Minor Correction bobbycv64 - aircraft carriers still do everything <wink> -- and you are not correct to proclaim "-fact they were the first on carriers, no one else" - both aspects false. As for the Later, Brits, French, and Japanese all got into aircraft carriers very early. But the U.S. began naval aviation - look up Eugene Ely, USS Birmingham - takeoff -1910; recovery 1911.
At 1:40 you can REALLY tell how much it was pitching. It amazes me what these pilots (and crew of course)are able to accomplish. If you're watching this one....you've probably already seen the one at night.....I can only imagine....JESUS!! Great job!!!!!
Kitty Hawk crewmember 1989-1993. We went through sea trials after the ship came out of drydock. It really is amazing to be in the hangar bay when they were doing hard turns. It gives you an uncertain feeling when a ship that size lists as a result of the turn. In answer to one of the questions on here, there are eyelets all over the flight deck, and when the aircraft are on the flight deck, they are chained with come-a-long type devices to the deck. We went around the horn of South America in November 1992 and saw similar seas. We had aircraft in the hangar and on the flight deck. Flight deck aircraft are nested together and tied down, all outside weather decks were off limits to everyone for the duration of the storms, and no flight ops. There is a strong but subtle vibration (which is more noticeable in the forward part of the ship) when hitting large waves like the one in this video. On a ship this size, you can still eat dinner without worrying about your plate or glass sliding on the table--that is much more than I can say for destroyers or frigates....get your barf bag ready...lol
The USS Midway was the master of rolling decks. She would rock and roll in calm seas. Supposedly, they tried to fix the problems with blisters on the hull, but it didn't help. I remember the first week I was on the ship and praying to the gods to "just make it stop" because I was physically wore out. There was no such thing as walking in a straight line. Landings were certainly interesting, but so were launches. Seeing aircraft slide around on deck kept you on your toes. We did hurricanes too!
I've been in this kind of storm before. It's amazing how the ocean can make even an aircraft carrier seem small, no joke! Don't fuck with mother nature.
Why do people who upload stuf on youtube inflict on us their shitty and juvenile taste in music? It's like a jackhamer on my skull and has nothing to do with the subject! I wanted to watch this as I was on the Lake Champlain way back when. Instead I get assaulted by adolescents..
Jeez, the guys w/brooms must've been to clean the s#*t out of the cockpits! I thought it was hard putting a Cessna 172 down in a strong crosswind. Kudos to ALL you crazy carrier guys!!!!!
Who said that cat shots were the easy part? I always hoped that the Cat. Officer hadn't had too much to drink. I always feared getting screwed into one of those 40 footers. My F4 was NOT a submarine.
In the old days (1966-71) The LSO would disconnect the Ball, and operate it manually. No matter the pitching deck he could keep the plane on an approach path to landing. Our Skipper Cdr. Daily (VA-15) would not accept "pitching deck" as any sort of excuse for a Bolter, in fact to him there was no excuse ever.
Theirs a difference between Air Force / Navy-Marines/ Army / Coast Guard Helos/Fixed Wing The Air Force and Army/ Helos/Planes are meant to withstand sand/rain from flying. But the Navy/Marines/CoastGuard Helos/Planes are meant to withstand the rusting from saltwater and are more better protected from salt water. That is why the Navy flys the F18 and the AF flys the F15-16
is it just me or did the water not look that rough. i can see the boat going up and down, but the waves don't look that big. i wish you could have shown some cat shots.
Pitching deck at night was actually less scary for the fact that you couldn't see the pitching. You still had the night pucker factor though, especially when there was no divert.
Its not a sixty foot wave. The ship is travelling downward and it splits the wave. A sixty foot wave would have washed across the deck. Not sprayed a little water onto it.
Awesome video. And wow is that deck pitching!!! can't wait to get back out there! Pitching decks, 14 hour days, 100+ degree temps, sweat, jet exhaust, and all. Nothing beats a good hard day on the flight deck (or night).
