I recently retired from 22 years in the USAF as an aircraft mechanic and I have to admit watching the women and men of the Navy keep these birds flying is impressive!
Much respect for you guys. Such a dangerous job that is only compounded at night. one bit of inattention, one mistake, one slip up could cost you your life.
This takes me back to my 10 years aboard the USS Saratoga CV60. When not on watch, I would spend many hours up on Vultures Row watching the flight deck crew do their dance lining up multi-million dollar aircraft in preparation to launch!
PO1, well done!!!! Excellent example of what flt deck ops is like. I was on the Conni for a few years in VFA25. All you guys that got me flying, thank you and my hats off to you all. All the best.
I was aboard Ike with VF 142 from 83 to 86. Some of the best times of my life without question. I worked with some of the finest men I will ever know for the rest of my life. Being up on the roof, or on Vultures Row, were the highest points of my time with the Ghostriders. What I wouldn't give if I could just go back in time for a little while and relive those moments. To those I had the privilege of serving with, may God bless you always. For those of you who took our places, be proud, keep them flying, and come back in one piece.
That was amazing to see how it works. It looks like there are two teams and each has a leader who gives the final go by pointing forward. That looks like such a complex work environment. Yes, PLEASE post a duplicate of this video with your commentary/narration over it, but please keep the ambient sound under it too. Thank you for posting this.
My hat to all the carrier deck operators that "handled" me "gently", patiently, and politely (most of the time, when I screwed up!). Thank you for this video of the best years of my life! L (Captain USN Ret)
Bernard Tremblay What happens there is when you get handled to the "Shooter" (a Naval Aviator or Naval Flight Officer), and all the CAT handling crews have set your airplanes, and done their final checks (your hands are up in the cockpit at the time so that you do not inadvertently drop a flap, extend a speed brake, or worse on one of these handlers); the red shirts will arm the weapons if any, they step back and give a thumbs up to the "Shooter", he will then look at the pilot and give you the run-up signal (most of the time, tell you to engage afterburners, if you have them) and he stares at you. The pilot and RIO/BN if any then doe the run-up, engages burners, moves all the control surfaces, check all their instruments for proper operation while CAT crews observe for proper operation of all movable components on the aircraft. When the pilot is satisfied of his airplane, he salutes the "Shooter" and stands by for launch (locking throttles, holding stick or the launch handle) and stands by. The "shooter" looks around, pointing to the six or seven final checkers, looking one last time for their thumbs-ups. Once he is satisfied, he usually squats, one leg extended, points his forward hand towards the bow, with a sign that looks like "firing a gun"/hits the deck with that hand (or a combination of both) and the CAT officer presses the "red" button, pressure builds up until the hold-back (dog-bone) fitting holding the aircraft to the deck breaks at a predetermined tension - and off you go. My plane would usually reach 150 knots in 2.5 seconds. That is the way it was in the 80's~90's when I was "young". Ciao, L
Bernard Tremblay Well you did very good Ben, I watched your fight but let me tell you this, I weighted 165 kg "wet", coming back from a practice ACM (Air Combat Maneuvering) which translate into 15~20 min tactical formation flying to the "MOA" Military Operating Area (which is restricted to civil aviation and where the military radars assume policing of the area. Then we part from the leader depending on the scenarios that we have to practice such as offensive, defensive, 1 vs. 1, 1 vs. 2, 2 vs. 1, advantage, disadvantage, disengagement, ... The "fighting part" would last one hour - with/without the instructor in the back or in the other plane. You engage or get engaged and fight it until he or you get a fatal shot at him (recorded by computers and sensors). Then you come back - 15 min this time because you can hardly spell your own name at that time, you are wasted. When I would get off the aircraft, I would have lost 2kg ~5 lbs of fluid. I would look like an old man, sunken eyes, forced smile, I will post the pics one day. It was grueling - sometimes, you would go throw up on the grass side of the TARMAC (privately, of course). Not because you were airsick but because your were to stressed out. Of course, it is not always like that but it does get to you in time, especially in combat. Look at the pics of young and combat pilots, you see it in their eyes - even the actor Jimmy Stewart (who was a bomber pilot, a CO, and made General), you can see that he went to war with his spiny kid face, and came back a mature if not old man - great actor, but much older. Take care Ben, good video chase you got there, that is the way it is. Ciao, L
Bernard Tremblay Hi my friend - that is a very good question. Let me tell you what I can say on the web (otherwise, let's get on private emails or call one another). In the desert (Gulf war I, II, and Afghanistan), Lapua ammo was the all-around ammo of choice, usually hand-loaded (match-grade) by or for the Snipers that I worked with. They used various loads (sub- vs super-sonic) and bullets depending on Tango. The cases were all Lapua, most guns were Lapua while some used Rem 700 BDL modified accurized in .338 Lap. (I reload Lapua incidentally with OEM Lapua casings) for target shooting. At the time I served there (Afghanistan), the record Sniper distance kill was held by two Canadians from your part of the country, if I remember well - they used TAC-Millan .50 cal and hit Tango over 2,400 m away in two or three tries, subsonic. As for Somalia, I supported the operation from the sea (headquarters). I heard about the scandal but I would be the last one to throw a stone at a soldier being "too" aggressive especially since the Black Hawk incident was such a costly failure - I handled the casualties until their transfer to Germany. The "Lone Eye in the Sky" was our unit!. In any case, for having been in combat many times, you find out rather quickly that you should fire first, ask questions later or your will not make it back. I have lost 23 close companions that "trusted" civilians we were "protecting", I got a beating myself by "civies" until rescued by the military so, I cannot comment on these allegations - especially since a lot of the political/journalist accusers had never served let alone been involved in such an destructive operation. How am I doing so far? Ciao, Brother, L
Bernard Tremblay Let me be a bit more accurate on the my statement about the Sniper ammo: This is what the Marine Snipers who were providing our makeshift airfield were using for their .338 Lapua Mag weapon/ammo. The reasons given were that according to their studies, the Lapua .338 Mag was very, very consistent right from the factory (they were using match-grade and/or custom-loads depending on the situation. Of course, the bullets were of the full metal jacket type (as per Hague Convention). For shorter range engagement, or "special occasions" where they had to "blend in" with the troops, they used custom and highly accurized M-4 (with various options) with either standard issue military ammo but more often than not Lapua-cased, specially prepared match-grade ammo. Long range, our guys had Barrett's Model 82, .50 cal Browning but I do not know what brand. Chances are, they were "custom loads" as well for consistency. They usually carried their tools in very resistant specially-made cases. The rest of the common warriors who shoot like me used std military-issue ammo. Ciao, L
@@horserehab8454 steam catapults for a while we're the only catapults they had. Only very recently did they build the USS Gerald R. Ford which has a electromagnetic catapult
@@horserehab8454 I literally did this job 5 years on the Truman steam catapults so no hell no plus I'd never had said that just because I felt like it plus at 1am pretty much I hope it's still not taken as me hyping up catapults as if I made them or something
+Keith Burr Dittos...check out, see detailed response to my request to explain shooter's hand signals under: "Launching a C-2 Greyhound after a catapult suspend"
Little Blitz the flight deck is much larger these days. Those 27 charlie carriers were so cramped for space on the flight deck. Still it's dangerous business during flight ops. I can still smell the jet blast, aviation fuel and huffer exhaust after almost 50 years. Thanks for your service!
