I love the contrast of the younger guys laughing and betting whether or not the pilot gets on board and the older guy at 17:10. You can tell... he knows.
I spent 21 years in the Navy, spent my time on the flight decks of more than one Carrier. I can proudly say that Naval Aviators are the best there are. Landing a plane on a pitching deck, at night with no moon, that takes a very special type of a person.
The pilot in the beginning, Cmdr. Favor, is the same guy that talked about the UFO encounter on the news a year or so ago. Extraordinary pilot and leader. It makes the encounter story more credible in my eyes.
That is amazing, I did not know this! Just off this short piece alone, you learn a lot about the individuals on board that boat. The way that man carries himself, I feel bad for any enemy pilots that ran into him...
CDR Fravor CO VF41 Black Aces. 11:00…. “Never ask your men, or women, to do something you’re not willing to do yourself.” The epitome of leadership. Bravo fucking Zulu CDR!!!!!
11:27 "Come on Jell-O, come on Jell-O" referring to Vincent "Jell-O" Aiello, the pilot we see at 3:00 and these days the host of the Fighter Pilot Podcast
I expect quite a few got sea-sick their first days aboard, but they do get used to it. What I can't imagine, as a GA pilot myself, is landing on a pitching deck! That has to be difficult! I bet more than one had a rather rough landing. And landing exactly so your tail-hook catches (or if it doesn't, hopefully the net will!) -- bless them all!
I imagine some of those pilots got the wet diaper award. That's where you pee your pants. I would have. I served on a carrier, but I wasn't flight crew or a pilot, and I thank my lucky stars I wasn't but those pilots did have my complete and utmost respect.
That last pilot went up to replace a less experience pilot. He didn't want to be out there and he certainly wasn't going to let someone else do it. On top of that he was the last pilot to get aboard so he had no support in terms of extra fuel. Amazing.
Yes, he took a chance IF there wasn't another tanker up there, but I'm sure he knew what he was doing, (another tanker COULD have been sent if needed) still, he went willingly for his men, you have to hand that to him! They DO look out for their own. Safe landings to all of them!
James Hanscombe - that’s why he’s the Commanding Officer of that wing. He showed great leadership recognizing the situation and taking the flight himself. Then he landed on his first pass. That’s very impressive.
From someone who wore AF blue for 25 yrs, I have nothing but the highest regard for carrier crews, from the pilots themselves to the deck crews, whether they're refueling crews, weapons, or any of the other positions. Arguable the single most dangerous work environment there is...even on a good day. Props to our Navy brethren and sisters!
Jodi was Air Force SK. And yes, a cable could snap but unlikely these days. Several people have lost limbs to arresting cables coming apart in the past.
A mark of a great officer who cares about their team. Willing to stand in place during dangerous situations as to not risk the lives of someone less experienced.
Only because he couldn't convince the 'other guy' not to conduct the operation in the 1st place. Failed at Diplomacy, Succeeded in the Battle. Politics.
I’ve watched this video multiple times, as a retired submariner I have a new found respect for my surface shipmates. My son is an AC on the Regan. I appreciate you posting this for everyone to see.
I'm impressed and amazed at the skill all of you have. Thank you so much for your missions that you go out on and come home from. Thank you for being out there. You are always so very much appreciated and grateful for your service. Semper Fidelis
jamesd2128 I agree. I'm fascinated with carriers and have seen a number of documentaries on them. I know they edited and revised this one a bit even after initial release, but I'm trying to remember which documentary series ended with the command staff expressing surprise at some of what the enlisted chose to share. I don't think it was this one, but I can't remember which other one it might have been.
I'm thinking it might well've been this series. I was surprised and pleased that the DOD didn't put the kibosh on this documentary, given that the contents were not all sunshine and lollipops. The straight shooting I observed in this series, made me all the more impressed by the men and women of the USN.
jamesd2128 lol. Have you ever deployed on a carrier? They definitely polished that documentary up. They didn't show them eating the same thing for two weeks because we're running out of food. They don't show where 150 people are using toilets that you are not able to flush for 48 hrs because you are not in an area to dump the shit in the ocean. They didn't show you sitting in the gulf for 2 months in a 120 degree oven. They didn't show the JP5 (jet fuel) tainted water you drink. I can go on and on.
One career that is NEVER routine and boring !! Hats off to these courageous pilots and also the carrier deck crews , you HAVE to be very switched on at all times to do any of these tough jobs. From an ex British Army paratrooper.
Thank you all for your service and your sacrifices you are truly a rare breed. Just being on that pitching deck would be terrifying and to try to land on one for get it. You folks are amazing.
