Looking for gouge? Ask your Stupid Questions about Naval Aviation here (Part 1)

[phrogpilot73]

My first A-4 flight in VT-86 was a hurrivac from NPA to NSF to WPO. Had to wait in the hold short at NSF for a bunch of VMF-321 F-4's to arm and depart loaded with MK-82's. Took about 20 minutes with each section making it feel like the Scooter was going to slid off the end just due to noise.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b52/gaepps/F4USMC000028_VMFA-321-PM.jpg

Rep for that... I haven't seen that bird in a long, long time. When I was a young pup, VMFA-321 was my home. By the time I checked in, the last F-4 had already departed to the boneyard, but the A/C above was still on the flight line. Of course, it was sans engines, ejection seat, and a bunch of Avionics, but it was still kept immaculately. Eventually they towed that jet over to the barracks and put it on concrete blocks in front of it. Don't know if it's still there or not... I was sad to hear 321 got decommissioned, I've got some good memories from that squadron.

 

[HeyJoe]

Here is an interesting link to NALF Fentress with info and pics. (scroll to the bottom)
http://www.airfields-freeman.com/VA/Airfields_VA_VirginiaBeach.htm#fentress

Great find! +1

 

[Nose]

In Heyjoe's very cool picture of the ouija board, note the aircraft "templates". They are specially made and are in exact scale to the ouija board. They have two for each aircraft aboard, one for wings/rotors spread and one for wings/rotors folded.

 

[A4sForever]

...Flight Deck control where all moves are coordinated and then Ouija Board updated to show status and what needs to happen (small "tokens" on top of templates indicate different things reflecting status)

Only problem with this pic is the "kid" in it --- I never saw a Handler who let anyone lower than a cranky, crusty ol' Chief with coffee-stained teeth get near the Ouija Board ....

 

[HeyJoe]

Only problem with this pic is the "kid" in it --- I never saw a Handler who let anyone lower than a cranky, crusty ol' Chief with coffee-stained teeth get near the Ouija Board ....

Only specially trained and trusted Bosun mates get to touch them and only under direction

 

[A4sForever]

Only specially trained and trusted Bosun mates get to touch them and only under direction

O.K., O.K. ... now I get it. You're just taunting me .... taunting the ol' man .... as THAT kid is only 12 years old !!! It's a freakin' TIGER CRUISE !!!

**sigh***

 

[Ken_gone_flying]

Only specially trained and trusted Bosun mates get to touch them and only under direction

I have a bad memory of that room. I got pulled in there one time as an E-4 crewman and got screamed at for like 15 mintues straight, with the guy spitting in my face. It was fun.

 

[nittany03]

Piece of cake ... ... we ran the numbers and you can deck launch (the whole deck, not just the angle) an A6 w/ P8 engines w/@ #4500 of fuel, 30 KTS of wind and clean wings .... yeah, I know, we were just spinnin' our wheels after watching a STOOF deck launch ....

But seriously, it's easy to get into OLF CPVL if you were on fire or something similar. Take the gear. They're just going to tow the bird back to NUW anyway ....

I seem to recall a sea story about a Prowler that did it (got into and out of Coupeville) due to some emergency or another. Maybe Brett or Flash knows more. But I guess it was essentially similar . . . defuel to at least the main bag, yank the pods, etc. Heck, you can get a fully loaded Prowler airborne in less than 4000 feet with weather conditions like we usually have here. Only problem is there's nowhere to go if you have to abort!

 

[A4sForever]

I have a bad memory of that room. ....It was fun.

Ditto ... but it was not fun. It's where a couple of us waited to man up for our INITIAL NIGHT CQ !!!

No flying out to the ship prior to get "loosened up", no .... no .... NOOOOO ... they just took the "top" FRP's and put a few on the BOAT -- more "efficient that way .... just memories of a LOT of noise, screaming jets, hot wind and jet exhaust, constant COMM din from ship and multiple aircraft origins, a dimly red-lit metal box room with MONSTERS in bizarrely colored vests and headgear yelling over the constant din .... that's what I remember.