And then you would have 8 hours less of watching it for the next 3 to 5 years lol. Try from the EW platform at the end of cat 4... now that, never gets old.
I have just HUGE respect for these NAVY carrier crew members who launch these aircraft. I'm watching them mostly down in a crouch position during operations, at least red n green shirts that is, n I'm thinking 'how physically exhausting that must be to crouch down like that every day, all day, to do your part of launching aircraft. I was Army, 1986 -1990, and I wanna give a HUGE shout out to Navy brothers n sisters for their commitment to excellence!
This was short ops on a nice day. You should see it in bad weather at night during some kind of battle exercise... or a real wartime op! These are mostly young kids, too. Amazing. (former Flight Deck officer on a helicopter ship and Sigs Officer on a full carrier in the reserves.
Love this video, I was a C-2A Crewchief and was always inside the plane during this evolution, seeing the aircraft go into tension before the cat shot still brings chills, it's like being loaded into the chamber of a gun, you know you're going for one hell of a ride. Awesome video!!!!!! I miss those days sometimes, GO NAVY!!
A lot of AF guys have the same problem. Them turbine engines are loud. Notice no one is talking all hand signals. Reason is even if you did try to talk you would have to scream and hope they heard you.
@ Denzel 'My Nigga' Washington; Man, you are so right!!! Our 81' cruise was a six packer, for days spent at sea. Only three port visits in nine months. Counting work-ups we spent 11 months at sea!!! But I would do it again if called!!!
My goodness. What an important and dangerous job you have. I see the winds blowing on the flight deck, and I can't even come to a ralization of what you encointer when the outside temperature is low and the exhaust comes your way It looks really thrilling, but I would never had the courage you have up there. You have a nation of civilians that are proud, and very thankful for you. You have a marvelous video and I say thank you. Semper Fi
I was in from 75-79, made a Med-Cruise (Italy, France Spain) October 76 to April 77 on the last cruise for the "Rosie" CV-42, FDR. Roosevelt died in office near the end of WW-II, that ship was going to be the Coral Sea, but Roosevelt being a Naval man the Navy named it The FDR. The Coral Sea became the next carrier CV-43. I explained that because i would think of what it must have been like as a sailor during WW-II back when i was on that cruise. We go through when we do, i was a Aircraft Electrician (AE) attached to VA-215 and worked on the now long gone A-7 stationed at Lemoore, CA. We were not always on the flight deck as those guys, we went up to try to get a bird up for a the launch if it had a problem or after recovery from a mission because some things can only be determined while the engine is still turning (active/ on). There is nothing else on earth that is like working on the flight deck. There is potential danger all around you, but your 18, 19, 20 something and you just know you got this, no worries mate. Over 40 years later, they are thinking the same thing. We did and now they do, no worries, god bless them, each and every one. Turning into the wind, going to launch the next group and recover the last one, that way you maintain air cover overhead at all times. The good old days......
Amazing!!! My uncle told awesome stories and even horrible accidents. I remember him telling me, that he had and another guy were competing for “Yellow”, both men were competitive with hand signals, movements, lots of hand communication with pilots & much more. Which my uncle got the part of “Yellow”, and the other guy was “green” Well, My uncle retired from the U.S Navy. Thank you for taking your viewers, row seats
Squatting is actually better for your health as scientists have discovered by looking at people who do a lot of squatting. Just do it correctly. Been out in the provinces of the Philippines? If so then you will see everybody squatting much of the time. news.usc.edu/166572/squatting-kneeling-health-sitting-usc-research/
The protruding antenna and the radiation symbol at the nose of the aircraft made it look really cool. Form follows function, you can tell the Prowler was a purpose build electronic warfare aircraft unlike the new EA-18 Growler which looks unassuming and plain compared to the Prowler.
Thank you to everyone for making this video BY FAR the most popular video on @FlightDeckLife and one of the best of it's kind! If you haven't been following along - I have tons more new content uploaded so check it out, like, subscribe and share! Have a great 2018 everyone!
At almost 80 years old I would LOVE to spend an hour on the flight deck and experience a cat launch and a trap. I've been in gliders, helicopters, small planes, big planes, aerobatics but never a cat launch or a trap. That would be like winning the lotto.
I was on the USS Constellation back in the 90's when it stopped in Sydney, Australia for a few days. I was the first one got on board and also the last one left before closure. My most beautiful 8 hours in my life.
I spent 4 years 3 months in Naval Aviation from 1965-1969 but am embarrassed to say, I never left the shore save a single instance when I was working part-time for a radio station in Newport News, VA, where I had the chance to spend a full Saturday on the USS Ranger on a...gulp...Dependent's Day Cruise. For all practical purposes I boarded as a civilian although at the time, I was a PO2 on active duty. I say this only to support the tremendous respect I have for those of you brave souls who work the flight decks or fly the aircraft onto the USN's many carriers. To this day, I've encountered NOTHING that can equal the thrill of standing eye level (as this great video shows near its end) to the deck and watching both launch and recovery of high-speed aircraft. It truly is a wonder. BTW, I was a TD2 (rate was abolished in the late 80's by Zumwalt) at the Atlantic Fleet ASW Tactical Simulator at D&S Piers NOB. TD's were those of us who supported almost all simulator equipment for flight etc. My hat is off to you ALL. You make this old Navy Veteran proud!
