Constellation (CVA-64) under construction at the New York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1960. The original print bears the rubber-stamped date 4 October 1960.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center (# NH 98608).

Circa 1965-68(?), location unknown.

Paul McCusker comments: "During 1962 at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, live missiles were launched at remote control drones. This may be one of the pictures. I was a yellow shirt on the flight deck and remember seeing these launches."

"Underway view of USS Constellation (CVA-64)." From the NAVSEA Journal.

Circa 1963-1965.

USS Manatee (AO-58) and USS Coontz (DLG-9) alongside USS Constellation (CVA-64) during Typhoon Dot, October 1964. Digitized from an 8-mm movie.

Several Carrier Air Wing 14 (CVW-14) aircraft, particularly Fighting Squadron 143 (VF-143) "Pukin Dogs" F-4B Phantom IIs, can be seen on Connie's flight deck. CVW-14 planes had taken part in Operation Pierce Arrow, August 5, 1964 the retaliatory strikes on North Vietnamese PT boat bases following attacks on USN destroyers Maddox (DD-731) and Turner Joy (DD-951).

Typhoon Dot, 36th storm of the 1964 Pacific typhoon season, hit northern Luzon, Philippines on October 9 as an 80 mph (129 km/h) storm. It continued northwestward, and reached a peak of 100 mph (161 km/h) before hitting near Hong Kong on October 13. (Typhoon track image courtesy of Wikipedia).

Format: Windows Media (silent)  Duration: 3' 49"  Size: 320 x 240

USS Constellation (CVA-64) as seen from USS Coontz (DLG-9), July 1969. "Naval Aviation News," November 1969 issue, photograph.

Three photos taken during an underway replenishment from USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3) at Yankee Station, 1970.

USS Constellation (CVA-64) underway with Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW-9), 1971-1972. (DVIC id: DFST8302598).

USS Constellation (CVA-64) executing a turn whilst on station in the South China Sea, circa 1974.

Undated, good overhead showing good flight deck detail.

Compare this photo to 026436 and 026406.

"USS Constellation (CVA-64) sitting snugly in the drydock at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard; note that her huge flight deck neatly overhangs the 180-foot-wide dock on both sides. CVA-64 will remain in drydock for nearly six months of her year-long overhaul." From the NAVSEA Journal.

During this overhaul (February 1975-April 1976) Connie was modified to perform the Navy's new role for carriers: air, surface and antisubmarine warfare — she was redesignated CV-64 on June 30, 1975. After the overhaul Constellation could operate both the F-14A Tomcat and the then new S-3A Viking.

San Diego, 1977.

Official photo purchased aboard USS Constellation (CV-64) in 1981. Judging from Air Wing composition, it must have been taken in 1978–1979.

Aerial view of USS Constellation (CV-64), possibly taken around 1979.

Photo from the Charleston Naval Shipyard photo lab, now in the collection of Mr. Palmer Olliff.

USS Constellation (CV-64) underway with Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW-9) aboard, possibly in May 1979, nearing the end of "Connie"'s 11th deployment to WestPac. This deployment was scheduled to end in March, but was extended in reaction to a political crisis in Yemen. CVW-9 included F-14A Tomcats, A-7E Corsair IIs, A-6E and KA-6D Intruders, S-3A Vikings, E-2C Hawkeyes, EA-6B Prowlers, RF-8G Crusaders and SH-3H Sea Kings.

Oblique port bow view of (front to back) the aircraft carrier USS Constellation (CV-64), a Mars-class combat stores ship and the guided missile cruiser USS Leahy (CG-16) underway, December 1979. US Navy photo (DVIC id: DNST8511030).

The combat stores ship USS Niagara Falls (AFS-3), alongside the aircraft carrier USS Constellation (CV-64) and the guided missile cruiser USS Leahy (CG-16), underway in the South China Sea whilst part of Carrier Task Force 77.7. (This picture seems to have been taken at the same time as photo NS026443, above).

Bow view of USS Constellation (CV-64) underway, December 1979. US Navy photo (DVIC id: DNST8511032).

USS Constellation (CV-64) with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9, circa 1980–1982.

An aerial starboard side view of the stern section of USS Constellation (CV-64), as an A-7E Corsair II aircraft approaches for a landing on the flight deck, July 1980. US Navy photo by PH1 Dave Maclean (DVIC id: DNSN8402115).

An aerial starboard view of the amidships section of USS Constellation (CV-64), as an A-7E Corsair II aircraft comes to a halt during an arrested landing on the flight deck, July 1980. US Navy photo by PH1 Dave Maclean (DVIC id: DNSN8402117).

An aerial starboard view of the forward section of USS Constellation (CV-64), as an A-6E Intruder aircraft begins to bank to the left after a catapult assisted takeoff from the flight deck, July 1980. US Navy photo by PH1 Dave Maclean (DVIC id: DNSN8402121).

A port bow view of USS Constellation (CV-64) and the destroyer USS Fife (DD-991) underway off the coast of California, August 1981. On August 20, during this workup cycle, President Ronald Reagan visited "Connie" and proclaimed the carrier "America's Flagship" while presenting the crew a presidential flag.

US Navy photo (DVIC id: DNSC8201441).

An EA-6B Prowler in the hangar deck, early 1980s.

Shipboard duty, early 1980s.

UNREP at sunrise, early 1980s.

Twilight on the island, circa 1982.

An air-to-air right side view of a Soviet Tupolev Tu-95 (NATO designation is Bear) aircraft and a U.S. Navy F-14A Tomcat fighter, top. The F-14A is from Fighter Squadron 211 (VF-211), "Fighting Checkmates," embarked aboard USS Constellation (CV-64). Western Pacific Ocean, early 1982.

US Navy photo (DVIC id: DF-SN-82-03604).

An F-14A Tomcat from Fighter Squadron 211 (VF-211), "Fighting Checkmates," lands aboard USS Constellation (CV-64) during flight demonstrations for Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger. Indian Ocean, February 10, 1982.

US Navy photo (DVIC id: DN-ST-82-04892).

USS Constellation, CV-64, 1797-1961.

Indian Ocean-WestPac '87, April 11–October 13, 1987.

Connie's Escort Service [Operation Earnest Will, the escorting of reflagged Kuwaiti tankers in the Persian Gulf as a result of Iranian attacks against international shipping] — 24 hours — Indian Ocean — 1987.

Why Steam? — Flanchorops DGAR [Diego Garcia] 87.

"South American Vacation '90."

"With CVW-9 embarked, Connie departed San Diego on 12 February 1990 for the East Coast. Following exercises with the air forces of several South American countries while en route and preparations at Norfolk, Va., Constellation entered Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Pa., in July to begin a $800-million, three-year Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) [completed in March 1993]." Quoted from "America's Flagship: A History of USS Constellation (CVA/CV 64)," by Mike Weeks (Naval Aviation News, March–April 2004, page 17).

"Round the Horn 1990."

(See above.)

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