3:38 We were off the coast of Japan at the start of our Deployment (Kitty Hawk's last from San Diego before transferring to Yokosuka). We were having some pitching deck thanks to a distant Typhoon, a Pilot from VF-51 tried coming aboard and the result you see is of a ramp strike. Both Pilot and RIO survived. Pilot though, came down in the flames and suffered severe burns and had to be medivaced back stateside. RIO suffered only a sprained ankle and was flying again in a few days. Until about 10-15 seconds before the rampstrike... I was watching recovery ops from my SRBOC sponson directly under the ramp on the 03 level. I could literally slap the round down right under the ramp. I was just shutting the inner door on the lightlocker leading out onto the sponson when she hit.
Joseph Haynes An AT2 is an E5 sailor who has the rating of Petty Officer 2nd class (Sergeant in Army or Marines, Staff Sergeant in Air Force) and the rate of Aviation Electronics Technician (AT). ATs work on aircraft communications and navigation equipment. AQs work on airborne fire control and radar systems. AXs handle airborne antisubmarine warfare equipment, and AWs are inflight antisubmarine equipment operators. I was a TD2 Training Device Technician. F-4B/J radar interception trainer.
Joseph Haynes Don't feel like the Lone Ranger! Spec #s vs ranks confuse me, so we're even. The Navy system is more logical since it gives you rank and job category all in one simple alphanumeric.
I think the most surprising thing for me was the last pilot on the deck earlier saying "Do I agree or disagree with it? It's not for me to say. It's probably beyond where we needed to be". Put that in contrast with the Captain's basically saying "No, we need to push through and do it". In the end when the captain scraps the night ops ahead of time, you can see the pilot was right. What is amazing is an officer publicly criticizing the captain. As a former military person myself, that kind of criticism is usually given behind closed doors, and I respect the navy here for allowing it.
I was a Flight Deck Troubleshooter on 2 Nam cruises. This video brought back some crazy, wonderful memories. I LOVED working the "Roof" and still have TREMENDOUS respect for our pilots!
As a member of the crew who shot this it was terrifying to try to hand on whilst the carrier bopped around .. These carrier crews and pilots are ultra professionals ..
As a Ret. USAF veteran, all I can say to Our US NAVY, is a Hand Salute, and thanks to all that served. As we go forward in life, you see the depths of training in every environment make soldiers for life in every arena.
I think about my time in the military and the one thing that I always tell guys who are thinking about joining is that it's a young man's playground, the most fun you will ever have while facing the most danger you will ever see. My God, some of the best memories that I will ever have and I will cherish them forever. Only those who have been there will understand that grin on my face as I rock my last days away on my front porch.
You guys rock man you impressed me so much I'm getting Goose Bumps up and down my shoulders you guys are so awesome God Bless America thank you for your service you guys are so awesome I'm proud to be an American I Love You Keep On Truckin I love
It's the squadron CO's job; take care of his people and lead by example. He took his nugget pilot's tanker flight for her, then showed the kibbitzers in the ready room an OK 3 wire on his first pass. Can you spell PROFESSIONAL?
I wonder if he gets dinged by his superiors for failure to delegate? Like, why are you doing tanker runs as the CO when you should be doing awesome leader stuff blah blah failure to develop your pilots and so on.
Greg Shane Maybe, but I doubt it. His superiors have all been in his shoes and faced the same kinds of decisions. They also are aware that the successes of women in Naval Aviation is still a sensitive PR issue. If his nugget tanker pilot has a successful flight, it goes unnoticed. If she fails spectacularly, it's bad PR. It's a lose/lose situation. Guess who has to write the letters to next of kin of the two crew lost in the event. Guess who gets to sit in front of a board of investigation if she crashes on deck and starts a fire that threatens the entire ship. He knows her landing record. You and I do not. It's all about risk management.
Incredible bravery, skill and professionalism not only from those pilots but the rest of the crew too. I'm a British ex serviceman and would be honoured to serve among these amazing people.
Number one it's a job like anyother and how ya handle it is like anyother. In civilian life there are also jobs where ya need to pay attention to detail and how ya do your thing... The Navy taught me that from my inception and I never once dumped a single plane in the drink not once. The flight deck spelled home and good food to me... I am grateful to every man and woman I ever served with... In my day we were the best of the best couldn't be beaten by nobody... I owe my life to the U.S. Navy.
The carriers always looked rock solid to us. We were on a DDG (Guided Missile destroyer. 512ft. Beam; 60ft at widest point. We did some rock-n-rollin'. Amazing to see a pitching deck like this. Fair winds and following seas shipmates.
