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Life on the Flight Deck
- Thread starter tomcatfan
- Start date
Those guys who work the flight deck are amazing. Their shifts are pure murder, but the level of professionalism that our guys always had was a real credit to the type of person it takes to do that job.
We had one IT that was such a rock star, I swear this could fix anything just by waving his hand over it. I was the last aircraft to fly-off from deployment, and we had an electrical problem that held us on deck. I was flying with the XO at the time, and he brings the PC in and tells him to "Go get Sanders". Sure enough, here he comes in his kind of slow walk. He comes into the rotor arc, plugs into ICS and after a brief description to the problem, he just says "I know the problem, and I know how to fix it." I guess he just broke out some of his magic Seahawk pixie dust, because we were up and ready about 90 seconds later. I just looked over at the XO and said "I don't know what we pay that guy, but it's not anywhere near enough." The XO agreed, and command advanced him a few months later.
We had one IT that was such a rock star, I swear this could fix anything just by waving his hand over it. I was the last aircraft to fly-off from deployment, and we had an electrical problem that held us on deck. I was flying with the XO at the time, and he brings the PC in and tells him to "Go get Sanders". Sure enough, here he comes in his kind of slow walk. He comes into the rotor arc, plugs into ICS and after a brief description to the problem, he just says "I know the problem, and I know how to fix it." I guess he just broke out some of his magic Seahawk pixie dust, because we were up and ready about 90 seconds later. I just looked over at the XO and said "I don't know what we pay that guy, but it's not anywhere near enough." The XO agreed, and command advanced him a few months later.
You are correct, he was an AT. He was a lot better at his job than I am at typing.
We had an IT named Saunders that is also one hell of a sailor. I got the similar rates of my similar named super-star sailors crossed up in my head.
The IT would have been lost on a flight deck. He did get my entire stateroom hooked up with 24/7 internet/e-mail access, and that is worth something.
We had an IT named Saunders that is also one hell of a sailor. I got the similar rates of my similar named super-star sailors crossed up in my head.
The IT would have been lost on a flight deck. He did get my entire stateroom hooked up with 24/7 internet/e-mail access, and that is worth something.
Redux
Well-Known Member
YEOWSA! Final Checker, maybe one of the most "exciting" jobs I ever had working the roof. 18 hour days, flight opps to flight opps but it was fun for a young man plus the whopping 65 bucks or so a month I got TAX FREE!
A "No shit" story, as E2 Airframes Final Checker. Oh dark thirty, hellhole to stbd wheel well to nose to inside hummer hydraulic banks and hyd. vapor cycle dry, close hatch one quick look around port wheel well, gave shooter thumbs up. Always having head on a swivel I luckily "barely" notice movement in opposite (stbd) wheel well. Some ships company deck ape kid did NOT get all chains off and was literary hanging on for dear life. Seconds to go, hummer at full power he looked like a rag flapping in the breeze, feet straight out. Tension was set and the launch was a fraction away. THANK GOD shooter saw me giving "cut" and he did. The kids arms were probably a foot longer then they used to be, his buddies carried him off.
Lesson learned, never assume the chain gang can pull 2 chains per W/W faster than I can inspect like I was taught to do. This haunts me to this day............what if?????? Would the chain have broke or would the M/M have sheared off?
I got a huge lesson in trust with the yellowshirts this week. My first time to the carrier and I learned a lot more than just trapping, which of course is the most important lesson of them all. It is a little unnerving to be looking at a guy at your three oclock, having nothing but blue ocean at your twelve and him telling you to continue taxiing forward towards the edge. It is absolutely amazing how close they jam you up there. Definitely an eye opener. I also got a couple of angry yellow shirts telling me to slow down. They rightfully fear for their lives up there when pilots who do not know any better (i.e. me) try to blow them over the edge or run them over.
Shots from this week at sea with TRACOM
080513-N-6538W-200 PACIFIC OCEAN (May 13, 2008) A T-45C Goshawk assigned to Training Air Wing (TW) 1 prepares to land on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). John C. Stennis and embarked TW 1 and 2 are conducting Naval Aviation Training Command carrier qualifications off the coast of southern California. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Walter M. Wayman (Released)
080513-N-3541A-013 PACFIC OCEAN (May 13, 2008) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) steams through the Pacific Ocean. John C. Stennis and embarked Training Air Wing 1 and 2 are conducting Naval Aviation Training Command carrier qualifications off the coast of southern California. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Davis Anderson (Released)
080513-N-6538W-128 PACFIC OCEAN (May 13, 2008) An aircraft director signals to the student pilot of a T-45C Goshawk to stop on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). John C. Stennis and embarked Training Air Wing 1 and 2 are conducting Naval Aviation Training Command carrier qualifications off the coast of southern California. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Walter M. Wayman (Released)
080513-N-0684R-060 PACIFIC OCEAN (May 13, 2008) A T-45C Goshawk from Training Wing (TW) 1 launches from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). Stennis and embarked TW-1 and 2 are conducting Naval Aviation Training Command carrier qualifications off the coast of Southern California. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ron Reeves (Released)
080513-N-0684R-076 PACFIC OCEAN (May 13, 2008) Aircraft launching officer Lt. Everett Alcorn signals the launch of a T-45C Goshawk from Training Wing (TW) 1 from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). Stennis and embarked TW-1 and 2 are conducting Naval Aviation Training Command carrier qualifications off the coast of Southern California. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ron Reeves (Released)