JTTU

JTTU (Jet Transitional Training Unit)

Point of Contact = Squadron Duty Officer (SDO). See FAQ/Research/Contact link under [SA] in the menu.

   

Patch

Any similarity between our lion and the one on a

bottle of Löwenbräu was purely intentional. Larry Kelley

Sources

David Weber

John Gabbard

Larry Kelley

Handle

No info yet.

Heritage

COMTRAWING 2 created JTTU in June of 1974, because pilots assigned to the Wing for other than student training were getting short shrift; they had a lower priority, because they did not count against the student pilot training quota that the squadrons had to fulfill. Thus, the rationale went, JTTU should perform three types of training that heretofore had received inadequate attention: refresher (for pilots who had been away from the cockpit for awhile as a result of schools, staff assignments, etc.), transition (for those making the switch from helos or turboprops to jets), and IUT (for TA-4 instructors freshly assigned to the Wing). 
No additional assets were available to devote to the creation of this unit, so CTW2 took them out of hide. The personnel (pilots, maintainers, and other support personnel) came mainly from VT-21 and VT-22, the TA-4 squadrons there, as did the aircraft. I was the only individual taken from VT-23. 
We acquired rather dilapidated facilities in the form of an old, run-down hangar with some office space, but not much. Since resources were not available, JTTU personnel themselves had to perform whatever refurbishment was deemed necessary... at the same time that they handled a full teaching load. 
CTW2 assigned command of JTTU to Major Don Ferris USMC, an A-4 pilot who was serving on the Wing staff. To the best of my knowledge, he remained in charge until the unit disbanded. To foster unit spirit, he had us wear orange flight suits with an A-4 patch on one shoulder and a self-designed unit patch on the other. 

Larry Kelley

Home Ports

1974 - 1975: NAS Kingsville, TX

Air Wings

COMTRAWING 2.

Aircraft

Date Type First Received - - - - - - Type of Aircraft:

October 1974: Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk

For A-4 Skyhawk aircraft assigned to this unit see lower in this page:

Deployments

JTTU did not really deploy but did conduct syllabus training on cross-country flights. 

Commanding Officers

1974-1975: Major Don Ferris USMC

Awards

It received no awards of which I am aware. Larry Kelley.

Awards continued

No additional info

Events

No info yet.

Unit Photos

January 1975: TA-4J Skyhawk BuNo 156920, B-06, on the ramp.

February - August  1975: TA-4J Skyhawk BuNo 155087, B-00, inflight. Photo from Larry Kelley.

1975: TA-4J Skyhawk BuNo 158490, B-07,on the ramp.

21 June 1975: TA-4J Skyhawk BuNo 158490, B-07, on the ramp, Hector Field, Fargo, ND. Photo from R.W. Harrison.
 


Off-Duty Photos

No info yet.

A-4 Skyhawk aircraft assigned to JTTU;

  • Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk

    • 155074 c/n 13890 - TA-4F

      • 09 Apr 1969 – NPRO - Convert to TA-4J
      • 30 Jul 1974 - JTTU - NAS Kingsville, TX
      • 25 Oct 1982 – VT-24 - NAS Chase Field, TX
    • 155078 c/n 13894 – TA-4F
      • 18 Apr 1969 – NPRO - Convert to TA-4J
      • 01 Oct 1974 - JTTU - NAS Kingsville, TX
      • 04 Feb 1975 - VT-22 - NAS Kingsville, TX
    • 155087 c/n 13903 – TA-4F
      • 08 May 1969 – NPRO - Convert to TA-4J
      • 24 Feb 1975 - JTTU - NAS Kingsville, TX
      • 07 Aug 1975 – VT-21 - NAS Kingsville, TX
    • 155109 c/n 13925
      • 01 Oct 1974 - JTTU - NAS Kingsville, TX
      • 15 Aug 1975 - VT-21 - NAS Kingsville, TX
    • 156898 c/n 13991
      • 13 May 1975 - JTTU - NAS Kingsville, TX
      • 07 Aug 1975 - VT-21 - NAS Kingsville, TX
    • 156901 c/n 13994
      • 01 Oct 1974 - JTTU - NAS Kingsville, TX
      • 15 Aug 1975 - VT-21- NAS Kingsville, TX
    • 156920 c/n 14013
      • 01 Oct 1974 - JTTU - NAS Kingsville, TX
      • 15 Aug 1975 - VT-21 - NAS Kingsville, TX
  • Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk (Cont.)

    • 156938 c/n 14031

      • 01 Oct 1974 - JTTU - NAS Kingsville, TX
      • 07 Aug 1975 - VT-21 - NAS Kingsville, TX
    • 156939 c/n 14032
      • 01 Oct 1974 - JTTU - NAS Kingsville, TX
      • 07 Aug 1975 - VT-21 - NAS Kingsville, TX
    • 156946 c/n 14039
      • 08 May 1975 - JTTU - NAS Kingsville, TX
      • 14 Aug 1975 - VT-21 - NAS Kingsville, TX
    • 156947 c/n 14040
      • 01 Oct 1974 - JTTU - NAS Kingsville, TX
      • 13 Aug 1975 - VT-21 - NAS Kingsville, TX
    • 158085 c/n 14122
      • 01 Feb 1975 - JTTU - NAS Kingsville, TX
      • 12 Aug 1975 - VT-22 - NAS Kingsville, TX
    • 158460 c/n 14265
      • 25 Apr 1972 - VT-7 - NAS Meridian, MS
      • 11 Nov 1972 - Stricken – 1S
    • 158475 c/n 14280
      • 01 Feb 1975 - JTTU - NAS Kingsville, TX
      • 12 Aug 1975 - VT-22 - NAS Kingsville, TX
    • 58490 c/n 14295
      • 01 Apr 1975 - JTTU - NAS Kingsville, TX
      • 13 Aug 1975 - VT-21 - NAS Kingsville, TX
    • 158508 c/n 14313
      • 01 Feb 1975 - JTTU - NAS Kingsville, TX
      • 13 Aug 1975 - VT-21 - NAS Kingsville, TX

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