I have been watching (and enjoying) your videos for a few weeks now, and I have yet to find fault with any of them. They are all fun to watch and educational - but the part I like most about each of the.... no distracting music, just live sound of what's really happening
CAG said that we're special today. We're not on staion for some whiskey-delta ground support DASC is gonna fill us in airborne. But we're flying a strike mission over Teheran, into Mehrabad airport. ELINT has sat images-they think know where Al Bashir is. So, get your fangs out, Hawkins. We're hunting a big game today.
I was on the CVN77 with my nephew for a Tiger Cruise from Mayport to Norfolk. Three days I will never forget. Hes a purple shirt. Absolutely amazing and good food. I'm Air Force so we ate good too.
Nice video!!! About three years ago I had the opportunity to visit the CVN-70 Carl Vinson at Coronado, CA. I have the best memories of this visit and was a completly new and fascinating tour discovering the inside of a supercarrier (my first time too). Thanks to allow us to feel how it works!!
Served on the USS Enterprise twice and the John F.Kennedy . Did the bow cats and arresting gear. Just something I noticed when the aircraft takes tension that the pilot doesn't come to full power while your checking for proper hold back secure the of the hold back bar. Call me to old school but I have seen those bars come out during that time
mani agg I was told by an AB CHIEF (retired) Ray operated and fixed the cats and AG. RAY said that every cruise there was someone killed on the flight deck, I think it weighed on him even after retirement.
+Rico Suave Those sailors are glad to be in the shade at the end of the video. Your out side burning on that steel deck. It isn't a picnic and to some of them, that deck is a cubicle. Just saying.
+Rico Suave Don't over look the luxury of going home at night and enjoying down time. Saturday and Sunday you can hit the beach, or clubs or just chill in the privacy of your own home...meanwhile, these guys are still out there doing the exact same thing for weeks at a time, up to 20+ hours per day. It looks cool in a 10 minute video, but it's a shit job.
I've always like to watch aircraft start up from aircraft carriers. This is an amazing sight. It is a pity that we have (in Russia) only one aircraft carrier. But the airplanes are more beautiful =) Peace, our American brothers.
Wonder why Russia does not build catapults. My country(India) would rather we buy a steam catapult from Russia than an EMALS from US for our new aircraft carrier (IAC-2). The USA might deny us critical spare parts in the time of a war. They once denied us access to GPS in 1999 war. We learnt our lesson and made our own GPS. OTOH, Russia is a solid partner, and you have supported us in our most dire straits (1971 war). You also help us by transferring critical tech to us. None of this the USA will ever do. BTW I do agree, Russians build beautiful planes (Su-30MKI) :)
@@death_parade actually US company General Atomics under loan from the US military is actually helping retrofit an emals system onto INS Vishal, making it india's first CATOBAR system with a linear induction motor. Expect US support in military training for manufacturing in the coming years, that's how we strengthen our alliance. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_Aircraft_Launch_System
@@stillnotspicy Read what I wrote again. Carefully. I know what EMALS is. I stated in my previous comment that I don't trust the Americans giving us that technology. General Atomics is not doing it on loan. We are paying for it. They are not retrofitting it onto INS Vishal. INS Vishal is being designed with it. Don't give me wikipedia links for stuff that I already know all about. Read carefully before you reply to me again. Idiots like you might be happy to have the US help India, but wise men know, US is a snake. Its not helping India. It is helping itself.
My thanks and appreciation to anyone who serves in the military in any capacity. This is an interesting video. Now imagine doing it at night in a storm.
In this case, the shooter is in the Integrated Catapult Control Station, or ICCS/Bubble. The operator on deck is an enlisted sailor, the Catapult Safety Observer.
Спокойная слаженная работа. Без криков и воплей. Заслуживает всяческого уважения. Молодцы. Красавчик EA-6b ещё в работе, но наверно один из последних его вылетов...
Thank you boys for your service!! Always wanted to experience this but.... I'm a idiot..... caught a felony at 18....spoiled my chances..... my buddy did tho he got out after jumping off the deck in the Indian Ocean lol he swam for a hour before they realized he was gone. He said that he was so cold his arms would not unbend on their own. It was a crazy experience he said.
This ain't as fun as it look. I worked in V-2 for 18 months. This is just to flight deck operations side. You still have the below deck operations side, and last but not least the maintenance side lol.
Xisean Anthony ...sure seems like a stressful job, man. Hey, maybe you can tell me something: do the Super Hornets actually launch at full flaps? It kinda looks like it in this video and I always thought they just lowered them halfway or one step or whatever it is. Or does it depend on the launch conditions after all? Pure layman's question, obviously.
***** I don't remember the last time I dealt with that was 2001 I was in V-2 division from 99-01 on the Abraham Lincoln CVN-72. I had an chance to leave via A-School so I rolled out. Also we will still launching and recovering F-14 Tomcats back then lol. We didnt have Super Hornets attached to our wing at that time, but we did do an underway were Super Hornet pilots did touch and go's also launching and recovering
The Chinese will copy everything they can see. The only problem is, they can't copy what goes on in the war room and inside the commander's mind. The Chinese will look good until they go to war. That is when the truth comes out.
Hey I wanted to say my physics teacher used this vid in class as an example of acceleration and I think that is cool. Keep up the good work and I salute you and your friends for working in one of the worlds most dangerous environments.
On the USS America (CV66), it was always an enjoyable experience when after the Air Boss got done with his 'all hands stand clear of jet intakes and exhausts while starting engines' talk, pretty much the next words were man overboard. Always be a new guy onboard who would stroll behind a jet and get blown overboard.
i know this is an old vid, but i was left wandering what they were talking about at the end of the video? Something about never having seen an A-6 do ??? something? Could someone please clarify? Thanks.
The spoilers, or "boards" were up when it launched... this is not optimal of course because the purpose of spoilers is to reduce or "spoil" the lift capability of a wing - definitely not something you want on takeoff. You can see them up at 7:36
Nice day for launching. But I kept thinking deck of a carrier has to be one of the coldest places to work when it’s shitty wx. Big waves, spray, maybe precip, and always high wind. Respect for being out there thru it all.
