[HOME MOVIE MCDONNELL F2H BANSHEE FLIGHT OPERATIONS ABOARD USS MIDWAY]

This badly damaged, silent footage shows McDonnell F2H Banshee flight operations aboard USS Midway. It may date to as early as 1949, when Fighter Squadron 17A (VF-17A) transitioned from the FH-1 Phantom to the F2H-1 Banshee. Or, it may date to early 1954, when F2H Banshees first flew off the USS Midway, deploying with Carrier Group 1 for an around-the-world cruise. (Note: the "XC" on the tail of the planes identifies VF-17A). Carrier qualifications for the Banshee took place in March of 1949 aboard the aircraft carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42).