Wizard aircrew helped make Prowler history on Oct. 21 when VAQ-133’s Aircraft 530 exceeded 10,000 flight hours.

Cmdr. Charles Gibson, Lt. Brian Johnson, Lt. Earl Demersseman and Lt.j.g. Jonathon Elrod crewed the EA-6B during a combat mission over Afghanistan in direct support of Operation Enduring Freedom, logging the 2.8 flight hours that put the aircraft over the 10,000 hour mark.

This is only the eighth Prowler to fly more than 10,000 flight hours.

Of those, five are still in active service, but VAQ-133’s is the oldest.

P-16, the sixteenth Prowler to come off the production line, is the ranking record holder for most flight hours with 11,760 and is currently assigned to VAQ-139.

VAQ-133’s Aircraft 530 is P-7, the seventh production Prowler made. It was delivered to Fleet Replacement Squadron VAQ-129 in February 1971, where it was used to train Prowler replacement aircrew for three years.

In 1974, the aircraft was transferred to VAQ-135.  VAQ-134 then took possession of the aircraft in 1977, where it remained until being returned to VAQ-129 in 1982.

From 1983-87 the aircraft was reassigned to VAQ-130 until again being returned to VAQ-129 in 1988. For the next 14 years, between 1989-2003, four Marine Prowler squadrons utilized the aircraft.

In October 2003, VAQ-142 welcomed the aircraft back to NAS Whidbey Island. Three months later, VAQ-142 was tasked with a rapid deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and the aircraft was flown to Afghanistan.

It was transferred to VAQ-134 in April 2004 when that squadron replaced VAQ-142 in Afghanistan. This August, VAQ-133 relieved VAQ-134 and took acceptance of P-7, designating it Aircraft 530.

Altogether, P-7 has logged 1,133 catapult shots and 1,203 arrestments.

One hundred seventy Prowlers were originally made. For the seventh one ever produced to be flying 33 years later testifies to the excellence of both the original Grumman craftsmanship and the ongoing dedicated maintenance that keeps them flying.

The EA-6B Prowler was originally rated for 10,000 flight hours and 1,200 catapult shots and arrested landings. In 1993, those numbers were elevated to 12,500 flight hours and 4,500 catapult shots and arrested landings.

The Wizards of VAQ-133 are proud to help keep Aircraft 530 flying well past its intended lifetime.