Working the Flight Deck endures multiple weather obstacles. Depends on the location while operating. I will say that operating in the Gulf, it’s HOT as shit. Staying hydrated and ensuring proper rotation is key to successful operation.
My dad was a yellow jacket a long time ago. Navy man for 32 years. Just died at age 94 less than 2 weeks ago. He LOVED his Navy!!
God bless your father ! GO NAVY !
@@montyenright Thank you so much. I appreciate your kind words! Have a great day.
Bless you
@@francestomic2772 Thank you for the blessing and I send one back to you!
Sorry for ur loss sir respect to him 💪🏽💪🏽
I recently retired from 22 years in the USAF as an aircraft mechanic and I have to admit watching the women and men of the Navy keep these birds flying is impressive!
I was in V2 cats on CVA 38. Worst time of my life
Much respect for you guys. Such a dangerous job that is only compounded at night. one bit of inattention, one mistake, one slip up could cost you your life.
Brings back memories. 1969 Med cruise CVA67 JFK. Final checker waiting for afterburner on the F-4 Phantom to kick in before giving a thumb up.
This takes me back to my 10 years aboard the USS Saratoga CV60. When not on watch, I would spend many hours up on Vultures Row watching the flight deck crew do their dance lining up multi-million dollar aircraft in preparation to launch!
Vultures row hadn't heard that in a long time. USS Coral Sea CVA43, back in 68-70
It was by far the best times of my life working on the flight deck watching those planes take off it's a experience that you would never forget
CV's 41, 62 and 66 Here! Miss them very much!
nice video, thank you for not adding music on it
IDK, some Top Gun music would be ok 😁
@@MasterMayhem78 No. Top Gun is a movie. This is reality.
You want stupid Top Gun music, go watch Top Gun.
Or just mute the sound on this video, and play the Top Gun music from another tab in the background.
Jets noises are music to my ear.
@@jimbopaw are you saying Top Gun isn't real?! BULLSHIT
PO1, well done!!!! Excellent example of what flt deck ops is like. I was on the Conni for a few years in VFA25. All you guys that got me flying, thank you and my hats off to you all. All the best.
These people are amazing. Thank you for keeping us civilians safe!
I was aboard Ike with VF 142 from 83 to 86. Some of the best times of my life without question. I worked with some of the finest men I will ever know for the rest of my life. Being up on the roof, or on Vultures Row, were the highest points of my time with the Ghostriders.
What I wouldn't give if I could just go back in time for a little while and relive those moments.
To those I had the privilege of serving with, may God bless you always.
For those of you who took our places, be proud, keep them flying, and come back in one piece.
Every time I see these videos its like a carefully organized dance
That was amazing to see how it works. It looks like there are two teams and each has a leader who gives the final go by pointing forward. That looks like such a complex work environment. Yes, PLEASE post a duplicate of this video with your commentary/narration over it, but please keep the ambient sound under it too. Thank you for posting this.
My hat to all the carrier deck operators that "handled" me "gently", patiently, and politely (most of the time, when I screwed up!). Thank you for this video of the best years of my life! L (Captain USN Ret)
Bernard Tremblay What happens there is when you get handled to the "Shooter" (a Naval Aviator or Naval Flight Officer), and all the CAT handling crews have set your airplanes, and done their final checks (your hands are up in the cockpit at the time so that you do not inadvertently drop a flap, extend a speed brake, or worse on one of these handlers); the red shirts will arm the weapons if any, they step back and give a thumbs up to the "Shooter", he will then look at the pilot and give you the run-up signal (most of the time, tell you to engage afterburners, if you have them) and he stares at you.
The pilot and RIO/BN if any then doe the run-up, engages burners, moves all the control surfaces, check all their instruments for proper operation while CAT crews observe for proper operation of all movable components on the aircraft. When the pilot is satisfied of his airplane, he salutes the "Shooter" and stands by for launch (locking throttles, holding stick or the launch handle) and stands by.
The "shooter" looks around, pointing to the six or seven final checkers, looking one last time for their thumbs-ups. Once he is satisfied, he usually squats, one leg extended, points his forward hand towards the bow, with a sign that looks like "firing a gun"/hits the deck with that hand (or a combination of both) and the CAT officer presses the "red" button, pressure builds up until the hold-back (dog-bone) fitting holding the aircraft to the deck breaks at a predetermined tension - and off you go. My plane would usually reach 150 knots in 2.5 seconds.
That is the way it was in the 80's~90's when I was "young". Ciao, L
Bernard Tremblay Well you did very good Ben, I watched your fight but let me tell you this, I weighted 165 kg "wet", coming back from a practice ACM (Air Combat Maneuvering) which translate into 15~20 min tactical formation flying to the "MOA" Military Operating Area (which is restricted to civil aviation and where the military radars assume policing of the area. Then we part from the leader depending on the scenarios that we have to practice such as offensive, defensive, 1 vs. 1, 1 vs. 2, 2 vs. 1, advantage, disadvantage, disengagement, ...
The "fighting part" would last one hour - with/without the instructor in the back or in the other plane. You engage or get engaged and fight it until he or you get a fatal shot at him (recorded by computers and sensors).
Then you come back - 15 min this time because you can hardly spell your own name at that time, you are wasted.
When I would get off the aircraft, I would have lost 2kg ~5 lbs of fluid. I would look like an old man, sunken eyes, forced smile, I will post the pics one day. It was grueling - sometimes, you would go throw up on the grass side of the TARMAC (privately, of course). Not because you were airsick but because your were to stressed out.
Of course, it is not always like that but it does get to you in time, especially in combat. Look at the pics of young and combat pilots, you see it in their eyes - even the actor Jimmy Stewart (who was a bomber pilot, a CO, and made General), you can see that he went to war with his spiny kid face, and came back a mature if not old man - great actor, but much older.
Take care Ben, good video chase you got there, that is the way it is.
