A-7 Attack Bombers Off-Shore Jacksonville

This is not an "Air Raid"!!!

The Navy donated eight A-7 Bombers and one T-2 training aircraft to be deployed off-shore Jacksonville. The bombers were deployed on Thursday, 7/10/97. The preliminary Loran coordinates for the first site are:

45174.0
62004.0

The preliminary Loran coordinates for the second site are:

45168.5
61995.5

Members of the Jacksonville Reef Research Team met Major Nimock on our Dry Dock dive in October of 1996.  Major works at NADAC and told us that the Navy wanted to donate some bombers to be deployed off-shore Jacksonville.  The Team got Major in touch with the Jacksonville Offshore Fishing Club and after many months of work, the Bombers were deployed in July of 1997.

The Navy sponsored a big media splash with local TV stations and the Times-Union invited for the drop. The Jacksonville Off-shore Fishing Club (JOSFC) contacted the Jacksonville Reef Research Team and has asked for our help in providing a predeployment dive and a site map after the deployment. The board reviewed the request, and a motion was made to approve the request to provide assistance in the deployment of the A-7 Attack bombers.  The vote was unanimous.

The A-7 Attack bombers were deployed within 9 miles of the Mayport jetties and are a favorite site for the dive shops.  We will no longer have to drive to St. Augustine to dive the Navy A-6 Bombers.  The Jacksonville Reef Research Team would like to thank the Navy and the JOSFC for making this possible.