• 20 October – 15 November 1951: During training operations in the
Caribbean, the squadron operated aboard three different carriers. They departed from
Norfolk, Virginia aboard and then transferred to while the ships were off the coast of Puerto Rico. A couple of days later the squadron was transferred to while operating at sea. • January–April 1956: The squadron operated aboard the Navy's first super carrier, , during her shakedown cruise. • October 1956 The Squadron Flew from Oceana, VA to San Diego, CA to join the USS Bennington CVA-20 to test how fast a CAG could be re-positioned from the East Coast to the West Coast. The squadron was deployed aboard the Bennington for nine months. Visiting Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, Australia and crossing the Equator at the International date line. Thus making the Crew and Air Group Golden Shellbacks. The ship returned to Hawaii then to San Diego, May 1957. The Squadron returned to Oceana Naval Air Station. • 24 October 1958: The primary mission of VA-42 was changed to the training of fleet replacement pilots in the
AD Skyraider. The training involved all-weather flight training, low-level navigation flights, simulated special (i.e., nuclear) weapons training flights, conventional weapons training flights, and day and night carrier qualifications. • 19 February 1959: VA-42 graduated its first AD Skyraider replacement pilot. • 9 March 1959: With the acquisition of the
T-28B aircraft, VA-42's instrument instructors used this plane to conduct all-weather flight training for the light attack community. • 10 November 1962: VA-42 pilots flew three A-1H Skyraiders from
NAS Argentia,
Newfoundland, to
Naval Station Rota, Spain, via
Lajes Field,
Azores. The squadron claims this was the first trans-Atlantic flight conducted by
A-1H Skyraiders. • 1 February 1963: VA-42 became the first fleet squadron to receive the
A-6A Intruder. The squadron also initiated the Fleet Introduction Program for the all-weather A-6A. VA-42's new mission was the training of A-6A Bombardier/Navigators, also known as B/N's, as well as its pilots. It was also responsible for conducting the A-6A Fleet Replacement Aviation Maintenance Program which trained maintenance personnel. • 12 June 1963: VA-42 received the first A-6A (bureau number 149939) with a complete weapon system, thereby permitting the initiation of weapon system indoctrination flight training program for VA-42's instructor pilots and bombardier/navigators. • 3 September 1963: Formal flight training in the A-6A fleet replacement program began with the convening of Class 1-63. This training was for VA-75 pilots and bombardier/navigators. • 8 September 1963: The squadron's last A-1H Skyraider (bureau number 135324) was transferred. This brought to a close the training of A-1 replacement pilots by VA 42. VA-42 still maintained one A-1E and two T-28Bs for use in propeller instrument training. • 14 October 1963: The squadron conducted the first fleet night arrested landings and catapult launchings with the A-6A aboard the USS
Forrestal. • 12 March 1964: The squadron's last T-28B was transferred, and the instrument training program for fleet A-1 pilots came to an end. Two days later, their last Skyraider, an A-1E, was transferred. • 13 March 1964: VA-75 became the first fully trained fleet A-6A squadron ready for deployment following successful completion of VA-42's fleet introduction program on the A-6A. • 15 December 1964:
VMA-242 became the first Marine Corps squadron to complete transition training in the A-6A and qualify for fleet deployment with the Intruder. • 28 January 1968: With the acquisition of the
TC-4C aircraft, VA-42 was able to provide more training on airborne radar operation for A-6A bombardier/navigators. The new aircraft was equipped with a complete A-6A cockpit console and weapon system, multiple bombardier/navigator stations, plus
ECM equipment, and other radar operational capabilities. • November 1968: VA-42's A-6A pilot training syllabus was modified to include lessons learned from the Intruder's employment in combat. The new tactics phase included air combat maneuvering and
AIM-9 Sidewinder missile shoots, while conventional weapons training was made more realistic. • 12 November 1969: With the acquisition of the updated Intruder, the A-6B, in June 1969, the squadron developed a new training syllabus for the A-6B
Standard ARM aircraft and a detachment from
VA-165 became the first to complete this course of instruction on 12 November 1969. • 21 November 1969: The squadron assumed the duties of providing A-6 orientation training for Air Intelligence Officers reporting to fleet A-6 squadrons. Lieutenant(jg) Erickson became the first Air Intelligence Officer to complete the training on 21 November 1969. • 1 October 1971: When COMMATWING ONE was established on 1 October, VA-42 was reassigned from COMFAIRNORFOLK to this command, and VA-42's Commanding Officer, CDR Andrassy, was also assigned as Commander of Medium Attack Wing One, making him dual-hatted. • 5 January 1973: VA-42's Commanding Officer, CDR Zick, was relieved of his duties as COMMATWING ONE by CAPT Turk ending the dual-hatted role of the squadron's commanding officer. • 1980: Lieutenant (jg) Beth Hubert was trained as an A-6 Intruder pilot by VA-42 and became the first woman naval aviator to qualify as an A-6 pilot. • January 1982: VA-42 implemented a training program for the
Harpoon missile system. • June 1982: A VA-42 pilot became the first female naval aviator to make an arrested landing in an A-6 during carrier qualifications on . • 19 October 1992: Name and insignia officially changed to "Thunderbolts" and old insignia of VA-176. • 30 September 1994: officially disestablished. ==Assignments==