A-4`s are still going strong

When Norway decided to go for the light attack F-5 in the early sixties, they had also shortlisted the A-4 Skyhawk and the Vought A-7 Corsair II. Could the A-4 have been the better choice? As a pure ground attack machine, I believe the A-7 would have been unsurpassed.

Phoenix-Mesa Gateway airport  (Ex. Williams Air Force Base) 2011 - Foto: Per Gram

Six of the ATSI (Advanced Systems Training International) Skyhawk fleet sitting outside the hangar. 
A-4N 'N269WL', BuNo 159536, c/n 14456, TA-4J 'N250WL' BuNo 152853, IAF '748', c/n 13499,
A-4N 'N267WL', BuNo 159051, c/n 14379,
TA-4J 'N251WL', BuNo 153500, c/n 13566,
A-4N 'N264WL' BuNo 159823, c/n 14522
and A-4N 'N266WL', Bu No 159534, c/n 14454.
All TA-4Js are former U.S. Navy machines while the A-4Ns saw Israeli Air Force service before joining ATSI as a civil aircraft. Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. Arizona, USA. 11-2-2014

Here are some old ones taken at Andøya Air Base in northern Norway in 1973. These are taken of the US Marines squadron VMA-331, NAS Cherry Point, which were all on terra firma at the Air Base at that time. The squadron later on converted to Harriers.

Photo: Per Gram

Last year I spent a week in Las Palmas, the Canary islands. I spotted this:

Photo: Per Gram

The two you see the rear fuselage of are from the Canadian company Discovery Air serving the same purpose as those at old Wlly Field. Namely acting as aggressors during training. They were accompanied by Spanish and German Eurofighters, Spanish F/A-18, Belgian F-16`s and French Mirage 2000.