The Yellow Jackets of VAQ-138 recently entered their fourth month in the transition to the EA-18G Growler. This month marks the halfway point through the transition, and the goals of being “Safe for Flight” and reunified as a squadron are on the horizon.

On Jan. 6, the Yellow Jackets became the third squadron and the first ICAP III Prowler squadron to transition to the EA-18G. They flew their last EA-6B to NADEP Jacksonville, Fla., Dec. 16, ending a 33-year history of flying the Prowler. 

The aircrew began their transition with 10 days of classroom study followed by several weeks of simulators preparing them for their first flights, which occurred in February at NAF El Centro, Calif. The flights included instrument approaches and aerobatics culminating in the first flight together as a VAQ-138 crew.

Lt. Blake Lyon has enjoyed the transition thus far saying, “The Growler is a tremendously capable aircraft and a lot of fun to fly. As a new jet, it has a lot of fancy toys that I can’t wait to try out.”

In March, the aircrew went to NAS Key West, Fla., where they received their introduction to using the APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar. 

The average day for aircrew consists of a combination of lectures, computer-based training (CBT), simulators and flights. The syllabus is broken down into successive phases, each beginning with CBTs and lectures, progressing into simulators, and finishing in the aircraft.  Their remaining time will largely be spent learning Fighter Weapon’s Tactics and how the Growler executes electronic attack.

In order to be able to effectively keep the Growler flying, squadron maintainers have a transition syllabus of their own. Along with the aircrew, they also are temporarily assigned to the Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) VAQ-129 to learn how to fix and maintain a brand new aircraft. Their knowledge, experience, expertise and qualifications must be built up for the new airframe. 

This process is partially aided by new squadron arrivals who have previously worked on F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets.  Additionally, many maintainers attend classes for several months at NAS Lemoore, Calif., to take advantage of the Super Hornet expertise and training there.

Avionics Technician 2nd Class Michael Laliberte was one of those who attended school in Lemoore. “I already had some experience in the Hornet, but it was a good chance to get a refresher,” he said. “After a couple weeks, everyone in the class had the IETM [Interactive Electronic Technical Manual] system figured out.”

The EA-18G is a much different aircraft maintenance-wise.  Whereas the Prowler required significant troubleshooting and in-depth knowledge of aircraft systems, the Growler can plug into the IETM laptop computers, which both diagnose aircraft malfunctions and provide instructions on repairing the discrepancy.

Aviation Structural Mechanic Equipment 2nd Class Jeffery Redfearin appreciates the improvement.  “Fixing the Growler’s nice, although I miss the challenge (of maintaining the Prowler),” Redfearin said. 

While the technology might make troubleshooting problems somewhat less challenging, it saves massive amounts of time enabling down jets to be repaired and returned to the flight line much more rapidly.

Being an operational squadron transitioning to a new platform carries with it the unique situation of running a squadron while also a student in the FRS. After classes are done, the Yellow Jackets return to their hangar to complete paperwork and ensure squadron administration continues to operate smoothly. 

The Yellow Jackets are currently slated to finish their transition after qualifying on a carrier in mid-August.  The increased capabilities of the EA-18G give the Yellow Jackets confidence in their continued ability to accomplish their mission as they look forward to supporting combat operations abroad in the new airframe.