Destroyer Landing???
"Here is an experience I had during the 1959 med cruise. Thanks for keeping the Online Report so interesting. It is a pleasure to get it and I know you have put a lot into it. Please keep it up.
"I was a pilot in Detachment 33 of VAW12 flying AD-5Ws. One dark night during our '59 Med cruise I launched for a three hour surveillance flight. There was solid cloud cover up to 10,000 feet. After three hours I returned to the vicinity of the ship and went into orbit above the cloud cover a mile or so behind the ship awaiting orders to "Charlie." When I got the landing notice I pushed over and descended through the soup at high speed...at times like that you have to have faith in your altimeter. I finally broke out underneath at about 600 feet. I looked up, spotted the red aircraft warning light of the carrier and headed for it (At this time a pilot is very busy).
I lowered the landing gear; extended the tailhook; lowered the flaps; opened the canopy; pushed the fuel air mixture to rich; adjusted the propeller pitch and adjusted the throttle (Each of these steps changes the flight characteristics of the plane) so I had to constantly adjust the trim, always keeping one eye on the approaching aircraft warning light.
As I closed on the light I was puzzled that I could not see the dustpan lights, which usually illuminated the flight deck, or the mirror landing system. Suddenly I realized that I was flying an approach to the plane guard destroyer instead of the Intrepid. I went by the destroyer, very close, at bridge level, turned to my left and executed a normal landing on Intrepid. . I have often wondered what the lookout on the fantail of the destroyer thought as he saw me boring in on him!