 McCain recuperated just enough to pass his flight physical and have his flight status reinstated . In August 1974 , he was assigned to the Replacement Air Group VA @-@ 174 " Hellrazors " . This was an A @-@ 7 Corsair II training squadron located at Naval Air Station Cecil Field in Jacksonville and the largest aviation squadron in the Navy . He became its executive officer in 1975 , and on July 1 , 1976 , he was made VA @-@ 174 's commanding officer . This last assignment was controversial , as he did not have the required experience of having commanded a smaller squadron first ( something that he now had too high a rank to do ) . While some senior officers resented McCain 's presence as favoritism due to his father , junior officers rallied to him and helped him qualify for A @-@ 7 carrier landings . 