I'm ex USAF, not a pilot, an engineer, - I was in flight test and the navy test pilots were mind glowingly good - yes I know USAF jocks ARE incredibly good too... this gave me white knuckles just watching it - the runway is NOT supposed to pitch and roll!! Hand salute to the Navy personnel -tough and VERY dangerous job! Thank you!
in the civilian world a lot of these fly commercial airlines...you can always tell the navy guys from the AF guys.....AF guys use the whooolllllleeee runway...lol..navy guys are up, wheels up and headed for the outer pattern by the time they pass the tower..lol
@@savoy69 and when landing the navy pilots tend to put the plane down a little harder , both branches have great pilots just different ways of landing and taking off
@@savoy69 This doesn't even make sense. Rotation speed dictates the point of lift-off, not style or experience. It's a aircraft performance and physics thing. With that said, I'll take this moment to say that Navy guys have to land on a ship, cool. But they land with full head-wind and almost zero crosswind (the ship lines up for them in the most favorable way) and take off IS automatic (they do nothing other than apply full power), and landing CAN be auto as well depending on the circumstance. This isn't 1950 anymore.
So much respect for these women and men who do this day in and day out. Makes my trails and tribulations of "pitch for speed and power for altitude" mantra in landing a Piper Cherokee on a stable, fixed runway seem like a darned joke. Thank all of you naval aviators for all that you do, everyday, everywhere!
Really? Are you being served? Like abroad or like by a broad? Say watches. Now say watch this. Watch less/time less/A.I.M. less/ W.O.P. less/ Swisha shwisha sha wiz bang. 6+ Ubu. bang.good dog. swatchless.Don t piss off the timekeeper trhat aint na jiudge sludge m nextrt5rime tell, me got gium on seat syndrome right ?] ]hw2.50/50 declarers cul;turtal invasivweness anticoupteratic. uh uberalis much?
Really what about the rescue helo's ? Huh they go out in the shit when you crashed. Then they have to fix your possibly horribly busted carcass. Coast Guard.
The photography on this posting is absolutely excellent. Watching Top Gun on a big screen was the standard I measure it against,and this was a pleasure to watch.
I was an AF flightline rat, could not imagine doing what I did on a pitching ship. Even the below deck maintenance would be a nightmare. My dad was a Radar Operator on a destroyer in 1959 or 60, he has told me some pretty crazy high seas stories.
I served as enlisted with VF-11 on the USS Forrestal in the 1970"s. I remember a few nights when it took hours to get all the birds back. This video captures it so well. I felt like I was back on the boat while watching it.
The best video ever of what it means to be a Navy pilot. I wanted to fly Navy, got hit with a baseball bat in 5th grade. (pick up game and I was a catcher.....no protection....dude swung and let go, hit my left cheek.) Left eye goes crossed. No depth perception. Russia, China????? Go away because of these men and women.
nikonian1116 everyone’s got a story like this, chances are 99% of you ‘colorblind’ ‘cross-eyed’ ‘too tall’ guys never would have made the cut regardless. Don’t beat yourself up over it.
Keep at it. When you can consistently plant it on the numbers, on centerline and stop in two stripes, you can apply to the AOC program. Then someday maybe you can have your very own "night in the barrel".
@@williamsanders5066: "chuckle"... A pilot friend once remarked to me: "In a three hour flight, there are two hours and forty five minutes of boredom, and fifteen minutes of sheer terror."
Wow, god bless our aviators. I could feel the tension just watching this on my computer, I cant imagine in real life the pressure these folks feel every day.
I would hope that every time I fly on a commercial airline that the pilots are x-NAVY pilots! These pilots have got to be the best in the world. Hats off to them all!!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸⚓GO NAVY⚓🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
You allude to the point which Capt. Chesley Sullenberger made after the 'Miracle on the Hudson' which was his experience level versus that of the new crop of pilots. His comments ticked off a lot of pilots but he was exactly right.
@@MrLikeke Airline pilots don't need to have 2000hr in an F4 these days. It's frankly pretty easy work. Most kids straight out of college could learn to do it.
@@lachyt5247 I direct your attention to the Pilot Records Improvement Act (PRIA) which was necessitated by several high profile accidents. At the basis is the hiring process which allowed unqualified pilots to fill the seats. As a working pilot I have known some pilots who were woefully unqualified. So ill equipped that they constituted a danger to their passengers and the general public. I don't scare easily but some of these pilots have truly scared me. Several I was able to see the writing on the wall - that an accident was in their near future. Lo, they did have accidents which destroyed aircraft and have caused fatal injuries. I agree that it is easy work and it is not required to have thousands of hours of mil time. But it's not a bad idea since the bottom of all this is it is a 'people problem' (not only 'human factors') and mil discipline is beneficial to the career. I am not an accident investigator yet I have associated with a good number of them. Plus, I personally know the aviation directors of several university or state aviation departments. No, I am not a Riddle rat, I came up the hard way, I paid out of pocket at Part 61 schools and some advanced training at Part 141.