Ciao, L
Bernard Tremblay Hi my friend - that is a very good question. Let me tell you what I can say on the web (otherwise, let's get on private emails or call one another). In the desert (Gulf war I, II, and Afghanistan), Lapua ammo was the all-around ammo of choice, usually hand-loaded (match-grade) by or for the Snipers that I worked with. They used various loads (sub- vs super-sonic) and bullets depending on Tango. The cases were all Lapua, most guns were Lapua while some used Rem 700 BDL modified accurized in .338 Lap. (I reload Lapua incidentally with OEM Lapua casings) for target shooting. At the time I served there (Afghanistan), the record Sniper distance kill was held by two Canadians from your part of the country, if I remember well - they used TAC-Millan .50 cal and hit Tango over 2,400 m away in two or three tries, subsonic.
As for Somalia, I supported the operation from the sea (headquarters). I heard about the scandal but I would be the last one to throw a stone at a soldier being "too" aggressive especially since the Black Hawk incident was such a costly failure - I handled the casualties until their transfer to Germany. The "Lone Eye in the Sky" was our unit!. In any case, for having been in combat many times, you find out rather quickly that you should fire first, ask questions later or your will not make it back. I have lost 23 close companions that "trusted" civilians we were "protecting", I got a beating myself by "civies" until rescued by the military so, I cannot comment on these allegations - especially since a lot of the political/journalist accusers had never served let alone been involved in such an destructive operation.
How am I doing so far? Ciao, Brother, L
Bernard Tremblay Let me be a bit more accurate on the my statement about the Sniper ammo: This is what the Marine Snipers who were providing our makeshift airfield were using for their .338 Lapua Mag weapon/ammo. The reasons given were that according to their studies, the Lapua .338 Mag was very, very consistent right from the factory (they were using match-grade and/or custom-loads depending on the situation. Of course, the bullets were of the full metal jacket type (as per Hague Convention).
For shorter range engagement, or "special occasions" where they had to "blend in" with the troops, they used custom and highly accurized M-4 (with various options) with either standard issue military ammo but more often than not Lapua-cased, specially prepared match-grade ammo. Long range, our guys had Barrett's Model 82, .50 cal Browning but I do not know what brand. Chances are, they were "custom loads" as well for consistency. They usually carried their tools in very resistant specially-made cases.
The rest of the common warriors who shoot like me used std military-issue ammo.
Ciao, L
Bernard Tremblay
I don't know if you Navy guys consider that "routine" but it looks INCREDIBLE.
@George Ybarra lol
@@horserehab8454 steam catapults for a while we're the only catapults they had. Only very recently did they build the USS Gerald R. Ford which has a electromagnetic catapult
@George Ybarra true
@@horserehab8454 sometimes its 10 in a few minutes depends on situations we trained for many different things
@@horserehab8454 I literally did this job 5 years on the Truman steam catapults so no hell no plus I'd never had said that just because I felt like it plus at 1am pretty much I hope it's still not taken as me hyping up catapults as if I made them or something
One of the best jobs I ever had was to work on the angle deck, waist cats 3 and 4. Thank you for your service.
Brave men. Dangerous job. This Nam Riverrat salutes you.
Welcome home and thank you for your service. My dad is a Nam vet also.
I would watch an 8 hour video of this. Completely fascinating.
+Keith Burr Dittos...check out, see detailed response to my
request to explain shooter's hand signals under: "Launching a C-2
Greyhound after a catapult suspend"
+Keith Burr I used to watch this live and in color first hand. Although I server aboard a "baby" carrier, Essex class during the Vietnam era.
Little Blitz the flight deck is much larger these days. Those 27 charlie carriers were so cramped for space on the flight deck. Still it's dangerous business during flight ops. I can still smell the jet blast, aviation fuel and huffer exhaust after almost 50 years. Thanks for your service!
And then you would have 8 hours less of watching it for the next 3 to 5 years lol. Try from the EW platform at the end of cat 4... now that, never gets old.
Bill Johnson What's 27 Charlie sir? Is that when the Essex-Class carriers were being modernized?
I have just HUGE respect for these NAVY carrier crew members who launch these aircraft. I'm watching them mostly down in a crouch position during operations, at least red n green shirts that is, n I'm thinking 'how physically exhausting that must be to crouch down like that every day, all day, to do your part of launching aircraft. I was Army, 1986 -1990, and I wanna give a HUGE shout out to Navy brothers n sisters for their commitment to excellence!
Lloyds of London said the flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the most dangerous work place in the world. Much respect for USN from former USAF.
This was short ops on a nice day.
You should see it in bad weather at night during some kind of battle exercise... or a real wartime op!
These are mostly young kids, too. Amazing.
(former Flight Deck officer on a helicopter ship and Sigs Officer on a full carrier in the reserves.
Well some Navy folks might say they'd rather do that with good meals and a roof over their beds, instead of digging trenches :)
А наши сами взлетают. Без пароускомителей.
Rayman adventure
Love this video, I was a C-2A Crewchief and was always inside the plane during this evolution, seeing the aircraft go into tension before the cat shot still brings chills, it's like being loaded into the chamber of a gun, you know you're going for one hell of a ride. Awesome video!!!!!! I miss those days sometimes, GO NAVY!!
Took a cat shot in a C2 once it was everything you said
I can't even imagine the stress on their knees
oriolesfan61 they have knee pads
There rarely on there knees they squat more often than not
oriolesfan61 you can’t imagine.
@@brianconroy7514 squatting and mostly getting up from squat isn't good for the knees either.
@Nachogarpa you have to be kidding me that's an American carrier you a dumb ass
I was on a Air Craft Carrie. USS Frankllin D. Roosevelt. 1976 ii launch A-7. It was the time of my life.⚓⚓⚓
...It made my day when that jet blast came down and EA-6B appeared. What an amazing plane...
Withought a doubt this is among the most awesome videos I've ever seen, God Bless our US Navy, their pilots and Navy personel!
big balls to do this shit
Flight deck ops. Where the shit hits the fan.
Listen at 7:55 when that F-18 comes screaming over.... SOUNDS AWESOME
JUNTEX sounds like Star Wars haha
omar khan
Never heard truer words
JUNTEX II
my grandson love f18 and f15 strike eagle
JUNTEX you mean 8:00 lol
i would be so freaking paranoid being that close to the intake of a live aircraft. holy moly.
as they say, getting sucked in would really ruin your day
Yep thats what i commented. Standing like reaaaaally close to that intake is going to freak me out.
@@Cielzerozx004 Just a friendly reminder to not get too sucked into your job.
And now I know why my dad is slightly deaf after he came back from the Navy.
