Gentlemen,
It is my sad duty to inform you that on Tuesday, 21 November 2023, Golden Eagle Emeritus Commander Robert Francis Aumack, USN (Ret), made his Last Take Off in Pacific Grove, CA. Bob was born in New Jersey on 21 June 1928 and grew up there with his parents and two brothers. He knew from a very early age that he wanted to be a pilot and he joined the Navy under the Holloway Program, more widely known as the Flying Midshipman Program in August 1948. He received his Wings of Gold at NAS Pensacola, FL, on 8 May 1950. He was initially assigned to VF-24, but when war in Korea broke out in June 1950, he was reassigned to the VF-174 Hellrazors, initially flying the F4U Corsair aboard USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR). VF-174 transitioned to the F9F-6 Cougar in late 1952 and Bob made two Mediterranean Sea deployments with the squadron. On 31 July 1951, he made a dead stick landing in the Corsair aboard FDR.
From October 1953 until April 1954 Bob was assigned to Fleet Aircraft Service Squadron (FASRON)-6 as an instructor pilot with the instrument flight training detachment for fleet aviators. This was the very first formal instrument flight training in Naval Aviation. In May he was reassigned to Advanced Training Unit (ATU)-201 at NAAS Kingsville, TX, and shortly thereafter reassigned to ATU-204 at NAAS Chase Field, Beeville, TX. In January 1955 Bob moved once more, this time as part of the initial cadre for the Jet Transition Training Unit (JTTU) at NAAS Olathe, KS, the first Navy unit with the mission to transition prop Naval Aviators to the new jet fleet. The instructors were all Fleet experienced Cougar pilots. In the fall of 1957, he attended General Line School at Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, CA. His payback tour was as the Assistant Air Operations Officer aboard USS Ranger, the first “super carrier” in the fleet and, as Bob described it, a “showboat for dignitaries.” He made two deployments aboard Ranger and in October 1960 reported to VF-124 at NAS Moffett Field, CA, for F-8 Crusader transition training.
In the next two years, from March 1961 until March 1963, Bob served as the Maintenance Officer and Operations Officer of the VF-191 Satan’s Kittens, making two deployments aboard USS Bon Homme Richard to WestPac. Shore duty was next as the VF Training Officer at COMFAIRMIRAMAR until September 1963. In October, Bob became the Officer in Charge (OinC) of the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Team, The Blue Angels, flying the F-11 Tiger. In July 1964, The Blue Angels participated in the Aeronaves de Mexico Anniversary Air Show over Mexico City, Mexico, before an estimated crowd of 1.5 million people. In 1965, The Blue Angels conducted a Caribbean islands tour, flying at five sites. Later that year, they embarked on a first ever European tour to a dozen sites, including the Paris Air Show where they were the only team to receive a standing ovation. Their tour was recognized in the Congressional Record and Bob was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
After three and half years as The Blue Angels' Boss, Bob next underwent F-8 refresher training at VF-124 and joined the VF-162 Hunters, as the Executive Officer while deployed aboard USS Oriskany on Yankee Station with Carrier Air Wing 16. During this combat tour, CVW-16, suffered perhaps the highest loss rate of any carrier air wing during the Vietnam War, losing half of its assigned planes, 29 to combat damage, another 10 to operational causes, with 20 pilots killed, and an additional nine taken prisoner of war. One contribution to this heavy loss rate was the carrier air wing’s unrelenting pace, as pilots flew over 9,500 missions, including 181 strikes into the heavily defended Hanoi-Haiphong corridor. Another contribution was the existence of safe havens for trucks and munitions within Haiphong (among others), as that meant targeting the flow of supplies in more heavily defended transit routes further south.Oriskany returned to NAS Alameda on 31 January 1968. Bob had flown 76 combat missions after his arrival in August.
In February 1968 he fleeted up to become the Commanding Officer of VF-162 and they transitioned from the F-8E to the new F-8J, the first “J” squadron on the west coast. In February 1969 Bob was posted to the CARDIV Two staff as the Air Warfare Officer, making two more Mediterranean deployments. August 1970 found Bob on shore duty for the first time in years at Naval Air Systems Command (AIR-03) conducting long range VF planning for the design of future Navy fighters. This included missile development, Air Combat Maneuvering simulators, training centrifuges, and carrier approach and landing simulators. Bob helped conceive the early designs for the “light-weight fighter” which would eventually become the F-16 and F/A-18 aircraft we know today. In January 1973, Bob attended Naval Postgraduate School once again, this time in its Baccalaureate program, graduating in April 1975. His final tour on active duty was as the Operations Officer at NAS Miramar, CA, from April 1975 until June 1976. He retired on 30 June 1976.
Bob served more than 28 years, flew over 7,300 flight hours, and made 512 carrier arrested landings. He flew from or served on board 14 different aircraft carriers and was a key contributor to Naval Aviation’s transition to the jet age, instrument flying, and Fleet Replacement squadrons. Bob had more that 1,000 hours each in the F4U, F-9F, F-11, F-8, and TV-2 and flight time in 17 other tactical aircraft from the T-34 to the F-105. He flew 76 combat missions as a member of the Oriskany and CVW-16 team in Vietnam, was the OinC of The Blue Angels, the CO of VF-162, and a key contributor to fighter and strike fighter capabilities that serve our Nation in the fleet today. Bob was awarded three Distinguished Flying Crosses, seven Air Medals, and many other awards.
After retirement Bob settled down in Pebble Beach, CA, primarily volunteering with the Pebble Beach Company Foundation. He worked tirelessly to help the foundation fund quality educational opportunities and scholarships for Monterey County youngsters. He was a happy bachelor all his life — an avid golfer, working with Callaway Golf and Pro-Am Golf. He loved living in Pebble Beach. Arrangements are planned for Arlington National Cemetery. Additional information will be provided as soon as it’s available.
In sadness,
Keith Stalder
Pilot
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