A-1H on USS Coral Sea CVA-43 1961

An U.S. Navy Douglas AD-6 Skyraider of attack squadron VA-152 Friendlies on the portside elevator on board the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) during the ship's Operational Readiness Inspection (ORI) off Hawaii, 20 December 1961. VA-152 was assigned to Carrier Air Group 15 (CVG-15) aboard the Coral Sea for a deployment to the Western Pacific from 12 December 1961 to 17 July 1962. This AD-6 (A-1H) was later passed on to the South Vietnamese Air Force. Note the landing mirror in the background. U.S. carriers originally operated two landing mirrors on both sides of the flight deck.