My grandfather refused to talk about ww2. Thanks for your dads service
I lost some of my hearing as well. Even with double ear protection
I wore my ear protection religiously. I would always double up with earplugs and Mickey Mouse. :D
Few people understand why I have a hard to time hearing. Lol
A lot of AF guys have the same problem. Them turbine engines are loud. Notice no one is talking all hand signals. Reason is even if you did try to talk you would have to scream and hope they heard you.
It's amazing how much you hate the ship on cruise, but miss it so much once you get done.
Do you know where Jane is ?
+Steven C. I Can't....... XD +John Doe - I'm sure it is a Bittersweet Career... I LOVE THIS STUFF!! Thanks for your Service!!! ;)
Amazing how time colors our memories of deck life. It was a grind, but I wish I could go again.
@ Denzel 'My Nigga' Washington; Man, you are so right!!! Our 81' cruise was a six packer, for days spent at sea. Only three port visits in nine months. Counting work-ups we spent 11 months at sea!!! But I would do it again if called!!!
Negative
My goodness. What an important and dangerous job you have. I see the winds blowing on the flight deck, and I can't even come to a ralization of what you encointer when the outside temperature is low and the exhaust comes your way
It looks really thrilling, but I would never had the courage you have up there. You have a nation of civilians that are proud, and very thankful for you. You have a marvelous video and I say thank you.
Semper Fi
I was in from 75-79, made a Med-Cruise (Italy, France Spain) October 76 to April 77 on the last cruise for the "Rosie" CV-42, FDR. Roosevelt died in office near the end of WW-II, that ship was going to be the Coral Sea, but Roosevelt being a Naval man the Navy named it The FDR. The Coral Sea became the next carrier CV-43. I explained that because i would think of what it must have been like as a sailor during WW-II back when i was on that cruise. We go through when we do, i was a Aircraft Electrician (AE) attached to VA-215 and worked on the now long gone A-7 stationed at Lemoore, CA. We were not always on the flight deck as those guys, we went up to try to get a bird up for a the launch if it had a problem or after recovery from a mission because some things can only be determined while the engine is still turning (active/ on). There is nothing else on earth that is like working on the flight deck. There is potential danger all around you, but your 18, 19, 20 something and you just know you got this, no worries mate. Over 40 years later, they are thinking the same thing. We did and now they do, no worries, god bless them, each and every one. Turning into the wind, going to launch the next group and recover the last one, that way you maintain air cover overhead at all times. The good old days......
7:30 Imagine how many thumbs ups that guy gives a year...
Thank God for these flight deck jocks and jockettes - the Navy would be dog droppings without them !
The REAL deal, REAL heroes on deck and cockpits. Thanks for sharing.
Amazing!!! My uncle told awesome stories and even horrible accidents. I remember him telling me, that he had and another guy were competing for “Yellow”, both men were competitive with hand signals, movements, lots of hand communication with pilots & much more. Which my uncle got the part of “Yellow”, and the other guy was “green” Well, My uncle retired from the U.S Navy.
Thank you for taking your viewers, row seats
Pretty cool and very dangerous work.
Great that we have people that are on the front line. THANK YOU for your service.
I can tell I'm getting old...my legs are getting tired just looking at how long those guys have to squat!
lolol had same thoughts..haha that look so painful these days
Squatting is actually better for your health as scientists have discovered by looking at people who do a lot of squatting. Just do it correctly. Been out in the provinces of the Philippines? If so then you will see everybody squatting much of the time.
news.usc.edu/166572/squatting-kneeling-health-sitting-usc-research/
The Prowler was always my favorite Navy jet. Looks like it's going 400 mph when it's standing still. To bad they all got retired to Gate Guard duty.
They gave some Prowlers to the Marine Corps for night surveillance. Named them the "Owlers"...it's true...you can Google it...
The protruding antenna and the radiation symbol at the nose of the aircraft made it look really cool. Form follows function, you can tell the Prowler was a purpose build electronic warfare aircraft unlike the new EA-18 Growler which looks unassuming and plain compared to the Prowler.
Sketchy to deal with in the LA with a hydraulic failure you need someone holding you back from that nose when you put in the down lock
Good times ...
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your service. Be careful out there. Outstanding!
Thanks for your service from your Australian allie. The u.s helped us in ww2 and we are grateful.
Thank you to everyone for making this video BY FAR the most popular video on @FlightDeckLife and one of the best of it's kind! If you haven't been following along - I have tons more new content uploaded so check it out, like, subscribe and share! Have a great 2018 everyone!
Wow nice job
It's great!! wow!!
8:01 best aircraft carrier number
Nice
And the pilots with full thrust go,,,,, lickity split too!
It's the 69 on the tower for the people who can't see it
Nice
Nice
At almost 80 years old I would LOVE to spend an hour on the flight deck and experience a cat launch and a trap. I've been in gliders, helicopters, small planes, big planes, aerobatics but never a cat launch or a trap. That would be like winning the lotto.
It’s one of the big ones for anyone that loves aviation
nemo227 . The feeling is great! Take it from an old 71 year old Navy guy who has experienced that many times.
Top drawer video.
No narrative. No silly background music. Just pure raw sound.
Play it loud 😆 🤣
I was on the USS Constellation back in the 90's when it stopped in Sydney, Australia for a few days. I was the first one got on board and also the last one left before closure. My most beautiful 8 hours in my life.
I was on a destroyer. When getting stores from the carrier or fuel, we would look up, way up at these things. Huge.
Ralph Denson they are very huge
That was outstanding, thanks for posting, and thanks for being out there.
Absolutely no clue why this was in my recommended videos, so glad it was though.
It's a sign u need to enlist
Thanks for what you Service Members do every single day.
-E8, US Army
These lads are just Awesome. We do not see this sort of Flight Deck ops in the UK. Total Respect.
When I saw the prowler I immediately looked at how old the video was. Haven’t seen one in a long time.
as well haha especially with all Supers and E2D...
Them boys on deck make it possible as well as the pilots a team effort as always keep them flying
When your captain is sleeping you should saran wrap him to his bed, attach his bed to the catapult, and launch the sucker out to sea. Best prank ever!
What a jerk XD
don't you owe the rock monster money
The Borax Kid that might get you court martialed.