You keep lookin' at the board, hoping the bird that is yours will bolter or go to the beach to spare YOU from the madness and the insanity --- but, of course, he doesn't and you get the dreaded "tap" on the shoulder and one of the MONSTERS shouts: "LET"S GO, YOU'RE UP "!!!

FUCK ME !!! Good thing I went to the head ...

A short walk in the wake of the MONSTER .... just a blur .... the noise, the NOISE ... shaky climb into the cockpit .... dark .... dim red lights .... where the HELL IS EVERYTHING??!! ... calm down, calm down, strap in .... just a blur .... engines already running .... GOD MAKE IT STOP !!! ... drop into the checklist ... more blur ... HOW IN THE HELL WILL I EVER TAXI AND NOT GO OVER THE SIDE I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW SMALL THIS FREAKIN' DECK IS .... look over at the FRBN who's sitting to your right and MY GOD HE'S LOOKING AT ME FOR COMFORT (!!! !!!) AND REASSURANCE ... WHAT IN THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH HIM ??!! ..... so you give him a cheesy "thumb's up" .... what next ??? .... SHIT THEY'RE GIVING ME THE BREAKDOWN SIGNAL !!! .... HE'S GIVING ME THE SPOOL-UP AND COME AHEAD !!! .... WE'RE GONNA DIE !!! ... settle down, you can do this ... GOD, I HOPE SO ... more blur .... more blur .... NOW WE'RE IN FULL POWER !!!!

BANG !!! A HUGE PUNCH IN THE GUTS AND YOU'RE SCREAMING DOWN THE BARELY LIT TRACK AND INTO THE DARKNESS ... THINK .... THINK .... ROTATE !!! F-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-U-C-C-C-C-K-K-K-*** ..... WE CAN FL-L-L-L-L-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y .... LET'S DO IT!!!

That's what I remember from my initial FDC encounter.

It was not fun .... it never is @ night ... but it WAS satisfying when it was over, safe on the beach with the knowledge that you're now a "real" U.S. Navy carrier Aviator .... dream come true.

 

[FastMover]

Here's one I've always wondered about: why don't Naval Aviators use NVGs when landing on the boat at night?

Also, do any of ya'll know what the Whitehouse OLF is used for these days?

 

[squeeze]

Here's one I've always wondered about: why don't Naval Aviators use NVGs when landing on the boat at night?

Also, do any of ya'll know what the Whitehouse OLF is used for these days?

Harriers do. I would imagine it'd have something to do with the shock of the trap.

We used Whitehouse OLF for bouncing prior to the boat when we did our T-45 CQ det out of Cecil in spring '05.

 

[HeyJoe]

Here's one I've always wondered about: why don't Naval Aviators use NVGs when landing on the boat at night?

Egads, have you ever worn any type of Night Vision Device (NVD)?

Since this is the Stupid Question thread.....(and there is no such thing as a stupid question as I was taught in AI aka API now), here's the rub with NVDs to fly the ball (beside not being a good thing to be wearing on your head while taking a trap; but JSF helmet with have integrated NVD capability so that's a non issue in future):

1. Visual acuity is degraded (although newer NVDs are significantly better than early NVGs) and pilot has to see movement of the ball in reference to the datums

2. The Fresnel Lens (as in flying the "ball") features an orange ball, green datums and red waveoff lights incompatible with monochrome NVDs that have image intensifiers that do a great job magnifying a light source or reflectivity, but that works against seeing the minute movement of the ball if all the lights look like a traffic light in the fog.

Note different colored lights of various components

And here's the MOVLAS (the OK machine) variant lit up

 

[FastMover]

Egads, have you ever worn any type of Night Vision Device (NVD)?

No sir...guess I should get out more.

 

[KBayDog]

Egads, have you ever worn any type of Night Vision Device (NVD)?

Well, he wore them that ONE time...

 

[MasterBates]

Here's one I've always wondered about: why don't Naval Aviators use NVGs when landing on the boat at night?

Also, do any of ya'll know what the Whitehouse OLF is used for these days?

My info is about 1 year time late, but we (HSL-Mayport) used OLF Whitehouse as our NVG training field.

Also, helo do land with NVGs on. I have popped them off on an "abrupt" landing once, but they stay put.. Multiple bounced do get old though.