Aircraft Carrier's Crew hand signals explained - preflight and launch 

🤣 Just for the benefit of an interested Limey unfamiliar with all that NAVAIR paperwork, which manual defines snapping a balled fist out of a cupped hand?

@@warringtonminge4167 It's not in the NATOPS, it is an unofficial signal.

@@russellg9158 pretty much as I expected (hence the ROFL smiley at the start😉) but thanks for the confirmation 👍

When I was a young turd shirt in the RAG, I was out doing hot brakes and had a student pilot almost run me over twice. I gave him the "pull your head out of your ass" and "you watch me" signals, then tried again. The jet didn't move the third time. lol

Great story. Well, sometimes people forget to check their egos before they hop in a jet. I'm glad it's not an ongoing daily thing because that would ad an additional level of complication to an organized chaos.

They'd have to do it in slow motion, like this video; there's too much happening in a short amount of time. The audience might be too far away to see the details. Not sure how they'd simulate the JBDs and catapult. But it would be interesting.

@@grizwoldphantasia5005 Yeah, I can't see any way that this could work. Even if they just demoed up to the point of the aircraft being authorized to launch, the plane still has to move around under its own power before that point. So it's far too loud to allow the audience anywhere close enough to see what's going on. And the whole reason the hand signals are needed is that it's too loud to hear the commentary.

Thanks for Your feedback Mate:) Appreciate it

@@x-planed No, thank you for the time and attention to detail you put into this outstanding video.

@@michaelmappin4425 I take it you've done this before? If so you guys don't get enough credit for the extremely professional and highly dangerous job you do. For the record I always thought the opening scene in Top Gun made the deck crew look bad ass hats off to ya.

@@warrenchambers4819 yes sir. I was on 6 different carriers. I started off in crash and salvage but wore a yellow shirt from 1989 to 2012. Thank you for your kind comments. I love the opening sequence in Top Gun. Even though it was a hodgepodge of the days activities, it's still pretty awesome. The one thing I would cut out is the yellow shirt standing back by the arresting gear making a funky kick and arm pull thing. That guy was just goofing around and it isn't any official gesture. Everything else happens daily in one form or another. As far as the rest of the movie goes, they should have used official radio comms instead of that Maverick has the ball garbage. It is way cooler. LSO: Three quarters of a mile, call the ball Mav: one one four Tomcat ball, three five LSO: Roger ball

@@michaelmappin4425 to the untrained eye, the funky kick and arm pull thing made that whole operation look badass and fun. That opening scene was everything! Thanks for the additional detail as I watch for educational purposes.

You gotta be aware of your surroundings is the big thing they enforce. Not being aware or paying attention will cause accidents such as getting hit by crossing a safety line drawn on the deck of not watching your step while actively workin on top of the supers. the big dangers are launches and landings since those are usually were most accidents take place.

Spent some time as a red shirt on USS Independence. After shore duty I was assigned IM3 division on USS Saratoga. I used to go up to Vultures Row and watch flight ops. I was on Sara from 1972 through 1975.

I was a supply clerk on USS Midway 1973-6, and never got tired of watching flight ops from vultures row. My main memories of an F-4 Phantom launch are the afterburners making it too hot to watch (from, say, 50 feet up and 200 feet back) for more than a second or two; the guy who heaved on the leading edge, then ducked underneath and repeated his shoving on the opposite side (on the non-folding section, so I guessed he was making sure the leading edge slats were locked); how the first movement on launch was the plane hunkering down and compressing the struts; and then picking up speed and flying. I seem to remember one launch where the F-4 actually dropped out of sight below the flight deck for a second or two. which probably looked a lot more dramatic to me just because of how far after I was. I never did pick up on all the hand signals, just the basics, but the description as "organized chaos" sure was accurate from what I could see. I also remember watching landings on the ships TV. One of the lenses was near the forward end of the landing zone, smack in the middle, and I swear, half the F-4 landings, the two nose wheels would run over that lens one on each side; that accuracy always amazed me. Also, the tire shop was aft end of the hangar, and dead tire carcasses were so stiff you could walk on them almost without any wiggle. The F-4 nose landing gear doors said pressure was 350 PSI land, 450 PSI ship, always made me giggle to think of steel harder than concrete, even though I knew it was that land landings flare and land much more softly. Thanks for the education some 50 years later :)

E6 Radioman here too. USS George Phillip

As a Plane Captain years ago, it’s definitely a choreographed mayhem all done with extreme precision. You can’t get much more professional than those folks on the flight deck.

Then you’ve never been in a hot LZ with a Marine

@@chuckremlinger2982 "some of" doesn't mean "the most". Learn some reading comprehension.

I thought it was fun.

