{"id":2521,"date":"2020-09-08T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-08T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/?p=2521"},"modified":"2021-10-15T12:36:11","modified_gmt":"2021-10-15T16:36:11","slug":"47-those-memorable-moments-part-1-the-flight-deck","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/47-those-memorable-moments-part-1-the-flight-deck\/","title":{"rendered":"#47 \u2013 Memorable “Moments,” Part 1\u2014the Flight Deck"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Trivia Questions (Answers @ end)<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Who said, \u201cDon’t underestimate me because I’m quiet. I know more than I say, think more than I speak, and observe more than you know.\u201d<\/em>?<\/li>
  2. In what movie did we hear the following? \u201cNever lie, steal, cheat, or drink. But if you must lie, lie in the arms of the one you love. If you must steal, steal away from bad company. If you must cheat, cheat death. And if you must drink, drink in the moments that take your breath away.\u201d<\/em><\/li>
  3. In what song (and who sang it), did we hear the following?
    Drop your silver in my tambourine
    Help a poor man fill his pretty dream
    Give me pennies, I’ll take anything
    Now listen while I play\u2026<\/em><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n
    <\/div>
    Blog #47 (Audio)<\/div><\/div>
    <\/div>

    Listen to the audio of this blog, read by Andy Adkins. Click the \u201cAudio<\/strong><\/em>\u201d button below.<\/p>\n<\/div>

    Published: <\/span>October 15, 2021<\/span><\/div>
    <\/div>Audio by Andy Adkins<\/a><\/div><\/form><\/span>0<\/span> Downloads<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>
    <\/div>\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    We all have those \u201cmoments\u201d we remember from time to time. It may be a memory from when you were a child, it may be the time your child was born, it may be a special moment with your spouse, or it may be something from your work. It\u2019s also not unusual for one of your senses (you know\u2026 the \u201ctouch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste\u201d senses) to trigger one of those moments or memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"USS<\/a>
    USS Kitty Hawk, CV-63
    U.S. Navy Photo (June 2008)
    (Click to enlarge)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    In my short four-year Navy career, I spent 2\u00bd of those years (\u201975-77) aboard USS Kitty Hawk<\/em><\/strong>, an aircraft carrier based out of San Diego. I made one Westpac<\/em><\/strong> cruise (\u201975) and spent a year in the Bremerton Shipyards<\/em><\/strong>. I wrote about some of those times in earlier blogs (see below).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For me, those years in the Navy were some of the most challenging, demanding, yet memorable of my life. They say that working on the flight deck is the most dangerous job in the world. I\u2019ve been there and done that and\u2026 tend to agree. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But I will not argue with my Army and Marine veteran friends who have faced an enemy in combat. Life on the flight deck can be dangerous, but during my time, nobody shot at us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    My hat\u2019s off to them\u2026 and, as I think about it, to all<\/em> veterans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We in the Navy often joke about other military branches (make sure you also read my weekly, \u201cNavy Friday Funny<\/em><\/strong>,<\/a>\u201d) and they joke about us. But when it comes down to it, I think we all understand that while we joined for various reasons, we\u2019re proud of our accomplishments and we have each other’s back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019m at the point in my life (I\u2019m 65 and recently \u201cretired\u201d) where I often remember and blog about my \u201cbetter times\u201d in the Navy. It wasn\u2019t necessarily all great for my entire four years, but I certainly had more good times than not. I’d like to think that most of us did. These are some more memorable \u201cmoments\u201d in my journey on the flight deck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    South China Sea \u2013 Rain Shower<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    During Westpac \u201975, most of the time we flew 14 hours a day, which meant that we had to be on the flight deck for 16-18 hours at a stretch. Flight ops were often 10a \u2018til midnight, but since I worked in V-1 Division\/Crash<\/em><\/strong>, we had to be on deck an hour before and stay an hour or so after. It made for a long and sometimes weary day. But like many of my shipmates often state, \u201cI\u2019d do it all over again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Kitty Hawk<\/em>\u2019s overseas home port (forward deployment) was the Philippine Islands<\/a> <\/em><\/strong>(\u201cPI\u201d). Since it was mid-summer and not far from the equator, we\u2019d often encountered rain storms in the South China Sea. Many times during the cruise, the ship observed \u201cwater hours,\u201d which usually occurred when the ship was at sea for more than two weeks at a time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    That meant the ship\u2019s engineers turned off the hot water. There were times when we (working on the flight deck) didn\u2019t make it down to the berthing compartment in time to take a hot shower after a long day of flight ops. And, not everyone wanted to shower in ice-cold water. It made for an interesting \u201caroma\u201d in the berthing compartment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"The<\/a>
