ZW squadrons were blimp squadrons located at NAS Lakehurst, N.J.)  I was an ACW3 when discharged from VW-1 in 1962, but spent about two years flying radar operator in P2V-5's in a reserve squadron at Andrews Air Force base near Washington, D.C.  I then left the service. (Willy Victor (talk) 04:01, 27 June 2010 (UTC))