AGB - NAS El Centro- Prowler at Sundown 2007 (a tribute to the Prowler)

NAS El Centro- Prowler at Sundown 2007
(a tribute to the Prowler)

Sometimes in this profession you have one of those pinch me days, you know the ones when you are standing in a field at the edge of a Naval Air Station and you are totally alone, just you and the aircraft.

Well in 2007 yours truly decided to take a last minute trip to Arizona and California, mainly to see the 120+ F-14 "Tomcats" that were stored in AMARC, an over the top senator had decided that almost all needed to be cut up so that parts could not be sold on, so these needed to be seen before they were gone and then a road trip for one along the I-10 and I-8 to San Diego to visit the Airshow at MCAS Miramar.

Along the I-8 I decided to take a late afternoon break at the nearby El Centro Naval Air Station and see if anything was happening, boy was I in for a treat.

Was anything flying?....only T-45s, AV-8s, E-2s and a squadron of EA-6B "Prowlers" from VAQ-129. El Centro was like Christmas day for the photographer, with aircraft taking off, landing and performing multiple approaches. Unlike photography today in 2019 when you are never alone at a base it was empty devoid of photographers just me, my camera, lots of flying and blue sky.

I could do nothing but stay until dark and see what happens, these few hours at El Centro were probably up there with one of my best aviation experiences in my life, a close second to Pax River the following year in 2008.

As the sun began to set over California, the night Prowlers began to arrive back, all performing approach after approach, touching the runway then up again, what a sight to see. As night fell the Prowlers were still flying, but it was time to leave as a long drive to San Diego was still ahead.

On the 8th March 2019 the last active duty Prowler squadron VMAQ-2 was deactivated at MCAS Cherry Point NC, the "Death Jesters" were the last to fly this iconic war machine and brought home the EA-6Bs to end their almost 48 year long legacy.

This article is a glance back to when the Prowler was a common sight in the skies over the United States and to photography never to be repeated again, a day in a million for yours truly and a lone photo shoot at NAS El Centro.

Farewell Prowler, you will be missed by all.

Author/photography: Mark Forest