The Borax Kid probably will kill him and you'd get court-marshalled
Sounds epic, you get the wrap, I'll duct tape the bed to the catapult
You'll get court-martialed for that.
I spent 4 years 3 months in Naval Aviation from 1965-1969 but am embarrassed to say, I never left the shore save a single instance when I was working part-time for a radio station in Newport News, VA, where I had the chance to spend a full Saturday on the USS Ranger on a...gulp...Dependent's Day Cruise. For all practical purposes I boarded as a civilian although at the time, I was a PO2 on active duty. I say this only to support the tremendous respect I have for those of you brave souls who work the flight decks or fly the aircraft onto the USN's many carriers. To this day, I've encountered NOTHING that can equal the thrill of standing eye level (as this great video shows near its end) to the deck and watching both launch and recovery of high-speed aircraft. It truly is a wonder. BTW, I was a TD2 (rate was abolished in the late 80's by Zumwalt) at the Atlantic Fleet ASW Tactical Simulator at D&S Piers NOB. TD's were those of us who supported almost all simulator equipment for flight etc. My hat is off to you ALL. You make this old Navy Veteran proud!
I have been watching (and enjoying) your videos for a few weeks now, and I have yet to find fault with any of them. They are all fun to watch and educational - but the part I like most about each of the.... no distracting music, just live sound of what's really happening
The perfect aircraft carrier doesn't exi...*Aircraft Carrier 69*
*tongue click* noice
I thought no one notice that but for God sake
The number 69 was only classifyed to be the number for the Hull on the ship
Cvn 79 much better
That's are bigger aircraft carriers
Very important work, fantastic!
Respect from Brazil.
"Hawkins, we just got raised to alert one. Plans have changed. We're launching now."
We’re hunting big game today
DASC is gonna fill us in airborne.
But we're flying a strike mission over Teheran, into Mehrabad airport.
I'm just gonna guess here ... ummmm .... Topgun?
@@JulietNovember96 better not get stuck *between a rock and a hard place*
CAG said that we're special today. We're not on staion for some whiskey-delta ground support
DASC is gonna fill us in airborne. But we're flying a strike mission over Teheran, into Mehrabad airport.
ELINT has sat images-they think know where Al Bashir is.
So, get your fangs out, Hawkins. We're hunting a big game today.
I was on the CVN77 with my nephew for a Tiger Cruise from Mayport to Norfolk. Three days I will never forget. Hes a purple shirt. Absolutely amazing and good food. I'm Air Force so we ate good too.
V2 division green shirts! Respect
It’s so weird hearing them talking after all that
Hey everyone! Check us out on our new Instagram Channel @FlightDeckLifeVideos
FlightDeckL
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaapppplll
Lol
so , where do i sign up to be a crew member ?
Hook me up!
Dude you have one awsome job !! looks like amazing view and perfect teamwork thanks for sharing !!
i was on Ike CVN 69 from 1986-1988 i worked the flight deck V-4 fuels. sad to see the F-14 gone
Impressive how fast they get into takeoff speed. That's surely one of the most amazing things a pilot can do!
Nice video!!! About three years ago I had the opportunity to visit the CVN-70 Carl Vinson at Coronado, CA. I have the best memories of this visit and was a completly new and fascinating tour discovering the inside of a supercarrier (my first time too). Thanks to allow us to feel how it works!!
Wonderful experience watching this - so much respect for so much skill.
I always wondered what these guys did in video games! Thanks for this!
Served on the USS Enterprise twice and the John F.Kennedy . Did the bow cats and arresting gear. Just something I noticed when the aircraft takes tension that the pilot doesn't come to full power while your checking for proper hold back secure the of the hold back bar. Call me to old school but I have seen those bars come out during that time
Hi! How long time catapult need to be warmed before first launch?
wow, this is one of the most dangerous jobs and you guys make it look easy!! God bless you and God bless America!!!
mani agg I was told by an AB CHIEF (retired) Ray operated and fixed the cats and AG. RAY said that every cruise there was someone killed on the flight deck, I think it weighed on him even after retirement.
Brings back lots of memories on the old Ticonderoga, CVA 14.. Back in the early 60's. Great videos and thanks from a old swabby.
Ваши пилоты очень смелые ребята, раз не боятся на таком хламе летать.
I just love watching these videos...I wish I was in the Navy!
this is very interesting video, thank you
These are the unsung heroes of the NAVY. God bless you all.
OMG God bless these guys and gals for all they do out there each and every day!♥️
And I'm stuck in a stupid cubicle from 9-5 Monday to Friday. FML!
+Rico Suave contemplating quitting my job and enlisting, now or never
+Rico Suave You ought to be grateful you have a stupid cubicle job! Many don't have any job :(
+Rico Suave Make it a smart cublicle, we have only 1 life, make it good, You can, wherever You are.
+Rico Suave Those sailors are glad to be in the shade at the end of the video. Your out side burning on that steel deck. It isn't a picnic and to some of them, that deck is a cubicle. Just saying.
+Rico Suave Don't over look the luxury of going home at night and enjoying down time. Saturday and Sunday you can hit the beach, or clubs or just chill in the privacy of your own home...meanwhile, these guys are still out there doing the exact same thing for weeks at a time, up to 20+ hours per day. It looks cool in a 10 minute video, but it's a shit job.
I was an HM on an FFG before they decommed all of them. I miss that shit every day. Working in the ER pales in comparison.
I've always like to watch aircraft start up from aircraft carriers. This is an amazing sight. It is a pity that we have (in Russia) only one aircraft carrier. But the airplanes are more beautiful =) Peace, our American brothers.
RU does have some sexy planes, not gonna lie.
Wonder why Russia does not build catapults. My country(India) would rather we buy a steam catapult from Russia than an EMALS from US for our new aircraft carrier (IAC-2). The USA might deny us critical spare parts in the time of a war. They once denied us access to GPS in 1999 war. We learnt our lesson and made our own GPS. OTOH, Russia is a solid partner, and you have supported us in our most dire straits (1971 war). You also help us by transferring critical tech to us. None of this the USA will ever do.
