Chester's finest

With a full complement of sixty two aircraft aboard her, newly commissioned US Navy Nuclear powered Aircraft Carrier, the USS Nimitz 'CVAN-68' moored in Stokes Bay in The Solent back in October 1975

 

Named in honour of Chester W. Nimitz, embarked for a North Atlantic cruise was Air Wing CVW-8 with the tail code 'AJ' and consisting of:

 

HS-15 'Red Lions' with 7 x Sikorsky SH-3H Sea King helicopters

 

VMFA-333 'Fighting Shamrocks' with 10 x USMC McDonnell-Douglas F-4J Phantoms

 

Also aboard were 3 x F-4J 'AC' coded Phantoms of VF-31 'Tomcatters'

 

VA-82 'Marauders' with 10 x LTV A-7E Corsair II plus 10 more of VA-86 'Sidewinders'

 

VA-35 'Black Panthers' with 8 x Grumman A-6E Intruders plus 3 x KA-6D tanker versions

 

RVAH-9 'Hoot Owls' with 2 x North American RA-5C Vigilantes

 

VAQ-130 'Zappers' with 4 x Grumman EA-6B Prowlers

 

VAW-116 'Sun Kings' with 4 x Grumman E-2B Hawkeyes

 

and finally the carrier's own 'COD' - a Grumman C-1A Trader

 

Scanned Kodak 35mm Transparency

Done