Odds 'n Ends
Page 4
Topics posted to this page relate to carrier operations.

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Carrier Flightdeck Ops

• (1/30/13)EXTERNAL Video Link: Flightdeck Operations USS Franklin D. Roosevelt CVA 42 - 1964 This is a 15 minute, color, expertly narrated video showing flightdeck operations.
  
  USS Roosevelt (Rosy) I only did carrier qualifiers on CVA 42, of the 4 carriers I was on (#'s 42, 59 Med. Cruise, 65 Med. & world cruise, 66 qualifiers). It was the only one that had the forward elevator in the center and it had bunks 5 high in some compartments. Some good video, launch and recovery every one and half hours. Teamwork! Makes me wanna go back; where are my dog tags?? Sailors Till The End,-- Robert King
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  This cruise was the 15th Mediterranean Cruise 1964. CDR Robert A Komoroff, operations Officer mentioned early in the first video where it was taken at Cecil Field, was killed while on a sortie (see two videos later) on this cruise. He listed as one of those eight listed in my cruisebook who died during the cruise.
  
  No, I didn't see myself or anyone I knew in the videos though it sure brings back a lot of old memories and loud noises from the flighdeck.
  
  The carrier was enroute to the Med on April 28 1964 and returned to Mayport on Dec 22, 1964. Lost a blade from screw no. 1 on Sept 28 and arrived in Bayonne New Jersey on Oct 13 where the screw and shaft were replaced. Enroute to Cannes 10 days later. ---Greg Engler



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• VS-31 night crash on USS Wasp:Flight Deck Crash and Survival -Contributed by Marion Swinford



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• Adobe File (.pdf) Griping account of: RVAH photo Vigilante ejection and recovery "Ah..605, I believe you left a tank behind!"



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• (7/8/12): VIDEO Good video and discussion of carrier landings Contributed by Ernie Halley



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• VIDEO: Night Carrier Landing

  
  [WARNING!! Large video file (2 MB): High Speed Internet Recommended. TURN YOUR SOUND UP!!] Here is a video of a night carrier landing. The first light that you see is on top of the ship. As you get in closer you finally see the landing area. Off to the left of the landing area you can see the green datum lights for the "meatball" (the orange light in the middle of the green lights). This pilot is right on glide slope as the "meatball" is right between the green datum lights. If the "meatball" was high, then the aircraft would be high and if the "meatball" was low, then the aircraft would be low. Enjoy, Don Chapman
  
  Click here to see Night Carrier Landing



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More Carrier Ops & Carrier History--Past & Present

• Great early photos: The First Carrier --Take-off and landing



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• (Adobe .pdf format) Click for WW II Japanese: -Submarine Aircraft Carrier -Late WW II Japanese secret plan to attack the US & Panama Canal. LARGE FILE: MAY LOAD SLOWLY FOR DIALUP CONNECTIONS -- Contributed by: Walt Quist



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• (2/7/13) A great website page History of the USS Essex CV 9 Includes two videos: A Japaneses aircraft crashes into the flightdeck in the Pacific; A F4D on catapult with sound taken by a VFP-62 Photo Interp Officer. Much more including the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis participation. Contributed by J.J. McKenna



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• Here are two absolutely outstanding videos about F-18 carrier operations aboard the USS Nimitz during weather that causes a severely pitching deck, which you can see in the videos. It's more dangerous than most combat missions and the tension in the pilots and crew is very apparent.
  
  Watch part 1 first.
  Great videos...each one is about 10 minutes long...
  
  Carrier Landing on a pitching deck ( Part 1 )
  
  Carrier Landing on a pitching deck ( Part 2 )
  

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• Reactions, Commentaries, & Reviews on: PBS Documentary: "Carrier" -10 Hour series on modern day life on the USS Nimitz



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• Rough Seas on the 90,000 ton USS Kitty Hawk- [WARNING!! Large video file (5+ MB): High Speed Internet Recommended.]
  
  Click here to see USS Kitty Hawk in a storm The aircraft seen in the attached video is a helo from a deployed helicopter squadron (HS-14) based at the U..S. Naval Air Facility in Atsugi , Japan .... The carrier is the USS Kitty Hawk, based in Yokosuka , Japan . The 'Hawk' was underway for CQ (Airwing Carrier Qualifications) in the Sea of Japan during the week of March 22, 2008. The chopper seen on the ship's bow, tied down at helo Spot 2, is a Sikorsky SH-60F from HS-14.
  
  The pilot had just landed on deck, and his helo was tied down on Spot 2 because the seas were too rough to move it to a safer place. Fortunately, it only suffered some minor damage (blade crutch support socket) and a lot of salt water intrusion from the sea. While viewing the video, please remember that the carrier's flight deck is approximately 60' above the ship's normal water line.
  
  Contributed by John LaGrant



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• Good flight deck video:Royal Navy carrier ops --Even a F4!! -Contributed by Scott Ruby

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• Landing cable breaks on the USS George Washington causes FA-18 crash and injuries to flight deck crew. [WARNING!! Large video file (2 MB): High Speed Internet Recommended.]
  
  Click here to see FA-18 crash video Contributed by Walt Quist



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• VIDEO of A6 Carrier Landing

  - [WARNING!! Large video file (2+ MB): High Speed Internet Recommended. TURN YOUR SOUND UP!!]
  
  Click here to see the video



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• EXTERNAL VIDEO LINK: U2 Landing on USS Ranger In 1963, the CIA tried carrier-based U-2 operations to overcome range limitations. After CIA pilots took off and landed U-2s on the USS Ranger and other ships, carrier-based U-2s were used to monitor French nuclear tests on Moruroa in 1964. For more information, Google "U2 carrier landing". Contributed by Ernie Halley
  
  
  • (2/1/13) Adobe (.pdf): Declassified Documents on U-2 carrier Ops --20 page very detailed plans, modifications, training, and sea trials. Contributed by Pete Hanner

End-of-the-road for these Cold War Carriers

Navy photo (circa 2010) of "junk carriers" waiting their fate:
USS Independence (CV 62), Kitty Hawk (CV 63), Constellation (CV 64) and Ranger (CV 61)
tied up and waiting scrapping in Bremerton, Washington.
"The idea of scrapping these ships will bring a tear to many old salts," Bruce Nason adds with this photo contribution.

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