Us Navy ,and Marine pilots the best of the best in the world. as A retired Marine GySgt 22 + years Honorable service. thank you for your service in our great Military in defense of our Country.. "Semper Fi"
Good call by the skipper . Things just might get hot with the Chinese , and the sea isn’t going to go to a flat calm when you have to go up against the rice eaters. You’re looking at the best of the best . Stay safe USN/USMC🇺🇸
Everything looks different at night, even for this Sailboater in places well familiar during the day. I can't imagine landing at night on a deck that is kicking around like that at speed.
Watching carrier ops at night is crazy. The pilots are incredibly skilled to land on a moving postage stamp at night with very little lighting. Most chop I ever saw was heading out of the Med into the Atlantic. 40 foot waves. Nearly the entire ship was secured. No air ops, of course.
Our military deserve the salaries of the NFL, not a regular 9-5. This is how fucked our government is. Yeah. We may have the best military(not) but barely any money to live off of. Give our troops FHE salary of a NFL 1st string qb
@@xReaperDen I wouldn't say barely any money. These pilots are officers and make a respectable amount. I would love to see them being payed there fair share though.
My cousin tells stories about landing the E-2 Hawkeye on a pitching deck. He was the first to acknowledge it's not as bad as landing an F-14 (career based fighter of the time), but he described the E-2 as like jumping the Grand Canyon in a milk truck. In pitching seas where the deck is swapping 15 degree grades in each direction, timing becomes a huge factor. With an approach speed of 135 kts, timing the landing is next to imposable, so luck plays a huge part. We own these guys a truckload of gratitude for hanging it out there.
Okay, they are getting tossed around some, I understand how this is VERY difficult for the pilots flying from the ship. For the rest of the crew, they don't know what rough is! Take a look at the escort ships, the cruisers, destroyers and maybe a friendly frigate. THOSE are the ships getting tossed around. I have been down in the roaring 40's of the South Pacific in an 11,000 ton cruiser with swells taller than the ship! When walking down a passageway you had to walk on the floor and sometimes put a foot on the wall to not fall over. We had to strap ourselves into our racks and wedge ourselves in so we wouldn't fly out and we didn't get much sleep! That said I have 4 family members currently serving in the US NAVY! Thank you to all, GO NAVY!!
Keith Johnston And because they're so thin skinned a 20MM round can go right through the hull and out the other side. Ever hit a soup can full of water with a rifle bullet?
This ship went around the horn during a hurricane with 100ft swells. The rest of the fleet turned and ran. Believe me with enough water this big baby will move. That is water over the flight deck by the way.
Try that on a 206' flat bottom LSMR in 80+ ft seas, I saw waves higher than the bridge. It took us some 3 months to cross the Pacific, one storm after another. Now that's one hell of a ride. There were a lot of boots who were saying prayers every night, and kissed the ground when we tied up at Yokosuka. But I'd do that again before I'd try to land on a pitching flat top..
The brash self-confident arrogance of Navy carrier pilots may grate on me, a lot, but I understand why they are that way, and I find myself admiring and respecting what they do.
I was on the Nimitz 83-87 Operation Specialist, Navy pilots cool and laid-back compared to surface officer!!!!! Lt Drew (Dark Gable) Brown invited a young OSSN (I was mess cranking) into the ward room to talk, tellig me all about Muhammad Ali and his dad, who was Boudini Brown one of Ali's handlers.
I think being brash, arrogant and self confident is part of the job description and if it isn't, it should be. U.S. Navy pilots, the absolute BEST in the world! GO NAVY! 🇺🇸
That is the attitude you have to have to do what they do. People that aren't supremely self confident would never have the balls to even get on the cat.
This is why we have the best Navy in the world. You can steal all the blueprints and manuals you want. But generations of experience and training; from building to sailing, can't be copied out of a book.
I was army and while never on a fighting Navy ship I sailed across the North Atlantic from New York City to Bremerhaven , Germany on a 600 foot troop carrier in the middle of January, pitching deck is a very nice word for what we experienced.
michmvp: Oh, yeah. Even more difficult on the flight deck at night. Fifty years later, I still have visible marks on both shins! Good God; has it been 50 years...?
michmvp: I was Aviation Ordnanceman with VA-192. Did two WESTPAC cruises in Ticonderoga (CVA-14) and one in Oriskany (CVA-34) in the 4 years I was in the Navy. Thanks for asking.
I was an AO also. Fresh out of boot camp, followed by AO "A" School and then to VF-101 at NAS Oceana where I lasted 6 months and then attended STA-21. Loved the Navy!
I was on USS Independence CVA 62 for 4 years,,, we have some of the best pilots in the world. A great ship... I was 18, worked on the Meat Ball, and the TV cameras in the deck,,, a thing about those landings. We could have caught the back end of a storm or were going into one. Often times they are hard to avoid. Once we get out of storm,, its back to flight operations. But they have to get the plane back on deck no matter what the weather is like. So many Brave Pilots,, Bravo Zulu to you all and all who serve.