I honestly wouldn’t say “the bravest or most professional”. Most of these young kids had no clue what they would endure when they signed up to be an AB. And most times it’s the undesignated Airman that gets thrown into that particular AB rate that they have to try and adapt to. Most love it and give it their all, that’s the bravest and professional. And then you have those that are just going through the motions, and that isn’t worthy of any kind of recognition.

Thanks Mate:)

I agree too.

Concur -- very nicely done. Concise and mostly accurate -- most glaring error is "stop". Normal ops, director will show clenching fists for gradual braking to a full stop. The clenched fists + crossed arms is a signal for emergency STOP! Retired pilot USN.

Wow 22 years on the flight deck. Most impressive. I’d love to spend just one day watching Your work. It’s so fascinating. I’m sure You have some helluva stories to tell😍

22 years on a flight deck and you didn't spot the error 40 seconds in on NAVAIR 00-80T-113, figure 2-1. You scare me.

​@@howardtreesong4860wow, troll much?

Like watching Top Gun, errors everywhere. But still a good movie.

@@spev7989 It's the truth, right? The document contains an error. It's about the safety on a flight deck.

Sorry for my accent, I’m not a native, but I’ll try to improve. Thanks for the feedback though😉

@@x-planed It was an entirely understandable accent the whole way through, which puts you above a significant chunk of native English speakers!

@@BigStrap thanks Man. Appreciate it:)

@@x-planed Nothing wrong with your accent, I grew up around people with accents from all different parts of the world being an Air Force Brat living on Air Forces base for 18 years. You speak better that people that grew up speaking English as their first language in the US. There are really bad English speakers in this country that can not form a sentence properly.

@@x-planed …NEVER apologize for your accent….

Thanks for Your feedback. I wanted to add some info about above/below waist signals but I’ve noticed that marshallers and directors sometimes override this rule😉

They have hydraulic holdbacks these days. Basically the force of the cat forces fluid into a chamber and when high enough moves a ball check that allows it to fire and release.

Sure. I would take a lot more time to show all the signals so I focused on the most common ones:)

@@x-planed another aspect of signals isn't supposed to be so sloppy as seen in this video with those guys just waving their hands in the air. There is supposed to be a uniformity and precision with such. Otherwise, it's the signaler being lazy and uncaring about what the art of signaling is supposed to be. I worked at an airport and signaled/marshalled aircraft to their parking spot and having pilots approach me to ask where I learned how to signal like I do, I am proud to say the US Navy. 😁

@@Tomcatntbird Yeah I noticed that too. Sloppy didn't fly in my day.

Thanks You:)

Thank You. Hope U subscribed😉

Thanks Mate😉

Thank You:)

Thank You

Thank You😉

Thank You😉

Thanks man😉

Thanks for Your comment:)

Thanks. Hope U subscribed

He would have been correct up until 2009. Before that, pilots went to mil power upon yellow shirt direction. There was a NATOPS change for safety of the topside PO.

Me too:) Thanks for Your feedback bro:)

Yup, they're absolutely some cool as fuck people

Thanks very much:)

Thanks Mate!:)

Wow thanks Mate😉

Thank You. I apreciate it:)

I have a little over 300 hours in sailplanes. Most folks don't understand that you only get one shot at landing. No go-arounds. When I went for single engine, the instructor remarked on how smooth I was. Glider time tends to iron out any kinks.

Thank You. I would be grateful for subscribing. It'll help me develop the chanell:)

@@x-planed done

@@thebeardednurse187 thanks Mate:)

Thanks Mate😉

I remember seeing the KittyHawk come into Sydney Harbour over ten years ago now. What a beautiful ship. You could hear the sailors from a mile away because they were so loud and free 😂

Thanks Mate:)

Thank You😉

Thanks Mate:)

Likewise (+10 yrs). Got interested when I had the privilege as a (Royal) Navy cadet to stand on the deck of HMS Hermes when tied up in Grand Harbour Valletta with USS Forrestal alongside. Not the shabbiest summer camp for a schoolkid😎

Thanks Mate. Apreciate it😉

Thanks. I'm thinking about it:)

Thanks for the comment Mate😉

Thanks Mate:)

Sure. Another video just dropped. Check it out Mate and thanks for the comment:)

Bravo Zulu very well said… you must be so proud of your son please thank him for his Service and may God keep him and his fellow veteran safe!

No offence, but does Top Gun exist for real? I have always heard and read that it was just a fictional name for the movies.

I hope he is finally in his AE work center!

@@switchblade800x3 NAVAL AIR STATION FALLON in the Northern Nevada desert took over for NAS Miramar

Dzięki😉

It looks badass but i'm not jealous of them. That job is not to underestimate. I read in a comment before of a former shooter that they do shifts of 12 hours a day with very less sleep and its heavy and very dirty work.

@@switchblade800x3 you call it lack of sleep I call it mental training

@@mixtape9123 That's a good mentality to join the Navy, but its not for everyone.