BTW I do agree, Russians build beautiful planes (Su-30MKI) :)
Ridbeold
@@death_parade actually US company General Atomics under loan from the US military is actually helping retrofit an emals system onto INS Vishal, making it india's first CATOBAR system with a linear induction motor. Expect US support in military training for manufacturing in the coming years, that's how we strengthen our alliance. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_Aircraft_Launch_System
@@stillnotspicy Read what I wrote again. Carefully. I know what EMALS is. I stated in my previous comment that I don't trust the Americans giving us that technology. General Atomics is not doing it on loan. We are paying for it. They are not retrofitting it onto INS Vishal. INS Vishal is being designed with it. Don't give me wikipedia links for stuff that I already know all about. Read carefully before you reply to me again.
Idiots like you might be happy to have the US help India, but wise men know, US is a snake. Its not helping India. It is helping itself.
My thanks and appreciation to anyone who serves in the military in any capacity. This is an interesting video. Now imagine doing it at night in a storm.
People on the flight deck are so professional, they keep the whole process going. Nice video hope all return home safe
Great video! Why is the shooter wearing a green shirt?
In this case, the shooter is in the Integrated Catapult Control Station, or ICCS/Bubble. The operator on deck is an enlisted sailor, the Catapult Safety Observer.
mfd78 Different colors signify different jobs. That way the OIC's can see what personal are in what positions at any time.
SuperSaltydog77
dirty laundry
cause, he's a green shirt... duh
I’d have a headache by 3 minutes of me being there
2013:
2014:
2015:
2016:
2017:
2018:
2019:yep
Wow!! I bet this brings back lots of memories, Thank you for your services.
2020 bruh
Ahhh the Navy life. Served 4 years in the Navy. Great experience. Great times.
I find these videos Fascinating! Thank you so much for making them and posting them. God Bless. Stay Safe and THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
VF 103 baby
this is what I love from US military technology they are so amazing..
so perfect for JIHAD equipment, right?
Gio Axe buddy that wasnt a good joke
But the British came up with the catapult system...
Fatin & Rezky The Brothers orang indo ya
May 2019: no Prowlers anymore.
Kinda sad they were sexy
😂all carrier capable aircraft have sum appeal ngl
First the F-14. Then the Prowlers. Feels bad man.
Спокойная слаженная работа. Без криков и воплей. Заслуживает всяческого уважения.
Молодцы.
Красавчик EA-6b ещё в работе, но наверно один из последних его вылетов...
Crystal clear video and NO music.. Fantastic!
i just love how the number of the carrier is 69
77 is better because you got 8 more
Haha
Yeah it’s a nice carrier. CVN 69
Its the USS Eisenhower
Nicd
It's a bit unfortunate that those skull and crossbones will never be seen on a F-14 anymore.
Assigned to the Bones 3 different times. Twice as VF-84 and once as VFA-103
wow. my old ship, but it still had F-14's when i was on it. "GSE trouble shooter"
Airon Jones green shirt huh
Thank you boys for your service!!
Always wanted to experience this but.... I'm a idiot..... caught a felony at 18....spoiled my chances..... my buddy did tho he got out after jumping off the deck in the Indian Ocean lol he swam for a hour before they realized he was gone. He said that he was so cold his arms would not unbend on their own. It was a crazy experience he said.
All my respects to every guys who work hard on Flight Deck.....you are awesome!!!!
This ain't as fun as it look. I worked in V-2 for 18 months. This is just to flight deck operations side. You still have the below deck operations side, and last but not least the maintenance side lol.
Xisean Anthony yea the guys in V-2 didn't get much sleep at sea. if they were not launching planes they were doing maintenance.
Xisean Anthony Great vid!
Xisean Anthony ...sure seems like a stressful job, man. Hey, maybe you can tell me something: do the Super Hornets actually launch at full flaps? It kinda looks like it in this video and I always thought they just lowered them halfway or one step or whatever it is. Or does it depend on the launch conditions after all? Pure layman's question, obviously.
***** I don't remember the last time I dealt with that was 2001 I was in V-2 division from 99-01 on the Abraham Lincoln CVN-72. I had an chance to leave via A-School so I rolled out. Also we will still launching and recovering F-14 Tomcats back then lol. We didnt have Super Hornets attached to our wing at that time, but we did do an underway were Super Hornet pilots did touch and go's also launching and recovering
I see. Well, the F-14 must've been quite a sight up close. I was so fascinated with that plane when I was a kid.
This is what I got after watching Cessna in space after searching slew mode
chinese navy is probably studying this their videos look like top.gun inspired
The Chinese will copy everything they can see. The only problem is, they can't copy what goes on in the war room and inside the commander's mind.
The Chinese will look good until they go to war. That is when the truth comes out.
Hey I wanted to say my physics teacher used this vid in class as an example of acceleration and I think that is cool. Keep up the good work and I salute you and your friends for working in one of the worlds most dangerous environments.
Why can they do so
saurabh yadav ?
On the USS America (CV66), it was always an enjoyable experience when after the Air Boss got done with his 'all hands stand clear of jet intakes and exhausts while starting engines' talk, pretty much the next words were man overboard. Always be a new guy onboard who would stroll behind a jet and get blown overboard.
@AR3alAm3r1can January 1975 to September 1977.
i know this is an old vid, but i was left wandering what they were talking about at the end of the video? Something about never having seen an A-6 do ??? something?
Could someone please clarify? Thanks.
I think it's something about the EA-6Bs launch bar popping out couldn't quiet make it out though
yes, i too would very much like to know :-)
The spoilers, or "boards" were up when it launched... this is not optimal of course because the purpose of spoilers is to reduce or "spoil" the lift capability of a wing - definitely not something you want on takeoff. You can see them up at 7:36
@@jayceeflyz thank you, it's clear pausing at that time to see the spoilers up, but watching realtime difficult to see. Thanks for explaining :-)
Lots of memories on the flight deck! I guess this ship doesn’t salute the pilots before being shot off of the cat.
They did
Keeps those awesome birds flying boys, thats why i gladly pay my taxes.
Nice day for launching. But I kept thinking deck of a carrier has to be one of the coldest places to work when it’s shitty wx. Big waves, spray, maybe precip, and always high wind. Respect for being out there thru it all.
Working the Flight Deck endures multiple weather obstacles. Depends on the location while operating. I will say that operating in the Gulf, it’s HOT as shit. Staying hydrated and ensuring proper rotation is key to successful operation.
The teamwork and coordination is amazing.