Carrier operations.....

[Lucky13]

For those that thinks that carrier operations is hazardous today should take a look at these....from the "good old days". You better not let your mind slip.




From the USS Coral Sea Tribute Site.

[davparlr]

Originally Posted by Lucky13

For those that thinks that carrier operations is hazardous today should take a look at these....from the "good old days". You better not let your mind slip.


From the USS Coral Sea Tribute Site.

Nice Pixs. I suspect that it is not less hazardous today since one can get bit from both ends of the aircraft nowadays.

[syscom3]

Great pics!

[renrich]

Knew a fellow once who was a Navy pilot who was flying F4Fs when war broke out( had 10 kills in the Pacific) His last job in the Navy was project officer on the F111B. Asked him if landing on a carrier was more or less difficult today than when he started. He said much more difficult in 1941.

[davparlr]

Originally Posted by renrich

Knew a fellow once who was a Navy pilot who was flying F4Fs when war broke out( had 10 kills in the Pacific) His last job in the Navy was project officer on the F111B. Asked him if landing on a carrier was more or less difficult today than when he started. He said much more difficult in 1941.

Interesting comment. The overtake speed is much higher today, however, with no angled deck on the older carriers, missed wires could be exciting!

[machine shop tom]

While not aircraft-related, my dad told me of a guy on his CVE that ignored the warning siren on the aircraft lift. He got cut in half........

tom

[renrich]

dav, I think the angled flight deck is a big advantage as well as the mirror landing system. Some of the film shot of the early naval aviators trying to land on the Langley is very exciting.

[DOUGRD]

One big difference between now and the "Good Old Days"is back then you only had one thing to worry PROPS! Today you have a mixed bag of props (E2C's and C-2A's) Helos, and the jets. One of the toughest things to get used to is knowing which jets are running and which aren't. After a while you get used to looking at the cockpits. If it's manned consider it running. It's a little easier today because the number of different jet models has been reduced. When I was on carriers we had A-7's, A-6's, EA-6's, S-3's, F-14's, E-2's, H-3's so you really had to keep you head on a swivel. THE ONLY PLACE WHERE RUSH HOUR IS AT THE SPEED OF SOUND! You gotta love it!!

[DOUGRD]

Originally Posted by renrich

dav, I think the angled flight deck is a big advantage as well as the mirror landing system. Some of the film shot of the early naval aviators trying to land on the Langley is very exciting.

You're right about the angle deck being a huge advantage. For two reasons, first of all as everyone knows you can launch and recover aircraft simultaneously but the other real advantage is the psychological one for the pilots. On short final they are looking at angle deck and blue water beyond vice straight deck and parked aircraft. Big difference in pucker factor. By the way, the mirror landing system you mentioned is called the "Fresnell Lens" and I've got no idea way since it does work using mirrors.

[DOUGRD]

Just looked it up...the fresnel lens is named after it's inventor the french physicist AUGUSTIN-JEAN FRESNEL. Learn something new every day!

[Lucky13]

AJ touches down on deck-hook snaps off. If you look you can see the broken hook in the air just above the horizon.


The AJ makes contact with both the low barrier wires and then sheds the nylon high barriers (High barriers not shown).


Here the AJ has come through the barriers without any slowdown heading into the forward parked planes aircraft.


The AJ has made its first contact on its port wing. One interesting point--look at the forward deck, just to the left of the parked jeep, and you'll see one lucky sailor as he runs to port for cover.


Full contact. See that piece of wing on the horizon --that sailed about 2 feet over my head before crashing into the main stack.

AJ crash aftermath.










Just for size comparison....

1956 USS Coral Sea CVA-43 - In port at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. The new "super carrier" the USS Forrestal CV-59 is tied up on the next pier over. Note the size difference between the Midway Class and Forrestal Class. The Midway Class carriers could never operate F-14's or S-3 squadrons because of the limited space.






Same as above... USS Coral Sea Tribute Site.

[renrich]

I believe we have our British cousins to thank for a lot of the carrier innovations as they were first to use the angled flight deck, mirror landing system and steam catapult. Understand our CVs under construction now are going to use electro-magnetic catapults.

[Lucky13]

Originally Posted by renrich

I believe we have our British cousins to thank for a lot of the carrier innovations as they were first to use the angled flight deck, mirror landing system and steam catapult. Understand our CVs under construction now are going to use electro-magnetic catapults.

AND....the're not gonna name them after Presidents anymore I've heard.

[syscom3]

Lucky13............

Fantastic set of pics!

I bet the noise of the crash was deafening and scary.

Amazing nothing caught fire!

[FLYBOYJ]

Great shots - that AJ driver wiped out half his squadron and a few others - Ace in a day!