Patrick Noonan

I was born in Saskatchewan, moved to Washington at age eight. I became an American when I was sixteen. From Everett High School, I was selected for an NROTC scholarship to the University of Idaho and pledged Delta Sig. After some early academic struggles, I finally got it together in my senior year. The Navy bought me a private pilot license at Moscow-Pullman airport. After cramming a four year education into five years, I graduated in 1966 and headed for NAS Pensacola, FL with a huge advantage. I applied myself, and knowing how to fly, I advanced to first in my class and stayed there. I spent fifteen months at Pensacola, Meridian, MS and Kingsville, TX and got my Navy wings in Dec, 1967. I reported to NAS Miramar, CA a week later and learned to fly the F-4J Phantom. In my first fleet squadron I had a hydraulic failure on a catapult launch from USS Kitty Hawk. My RIO ejected. I was able to land the airplane at Miramar but I was sent to temporary duty while the airplane was sorted out. I went back to F-4 training. Topgun was forming from a group of my instructors. They really taught me how to fly the airplane and I made some great relationships.

I joined Fighter Squadron One Five Four (VF-154) and made two Vietnam cruises on USS Ranger. It went well and I became the squadron Training Officer, ending my sea tour with 127 missions and 226 carrier landings, 106 of them at night. It was time for some shore duty.

I was selected for test work and assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Four (VX-4) at NAS Point Mugu, CA. The Navy had an underperforming missile, the AIM-7F Sparrow. It was reliable for the Air Force but not the Navy and we suspected that this was caused by the harsh carrier environment. I was assigned to the project of evaluating and, hopefully, fixing it. We began by flying it in different environments and then put 100 catapult launches and arrested landings on eight of them, breaking all eight. We required the contractor to redesign some components before further testing. It worked and the missile began to perform. We shot 42 of them at old Korean-era airplanes fitted with drone controls, mostly F-86, T-33 and F-9 fighters. We shot down 24 of them, often in close-in high-g maneuvering environments. We dodged fireballs and debris. We did a mach 2.1 shot against a mach 3.3 Bomarc missile fired from Vandenberg AFB. We wore pressure suits and zoomed to 84,000’ for that one, getting a peek at the dark edge of the atmosphere and seeing significant earth curvature.

We reported to various levels of the Department of Defense and the Congress. The missile was, finally, much improved and worthy of being carried in the fleet. I was fortunate to brief every Topgun class for three years on hardware and tactical developments. I was able to fly a variety of airplanes: F-4, F-14, F-8, S-2, T-38, F-86, and an old SNJ (AT-6) in addition to a 1948 Cessna 170 that I kept at a nearby airport. I got to fight the Mig-17 and Mig-21. Aviation gets no better. I believe we had the best fighter pilot in the world in that squadron and he regularly beat and taught the rest of us.

I was 31, in a dream job, but it was time to return to the fleet. I had orders to a new F-14 squadron. I was about to be a Lieutenant Commander a year early and, apparently, on top of the world. I had a new baby at home and didn’t look forward to more nine-month deployments. I was also a bit arrogant and wanted to turn forty someday with skills beyond flying. The Pacific Northwest was calling.

I surprised everyone, separated from my beloved Navy in 1974 and joined the hospital supply industry. It was good to me, if at a somewhat slower pace. I’m nearly 83 now and long retired. I seek my worth by visiting hospice patients and find it challenging and fulfilling. Janice and I are happy and living in a spectacular place. I still call my closest squadron buds and Delta Sig bros and we reminisce.

YITBOS,

Patrick Noonan
Pledge Class 1961