EA-18G Growler Returns to the Skies Five Years After a Mid-Air Collision. WHIDBEY ISLAND, Wa. -- An EA-18G Growler attached to Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 129, successfully completed a functional check flight at Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island, Oct. 17, marking the end of a complex transformation process for an aircraft thought to be beyond repair. This five-year effort demonstrates large-scale teamwork between multiple organizations over an extended timeline.