UTILITY SQUADRON SEVEN, VU-7 UTRON SEVEN

DF-8F 145319 on 2-19-66 with "TALLYHOers" on the tail. Red tailed RF-8A 145636 on 8-26-67 (William Swishwer)

Utility Squadron Seven (VU-7) was commissioned on 4 December 1942 at NAS Alameda, California, with the mission of providing utility aircraft services to units of the Pacific Fleet. These services included the towing of aerial targets and launching of self-propelled drone targets for surface-to-air and air-to-air gunnery and missile firing; providing airborne targets for the fleet Anti-aircraft Warfare Training Center; radar calibrations; Electronic Countermeasure exercises; inflight refueling; and other utility and admin¬istrative services within the cap¬abilities of the assigned aircraft, which were F-8 Crusaders and A-4 Skyhawks.

VC-7 F-8C 146931 at NAS Miramar on
2-19-66. "TALLYHOers" was painted
on the red tail. Tail code "UH" was
black bordered by white. (Jansson)

VC-7 F-8K 147006 takes the runway at
Miramar during the 1970 air show. The
squadron insignia is painted on the
red tail. (Ginter)

VC-7 DF-8A 144427 at the Pima County Air Museum in July 1976. Today she has been repainted in the markings of a VF-32 F-8A (see VF-32). (Ginter)

Closer view of F-8K 147005 at NAS
Miramar on 3-14-70. (Clay Jansson)