Cutline

Catapult officers sit in little rooms (bubbles) that are recessed in the flight deck. Courtesy photo

Interns spend a week at sea

By Margarita Considine & Teresa Neal
NAVAIR Depot North Island

CORONADO, Calif. – Fifteen NAVAIR Depot North Island employees embarked aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CNV 72) for one week in August. Logistics and Engineering employees saw a glimpse of the rigors of shipboard life and experienced events that most civilians never get a chance to see. The appreciation for the fleet Sailor increased daily as the group observed the jobs the crew performed while under way.

The trip coordinators, Cmdr. Greg Stanley and Lt. Tony Mojica, along with the ship’s officers and crew, did an amazing job of keeping the group informed during their stay. Before getting under way, the employees received a briefing about ship policy, mustering locations, emergency procedures, and living accommodations. The group stayed in officers’ country and ate in the officers’ mess. Their bunks were located directly under the catapult, and during flight operations the noise level was incredible and often lasted until early in the morning.

Tour guides shared information about their jobs and the ship’s departments, and they eagerly answered all questions with great detail and knowledge. The group toured many shops: Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department (AIMD), Weapons, Engineering, Supply, Nuclear Propulsion, Medical and Dental, and many others. The NADEP employees even participated in several shipboard evolutions and drills including man overboard and general quarters, where they were outfitted with fire retardant gear. They also participated in a foreign object damage (FOD) walk-down of the flight deck and hangar bay. Every task the crew performed was vital in avoiding devastating mishaps and ensuring the safety of the ship, its crew and aircraft.

Depot employees had a chance to watch flight operations from Vulture’s Row (a balcony-like walkway on the carrier’s tower) and the Primary Flight Control tower. The sequence of planes taking off and landing within seconds of one another was remarkable. The flight deck crew and the Air Boss in the control tower worked together to make sure each action was flawless and safe. They also watched flight operations from the “bubble” on the flight deck level that offered an “up close and personal view”. There are two bubbles on the ship. One is mid-ship on the port (left) side, and the other is on the bow between the two forward catapults. The catapult officers operate the catapults while sitting in little rooms that are recessed in the deck. Each room has several small windows that make it look like a “bubble”.

The most amazing experience for each member was the opportunity to fly off the carrier on a C-2A Greyhound (Carrier Onboard Delivery). The ship was steaming somewhere off the coast of Ensenada, Mexico, and the group received word that the ride home would be fairly short. Once they were strapped into their seats, wearing all the necessary protective gear, the plane waited its turn in the queue on the flight deck to take off. When all was ready and safe, the plane catapulted off the flight deck, and it accelerated to 130 mph in a matter of seconds. What a rush of adrenaline! The flight back to North Island took only about 20 minutes, a fairly short ride.

After spending a week on the Lincoln, each member of the group now has a better understanding of fleet operations and a new respect for successes when missions are complete and frustrations when aircraft are down. This opportunity taught the group that the work accomplished at NAVAIR Depot North Island, Naval Air Technical Data and Engineering Service Command (NATEC) and Naval Air Warfare Center – Weapons Division (NAWC-WD), Point Mugu/China Lake, Calif., directly impacts the fleet. The fleet relies on these and all NAVAIR activities to provide Logistics, Engineering and Production support and material to keep their aircraft in a high readiness posture.

The NAVAIR Team plays a crucial role in keeping fleet readiness operations consistent and accurate. This carrier visit served as a unique experience illustrating the operations and daily activities aboard a fully operational combat vessel with all of its departments assisting in the ship’s ability to function nearly independently from its shore-based counterparts while still meeting mission requirements.

NAVAIR provides cost-wise readiness and dominant maritime combat power to make a great Navy and Marine Corps team better.