The Rocky Mountain Wing's TBM Avenger History

Our TBM Avenger BuNo 53503 original logbooks show that it was accepted by the US Navy on June 1, 1945 at the Norfolk NAS and assigned to the VT-75 Squadron - the "Fish Hawks". It was transferred in 1947 to VT-82 Squadron - the "Devil's Diplomats" and Naval Air Reserve Training at Los Alamitos in southern California.

In 1950 it was lend/leased to the Royal Canadian Navy with only 546 total hours flown. As with many other American aircraft, the Canadians renamed the the Avenger type to become the Tarpon. Our aircraft was part of 125 TBMs to be converted by the Fairey Aviation Company of Canada, Ltd. to "modern" anti-submarine warfare roles. These aircraft received an extensive number of ASW modifications, including improved radar, electronic countermeasures (ECM) equipment, and sonobuoys. The modified Avengers were then re-designated AS-3. The upper ball turret was replaced with a sloping glass canopy (seen at right) that was better suited for observation duties. The observer was thus seated facing forward.

TBM 53503 flew in the RCN 881 Squadron from the carrier HMCS Magnificent and marked as sub hunter "ABK", "AB*P" and later "315" as their numbering system changed over her years of duty. She also flew in this role as part of the flypast for the newly coronated Queen Elizabeth II's Royal Navy Review at Spithead on June 16, 1953. That fall, our TBM was nearly lost at sea along with 42 other aircraft that were launched but were unable to recover due to unanticipated fog. RCN pilot Bryan Hayter was flying "315" on this nearly disastrous mission and shares this brief, well written and illustrated story [Blind Faith - A Magnificent Miracle at Sea]. TBM 53503 is later documented as being Struck Off Charge on January 1, 1958.

After her RCN military career ended in 1958, TBM 53503 was an aerial insecticide applicator from 1963 to 1970 for the Simsbury Flying Service in Simsbury, CT as N6583D. Acquired by the CAF in 1970 where she was painted as VT-10's "white 82" with a tri-color Navy scheme for the CV-10 Yorktown, but still lacked the characteristic dorsal gun turret. She flew with the CAF Ghost Squadron until 1981 in this configuration. During this time, her movie debut can be seen in the first five minutes of the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind as directed by Steven Spielburg - hint: she is the one whose engine runs!

From 1981 until mid-1985, the Avenger sat outside in Arizona waiting for her next duty assignment and in desperate need of repair and maintenance on various systems. A new CAF Unit, the "Rocky Mountain Squadron", was formed in Grand Junction Colorado in 1981. This unit petitioned CAF headquarters for the TBM's reassignment to them in 1984. On January 17, 1985 TBM 53503 was officially assigned to the new squadron. She was flown on a ferry permit from Mesa, Arizona to Grand Junction, Colorado in that February to begin an extensive restoration lasting over four years.

By July of 1989, she was once again "ready for duty" - complete with the installation of the dorsal gun turret, and a new paint scheme - that of a TBM assigned to VT-84, also known as the "Wolf Gang" squadron, aboard the USS Bunker Hill, CV-17. This squadron was the first to attack Tokyo on February 16 & 17, 1945 and the colorful yellow cowling was adopted to enhance identification as "friendly" when returning to the fleet from their raid.

Her first CAF AIRSHO was in Harlingen, Texas in 1990, and since has been on the air show circuit promoting the goals on objectives of the CAF. The Rocky Mountain Squadron grew to obtain official CAF "Wing" status.