Marines Had an "Aircraft Carrier on Land" with Catapults and Arresting Gear in Vietnam

[Talyn]

Built from scratch, Chu Lai Air Base in South Vietnam was in the thick of exactly where tactical airpower was needed.

During the long conflict in Southeast Asia, U.S. Marines Corps jets regularly flew from bases on land in direct support of troops on the ground. However, only one of the airbases that the service operated from in South Vietnam was actually outfitted with arrester wires and even catapult launch gear. This was at Chu Lai, where the Marines built themselves what was basically a land-based “aircraft carrier” that was utilized by A-4 Skyhawk light attack jets and, later, F-4 Phantom II fighters.

An A-4C from VMA-225 makes what is purportedly the first landing at Chu Lai, on June 1, 1965., U.S. Navy

Marines Had An “Aircraft Carrier On Land” With Catapults And Arresting Gear In Vietnam

Built from scratch, Chu Lai Air Base in South Vietnam was in the thick of exactly where tactical airpower was needed.

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A VMA-223 A-4E comes to a halt after an arrested landing at the Chu Lai, circa 1966., U.S. Marine Corps
Much heavier and more powerful than the A-4, the Marine Corps F-4 was the other type to make extensive use of the SATS system in an operational capacity. During tests of the catapult, a Skyhawk was found to require 1,165 feet to take off, while a Phantom II needed 1,485 feet.

Armed with 12 500-pound bombs, an F-4B from VMFA-323 completed a first catapult shot from Chu Lai in August 1966, but it was not the smoothest start, as the pilot, retired Colonel Robert Jonhson, recalls in Peter E. Davies’ US Marine Corps F-4 Phantom II Units of the Vietnam War:

About halfway down the track, the aircraft seemed to lurch to a higher, nose-high attitude, and simultaneously with hitting the end of the catapult track, the starboard engine suffered a catastrophic failure (it exploded). My attention at this time was directed to my immediate front, which consisted of numerous trucks, Marines, and civilians waiting at a checkpoint off the end of the runway. Slowly climbing, I next noticed the base ammunition dump below my flight path. My briefing on emergency jettisoning of external stores did not cover this eventuality, but we were still flying… albeit only briefly.

I made a slight turn to the right in the direction of what appeared to be a clear area where we could jettison. As I tried to level the wings the stick bucked and froze in my hand. All I had to say was, ‘Eject, Jim, Eject.’ Jim responded instantly, and after hearing the second explosion, canopy and seat, I followed suit. Out altitude at the time was 100 feet or less. When my seat fired the aircraft was nearly 90 degrees to the horizon. As advertised, seat separation and chute opening occurred automatically, and I got a 90-degree swing in the chute before landing in a the-wire concertina fence. I looked up to see Jim come down in his chute about 30 yards away, The aircraft disintegrated about 50 yards beyond that, but none of the bombs detonated.

 

[3L120]

Alpha-4 was a neat aircraft. Usually got in lower and closer that a Fox-4, and has its onboard 20mm.

 

[Gofer]

Great memories!