LoL thanks Mate. I guess You’re the first one not complaining on my „wooden” accent😂

Thanks Mate🙂

Thanks

Same here. They only fly the F-16's and have no special aircraft fleet in the navy. I live in a boring country.

Thanks mate:)

Wow, thanks for this awesome comment Dude!:)

What the main reason for 'Aborts' at the catapult today???

@@alanhutchins5916 Hi Alan, I am not sure what you mean by "today" but to make it simple, you have two main types of reasons: Aircraft and Catapult/ship. Aircraft: Once the pilot salutes the "Shooter", he is "committed" and braces for the shot, left hand on the throttle(s)/throttle grip, right hand on the joystick/canopy rail, head in the ejection seat head rest, looking ahead. He may have a "Master Caution Light" lighting up, an engine spooling down, fire, etc... in which case the pilot will shake his head from side to side "no" and transmit on the radio (radio button is on the throttle lever) to abort. No matter what, he remains at MRT. Final checkers may see something coming down/dropping from the aircraft (leak, panel, smoke, fuel tank, ordnance...)... Catapult: The catapult may fail to generate the full pressure ("cold cat") which in theory would not break the link holding the aircraft back or worse break the link but "peter out" as the aircraft is moving down the track. Ship: Something/somebody including parts may obstruct the catapult track/path. It gets very, very "hairy" to be sitting at MRT knowing something is wrong, waiting for the catapult to be "untensioned" i.e. safe... Hope it helps, Happy Thanksgiving! Ciao, L

@@lancelot1953 as operational checks and balances and system reliability improves....in aircraft and the ship, the chances of an abort are minimised from past statistics......I am asking what is the majority reason for aborts these days....is is catapult system malfunctions more often than say Aircraft 'problems' as you describe......even before tension and MRT......regardless thanks for the response...Happy TG.

@@alanhutchins5916 Hi Alan, if you mean the new Electro-Magnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), this is after my days. I know that the Navy is having issues with this systems for the time being (like any new technologies); they will work it out. On steam-powered catapults, which is what I "experienced", and which are still in use on older carriers, the most common catapult-related "Abort" call would be insufficient and/or loss pressure in the catapult steam/piston system. This is a rare occurrence but is more likely to happen starting flight ops on cold days - this is why they warm up the system by cycling the catapult several times before actual flight ops. Understand that before the aircraft takes "tension", the catapult is "safe". Catapult control people have their arms in the air (meaning that they are not touching any controls). Once the pilot salutes (i.e. aircraft is "OK" from the pilot's perspective) and the final checkers have their "thumbs up", and the ramp is clear, the shooter gives the signal to "shoot". The catapult shooter presses the button and the pressure builds in the cylinder until the hold-back breaks, releasing the aircraft down the ramp. Once the hold-back breaks, the aircraft goes, even if he gets a "cold cat shot", the unfortunate pilot has to fly in ground effect (if sufficient speed) or more likely eject, which is not good with a 64,000 tons carrier behind you! Ciao, L

Thanks. Sure - I'm preparing another video about carriers:)

I could barely understand this guy’s heavy accent!

IYAOYAS

@@OrdieBob fuck yea

100% agree:)

Keep in mind though that the passenger list is rarely more than two, so boarding is much quicker... and their "luggage" is mostly carry on, so yeah, it's much quicker than a land based airport.

@@chrismaggio7879 plus the fact that an international airport is oftent way, way more busier...

A plane starting every 2 minutes is far to less for a commercial airport during rush hours. Eg. Frankfurt has 104 to 106 starts per hour. The plan in 2019 was to bring that number up to 126 per hour. That is 1 start/landing every 30 seconds (on 2 and a half runways - granted)

@@kallewirsch2263 2 1/2 runways at Frankfurt is for pussies, carriers have 4 cats🤣

Thanks Mate😉

Thanks a lot😉

@Gigi Banks….May God bless and protect them ALWAYS 🙋🏽‍♀️💕🛫

@@donnarupert4926 I thank you with all my heart. Merry Christmas!

Wow that’s awesome dude. Congratulations! Good luck

Thanks Mate. Hope U subscribed😉

You’re welcome😉

Thanks for Your feedback:)

That makes sense as the high angle nose wheel steering is disabled when the wings are extended.

Thanks for pointing that out. I aprecciate it:)

Thank You

You’re welcome. Hope U subscribed😉

You're absolutelly correct Mate. That's why I said "or". But You're right - maybe I should emphasize that the term is already obsolete:)

Hey I resemble that remark, I was a PC on the A4 Skyhawks in the Marine Corps.

Theyre still called grapes from time to time. Us red shirts, and line rats arent called those anymore. idk why grapes stuck better i guess

That's right. Did you know that if fully fueled an F-14 would have to go into afterburner in order to be launched. Otherwise, it'd go into the water as it was an incredibly heavy fighter jet.