On 03/07/2014 17:32, Jeff Crowell wrote:
If you haven't seen it (or even if you have), a scene from
PBS: Carrier involving a heaving deck (and it really isn't
even bad weather):

I was lucky enough to use the HARRY S. TRUMAN as a staging point back in
2008: the Desert Hawk out of Bahrain flew us out to the TRUMAN between
cycles, then HMS MANCHESTER's Lynx came and got us after the next cycle,
so we got to watch a US carrier do its stuff in the interim.

On the one hand, landing on that deck when it's empty is scary: the
flying part is safe in a helicopter in nice weather, but it's *huge*
when you're hurrying from the helo to the island so you can get out of
the way of all the hard-working folk who are soon to be very busy.

But when, shortly thereafter, you're watching them land an aircraft a
minute, while simultaneously launching a strike-loaded Hornet every
thirty seconds off the bow... that 'huge' deck looks very cramped and
crowded indeed. I outgrew most of "Top Gun" quite quickly but I do think
the first few minutes - showing just how furiously busy, and how skilled
and disciplined, the deck crew of a carrier have to be - are still
awesome. (And this was all calm seas and good weather...)


Utterly awesome to watch, and if the USN weren't sharing generously with
us we'd have no chance at all of quickly regenerating carrier strike
capability.


--
He thinks too much, such men are dangerous.