![]() The missions were short enough that an extra fuelling was no longer required.Ī Jiffy Soda flight would see the jet fly right around Cuba, with its PECM gathering radar signatures and locations and SLR recording a current image of the coastline and several miles inland, while a 36-inch focal length camera mounted in the oblique station - or sometimes the 18-inch panoramic camera - took high resolution photos to correlate with the IR and SLR. Once they were moved to the latter station, Cuba was visible soon after take-off. From NAS Sanford and NAS Albany, the Vigilante would stop in NAS Key West for fuel if needed. They launched from home base and were back in time for dinner with the family. The entry in the flight log book was ‘routine training’, and there are no open records. These missions were classified, and not openly talked about. ![]() Vigilante crew-members remember performing flights called Jiffy Soda, but are unsure of when they began or when the last one took place. To this day, the US Navy has been reluctant to discuss the missions flown around the perimeter of Cuba. This print is available in multiple sizes from – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS. The question asked was, ‘Could the two prototype RA-5C’s have the test instrumentation removed and be reconfigured with advanced electronic countermeasures, along with the basic cameras?’ He replied, yes, and was stunned when his high-ranking caller told him they would have to deploy in 24 hours. Although the event was kept quiet, two weeks later one of the high-flying aircraft was shot down.Īs told by Robert R ‘Boom’ Powell in his book RA-5C Vigilante Units in Combat, late that same day, John Fosness, then Vigilante Programme Manager at North American Aviation (NAA) received a call from the Pentagon at his home. 13, 1962, high flying USAF U-2 aircraft photographed ballistic missile sites under construction in Cuba. Nevertheless, the RA-5C’s first opportunity to go into harm’s way came before the aircraft had even been accepted by the Navy. The operational debut of the `Vigi’ coincided with the build-up of the Vietnam War. The question asked was, ‘Could the two prototype RA-5C’s have the test instrumentation removed and be reconfigured with advanced electronic countermeasures, along with the basic cameras?’ He replied, yes, and was stunned when his high-ranking caller told him they would have to deploy in 24 hours.ĭeveloped from the A-5 nuclear bomber, the RA-5C Vigilante was the largest and fastest aeroplane to ever operate from the deck of an aircraft carrier. 13, 1962 John Fosness, then Vigilante Programme Manager at NAA received a call from the Pentagon at his home.
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