Perhaps a bit, but Miramar had strippers show and perform into the mid to late 80's when I was there, just like Trader Jons did in Pensacola.
WestCoast Nav different than East Coast Navy. We have all been bred to be very PC now, but back then, had several IP's who had Vietnam experience. They were definitely very rough around the edges many of 'em regarding todays PC environment. Doesn't make them better or worse. Just a reflection of our history that produced fine combat aviators in our Navy/USMC and USAF brothers. The facts are: the skillsets and abilities that made a good combat aviator applied to F-8/F-4 and everything else; Scooters, Turkeys, Eagles,Lightnings, etc. It was a grand time to be a military aviator flying anything because it was a different era. This was a time that the airplane did not download and tell everyone exactly every thing that you did and at what time you did it and be on a screen beamed all around the world live. It wasn't a simpler or harder time, just different. 20 years from now, the youngsters will marvel at the stories of today, though for the life of me cannot conceive that I will be mightily impressed with the non combat stories.<bg>

Myself: Glad to be an 'average jet pilot' as I placed under my call sign, taken from one of my RAG IP's nametag on the green bag "Rude-Average Jet Pilot" it still makes me laugh.

Dogfighting, in and of itself, requires a high degree of pilot skill.
I visited the USS Midway last weekend. They jave a wonderful walking audio tour - very easy. Up on the flight deck on Cat 1 there is a F-8 positioned for the cat shot. When listneing to the audio tour it describes the airplane for a little bit and then offers up some pilot perspective on flying the F-8. This particular pilot describes flying the F-8 as one of the smoothest and easiest airplanes to fly - EXCEPT when landing aborad the boat! Then is was as squirrely as squirrely can be he says. I mean it is the only naval tactical aircraft ever bought where the WHOLE wing from end to end moves up and down right? :eek::D

USMCFLYR

I've heard plenty of stories from the day. Hell, as a mid, I got to experience in the Miramar O'club on a Wednesday, 89-90 timeframe. It was wild even then, obviously pre-Tailhook. My old boss flew with some of the Navy greats...Hoser and Snort come to mind. He was in a nugget when Snort was Ops-O of his first squadron. When we drink, he has great stories to tell. Love it :D

I take it you flew the F-8? Your post above makes sound as if you did....otherwise, you're stating stuff out of a book but making seem as if you know what you're talking about. Meaning, a been there done that sort of thing.

Went through Miramar from 1979-1983. Good times were had by all. NKX was a happening place. Both wednesday and friday afternoon began around 1500 at the O'club. 1400 if you were a real hard core drinker. Either way if you were a fighter pilot at any squadron you had better have had your pass at the O'club by 1600. If not your were just lame. Usually on a friday afternoon there would be so many airplanes in the pattern and coming into the break, F-14, F-4, F-8, E-2, A-4s, training command airplanes, along with guest from Luke and Hill. Even had F-104 from the German Luftwaffa arrive in the overhead. Often, so many planes that the tower could only say follow the guy ahead of you. Then all would meet at the club to watch Fawn Lebowitz and the girls dance while guys talked with there hands. Tailhook in the 80's were fantastic. I've gone back to Miramar once or twice while on a layover with my airline. Sad,,,,,,,,, but some great memories of a great time in Naval Aviation.

I hit the perfect storm there once.

Post TopGun the movie, Pre-Tailhook the debacle
Wednesday night
October 31, 1990 (Halloween!)

Not only did you have the regular Wednesday night talent - but in costume! Catwoman, belly dancers, beer wenches, Wonder Woman, etc....

OH MY!

USMCFLYR

I flew all models of the Crusader, except the photo bird. I also have a little time in the Phantom. A good Crusader pilot could take an equally good Phantom pilot most of the time in a true dogfight. Anyone that thinks that either one is the equal to the F15 is dreaming. The Crusader was a great bird with some killer (to the pilot) problems. I believe I am correct in stating that of the approximately 1200 built, at least 900 were destroyed, mostly by the guy flying it (I`m guilty on that point). A better flying machine was the Grumman F11F. It was worthless for a carrier plane . Had the J79 been available as was planned, that would have been a different story. A J65 was substituted, and it was short of fuel.Most were sent to the training command and to the Blue Angels. I flew them as a 22 year old cadet.

I don't know the numbers - but I did hear that they had more lost to carrier landings than any other airframe of the time - or possibly the greatest percentage of all (no source - just heard)

Wasn't the photo bird the fastest of the F-8s too? Most seem to be - I'm pretty sure it was true of the RF-4B too (old VMFP-3 piot told me this)

USMCFLYR

Not when I was flying F8`s. They did hold quite a bit more fuel. That`s why John Glenn used one in his record setting flight from California to the east coast. Alas, that plane didn`t make it to the Smithsonian, it was shot down in North Viet Nam. During my Crusader years (`60-`65) the F8E was the fastest. it was supposed to do 1.86 mach. I had a brand new one to 2.0 down near Yuma. I`ve been told that there was a lot of pitot error involved, but it was plenty fast enough for me. The canopy was almost too hot to touch. That was when I was young and foolish. Later, when the surviving fighter versions were pulled from service, the Vought folks replaced the tail sections of the Photo birds and the engines with parts from the F8E`s. I don`t know what the thrust ended up being, around 20,000 in burner, I think, so the photo birds would have been fairly fast.

RIAP -

The USS Midway in San Diego has a really nice F-8 ready room set up with lots of history. If you ever get the chance - you should give it a once through.

USMCFLYR