OK, I buzzed a Russian Navy "trawler", several times, back in the late 60s. Big deal.
I was a pilot in the Alabama Air National Guard.
We were flying the RF-84/F, a reconnaissance/fighter aircraft.
(The 'bomb-like' things under the belly are 450 gallon external fuel tanks. There were two.)
My squadron, out of Birmingham, Alabama, was part of a joint all-military branches combat exercise (war game) namd "Clove Hitch" in the late 60s staged out of Ramey AFB in Puerto Rico.
My squadron mate and I were scheduled for the 'dawn patrol' (06:00 departure) to take photos of some bridge or something, but our briefing officer told us that mission was scrubbed. Instead we were to 'harass' a Russian Navy 'trawler' (spy ship) just off the coast. We all knew they were monitoring our activities, radio transmissions, etc. It was the height of the cold war.
Woo Hoo! A license to buzz!
We were given the latest position of the trawler.
Dan and I flipped a coin and he flew lead, I flew wing.
We took off and climbed to 10,000' and hit the last known position of the Russkies.
Dan soon sighted them.
"I'll make the first pass across their deck. Count to 5 and come on in."
I was on Dan's right wing and he peeled left.
I counted to 5 and followed.
I saw the ship.
I saw Dan blast over the bow deck and pull up.
Just as I was approaching for my run, Dan said "PULL UP! WRONG SHIP!"
I pulled up and rolled inverted and looked down as I passed over and sure enough, it was a cruise ship.
Woops.
A few minutes later Dan found the Russian ship and we pressed on.
He made the first pass at deck level.
I made my first pass about 10' above the midships deck using color motion picture film in my forward film bay.
It was the first and only time I had ever been loaded with either color or motion picture fan.***
Dan's first pass still photos showed many sailors looking up.
My first movie film showed guys diving down and closing hatches.
We beat the ship up, low pass after low pass, for about an hour and then returned to Ramey.
At our farewell banquet at the Ramey Officers Club I was awarded the "Order of the Russian Trawler".
I have the certificate to prove it.
***I asked for a copy of the film. I was told:
1. It was not available.
2. Your security clearance doesn't go that high.
3. Finally "What film?"
OK, I think I made a movie for the CIA.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Trained pilots for years and I've heard MANY a hilarious story about buzzing control towers, almost dying, etc.
Flying in such an exposed cockpit must be an amazing feeling.
bet they had to hose the lido deck off
And we were certainly in violation of civilian flight rules.
But this was simulated combat conditions, so we got a pass.
Yeah, it was a straight wing with tip tanks.
I logged a few hours in one.
I rode on this ship while at the WS Biological Station, always wondered if it was built around a trawler design
AGI means "Auxiliary General Intelligence." It's the official name of the kind of ship you see here...which were originally designed as fishing trawlers and were later converted to spy ships.
I better not tell too many Mike Wimer stories or you'll think I'm making shit up...
The incident in question happened when his unit needed to move a truck with a TTR-1A wiretap in it - which looks like...
from the east end of the Panama Canal to the west end. His commander assigned Mike and another guy to do it. They put the vehicle on a barge, they put a case of beer on the barge, and they started heading through the Canal.
Several hours later, they were halfway through the Canal and two-thirds of the way through the case when they met a Soviet AGI going the other direction. Being Americans who were both patriotic and extremely fucked-up (in more ways than one), they flipped off the AGI. Turns out this particular ship was equipped with four five-inch deck guns and a crew with absolutely no sense of humor, as evidenced by them training all four guns on Mike.
Thanks for this story, Mr. Trof! 
