Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) artisans recently had the rare opportunity to restore a piece of aviation history for display onboard Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point.
As an aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul facility, FRCE’s Aircraft Clean and Paint shops prime and paint each aircraft that passes through the facility. However, artisans had the chance to “travel back in time” as they restored a retired Douglas A-4M Skyhawk – a platform that has not been serviced by the depot in more than 20 years – to its former glory.
Working on the A-4 was a first for many FRCE artisans, including aircraft painter Kirby Mills, as it has been 21 years since the Navy retired its last A-4 Skyhawk in 2003.
“I’ve done a few restorations for display aircraft, but this is the first A-4 I’ve seen come through here,” said Mills. “I had never worked on an A-4 before. It was very neat and it’s nice to see it put to use.”
Though this was the depot’s first time restoring an A-4 Skyhawk for historical display, it was not the first time FRCE has performed maintenance on an A-4. Prior the A-4 platform’s retirement, FRCE serviced A-4s from 1989-1996.
Stephen T. Gurley, who currently serves as the Fleet Support Team’s Critical Item Management Team branch head at FRCE, said seeing an A-4 back at the depot made him feel as though he traveled back in time.
“The A-4 platform was the first aircraft platform I worked on at FRC East in 1991, and I spent a lot of time working on them,” said Gurley. “I traveled to different squadrons all throughout the ‘90s to repair A-4s, and now to hear about this, it’s exciting. It brings back memories.”
Aircraft Transfer Branch planner Jeffrey Mitchell said this project was unique because it has a one-of-a-kind paint scheme.
“This is the fourth historical aircraft we have done for the air station, but the first A-4,” said Mitchell. “This project was chosen to honor Marine Attack Squadron 223 here on base, who flew the A-4 until ’87 when they received their first McDonald-Douglas AV-8.”
FRCE’s Aircraft Paint Shop provides paint schemes for the aircraft the depot services, but due to the A-4’s historic ties, Mitchell and his team sought additional help.
“We worked with historians at Marine Attack Squadron 223 for this aircraft’s paint scheme as the squadron is still stationed here,” said Mitchell. “We were able to get pictures and ideas from them; they were very helpful. We wanted to make this aircraft look like it did back in the day.”
Mills said due to the nature of this restoration, they were able to put their own touches on the aircraft’s paint scheme.
“It was nice to have a bit of our own creative freedom with this paint scheme,” Mills added.
In addition to a unique paint scheme, Mitchell said restoring historical aircraft for display differs from the processes used to paint the operational aircraft the depot normally services.
“We still painted it with the same color schemes as what they used during that time, but the overall paint job does differ from a regular aircraft painting process,” said Mitchell. “When you see aircraft flying missions, they usually look weathered and dull. For restoration jobs, we put a good clear coat on the aircraft to help withstand the sun and weather. The clear coat really helps protect the paint from bubbling up and fading over time.”
The Vietnam-era aircraft known as the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a single-seat attack aircraft developed for the Navy and Marine Corps in the 1950s and remained in service until 2003 when the Navy announced its retirement. The aircraft quickly became popular due to its compact size, lightweight body and ground attack capabilities.
Aircraft Clean and Paint Shop Supervisor Ronald Gray emphasized that while restoration projects like the A-4 deviate from FRCE’s usual focus on maintaining the Fleet’s operational aircraft, they showcase yet another way the depot’s artisans provide service to the fleet.
“Reviving old, retired aircraft like the A-4 for display is such an honor,” Gray said. “In doing so, we honor the depot’s history, the aircraft’s history, the aviators who flew A-4s and those who serviced it.”
FRCE is North Carolina's largest maintenance, repair, overhaul and technical services provider, with more than 4,000 civilian, military and contract workers. Its annual revenue exceeds $1 billion. The depot provides service to the fleet while functioning as an integral part of the greater U.S. Navy; Naval Air Systems Command; and Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers.