This, I am very curious about. During several of the multi-platform ASW
ops I flew on in the mid 80's (84-87), the S-3's experienced computer
data dumps and withdrew from the ex. I have to wonder how this problem
could have been left to remain chronic for so many years (given that you
saw it a lot years earlier)? Was the cause ever determined?

They told us that the computer just plain couldn't hold a load - Mid-east heat,
cat strokes, 18 year old maintainers, it all takes its toll... I never heard
of the same problem in ES-3s, but then they came along later, after computers
had grown up a bit.

...wondering when we'll ever get OUT of the Mideast for good - leave that
region
to the people who want it, if we would pour every resource into finding
alternatives to fossil fuels.


This ain't gonna happen as long as the big oil companies (and the people
in power they are in bed with) continue to poor money ("lobbying") our
government to thwart or slow down usage and even examination of
alternate energy sources or do things like give tax breaks to people who
buy gas-guzzling SUV's.

At a time when everyone else on the planet realizes that personal vehicles need
to be as small and efficient as possible in urban environments, we get to deal
with the new Mercury Leviathans and Cadillac Pachyderms. It seems silly that
so many folks are willing to pour that much of their gas money down the drain.

...The last thing the Skipper ordered before we left Norfolk was all
liberty boats be removed. Not
needed for this one.

You guys had liberty boats??

They came with the undercoating and sports package. Not that I ever saw them
*used*, mind you. Wil can probably tell us if they used them on the 1979 Med
Cruise - I got to the Ike too late to know.

Every port we ever went to where we needed
to go ashore via boat, the boats were always of the local chartered
ilk...and not always seemingly seaworthy.

Singapore had good harbor transport - HK had a bit dicier water cabs. What I
noticed was that over the years, the contracters stayed the same, but they had
newer boats when we returned.

I can't recall ever having
used a boat from Mother.

Hmmm.. I think I rode launches a couple of times - Bahamas and St. Thomas I
think. Wondering why its so hard to recall the other circumstances - perhaps
due to a few painted label San Migoos, I think.

v/r
Gordon
====(A+C====
USN SAR

Its always better to lose -an- engine, not -the- engine.