On an unusually bright July 13 morning, P-3C aircraft 002 rolls to a stop in front of VP-46’s Hangar 7 at NAS Whidbey. On board is Aviation Machinist’s Mate Chief(AW) James F. Flaherty.

As a senior flight engineer in VP-46, Chief Flaherty has spent a number of seasoned hours in the flight station of the P-3C, but this flight is different. It is the final flight of his career as he retires from 26 years of service in the Navy on the same day.

The modest veteran of six patrol squadrons preferred not to have a large retirement ceremony, but rather to apply the finishing touch to his service in the same fashion he came into the Navy, to fly in airplanes.

Looking back on his career and that day’s flight, he said, “It started out nice and ended on the same note.”

Patrol plane commander Lt. J.T. Pianetta added, “The flight was a great and fitting opportunity to farewell the Chief.”

In fact, the entire flight crew agreed that today was an enjoyable exception to the typically demanding schedule maintained by P-3C crews.

“It was a fun flight and we had beautiful weather for the rare opportunity to fly visual flight rules around Mt. Baker and in the area of Northwestern Washington,” noted patrol plane co-pilot Lt.j.g. Michelle Yarbrough.

26 years ago, in July of 1979, James Flaherty, a native of Tacoma, Wash., enlisted at the Armed Forces Examining and Entrance Station Seattle. From there he went to serve at several commands in the Pacific Fleet including VP-48, VP-31, VP-9, VP-40, VP-47 and on board USS Coral Sea.

At the culmination of his career, Flaherty was an instructor flight engineer at his final command, VP-46, where he shared the knowledge gained from so many deployments and years of service. His genuine interest in his job and in making new flight engineers better at theirs was demonstrated as he posed for his departing photograph, insisting that all the nugget (or junior) flight engineers be included.

As he walked off the flight line for the last time, there was little doubt in any of the Grey Knights’ minds that he would be well remembered for a long time to come.