    The “Rain Shower”
    (Click to enlarge)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    It was during those times\u2014and I might add, in between flight ops when the ship would be smack dab in the middle of a good rainstorm\u2014we\u2019d strip off our jerseys (Yellow or Red for V-1 Division) and \u201cwash\u201d ourselves right there on the flight deck. No, we didn\u2019t have a bar of soap (though there was that one guy one time\u2026), but in that hot and humid climate, that cool rainwater felt so good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    During the summer here in Florida, I often \u201cremember\u201d those Kitty Hawk<\/em> rainy days on the flight deck. It usually happens when I walk out of the grocery store with bags of groceries and the \u201cbottom falls out\u201d and my truck is parked the farthest away from the door because I wanted to get a little more exercise that day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    My mom used to call these summertime showers, a \u201cfrog strangler\u201d rainstorm. It takes me back to that time on the flight deck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sea of Japan \u2013 Freezing Cold<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    On the opposite end of the temperature spectrum, also during Westpac \u201975, we cruised through the Sea of Japan<\/a><\/strong> (after our port call in Yokosuka, Japan<\/em>). It was quite different from the South China Sea, weather wise. When I ventured out onto the flight deck, I wore my thermal long johns, red Crash jersey, wool sweater, Navy foul weather jacket, rain gear, and my aviator knit cap. Even with all that warm bundling, I was still freezing cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We worked long shifts, often flying around the clock, so that didn\u2019t help. More than once, I\u2019d stumble in from the flight deck to try to warm up with a cup of steaming hot coffee. Back then, we didn\u2019t have a \u201cMr. Coffee\u201d coffee maker\u2014not<\/em> for 80 of us in V-1. We made it the old fashion way, too, in a 100-cup coffee urn. Hopefully, the guy who made the coffee used the \u201cfresh water\u201d spigot and not the \u201csalt water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And let me tell you, many times I\u2019d come in off the flight deck and have to tilt that coffee urn to get the bottom dregs, complete with burnt coffee grounds. But in that cold weather, even that<\/em> coffee tasted wonderful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    These days, I make coffee a little<\/em> differently than I did back then. I\u2019m not a coffee \u201csnob\u201d by any means, but I use a grinder for fresh grounds, and watch as the coffee maker \u201cdrips\u201d the hot water over the grounds, wanting it to be done sooner rather than later, but I wait\u2026 patiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When it\u2019s ready, I pour a cup, taking in the pleasing aroma of freshly brewed Colombian coffee, and then close my eyes to take that first sip and I remember… how god-awful that Navy coffee with spent grounds tasted and thankfully, I don\u2019t have to drink that <\/em>crap anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Falling Asleep on the Crash Tractor<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Crash had two firetrucks on the flight deck and two crash \u201ctractors.\u201d They were the same type as the aircraft tow tractors, but fitted with an open cage compartment in the back to hold the PKP firefighting retardant and a seat for the suited up crash crew member to sit. They were painted white as opposed to Navy traffic yellow. All were mobile units and, during flight ops, always idling and standing by in case\u2026 well, you know, a crash or a fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Crash<\/a>
    Crash Tractor aboard USS America<\/em>
    (Click to enlarge)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    During recovery operations, one of the crash tractors would be \u201cstationed\u201d amidships alongside the \u201cfoul line.\u201d That\u2019s a straight two-inch wide alternating red & white line that extends from the angle of the ship all the way down to the fantail (the back of the ship). That\u2019s a line that you \u201cDO NOT CROSS\u201d during recovery operations. Doing so would put you in the middle of the landing zone, and that\u2019s a place you do not <\/em>want to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Nighttime operations would be cooler, especially when we were up north in the Sea of Japan. Between the long hours (i.e., not much sleep) and the cold weather, it was not unusual for several V-1 Division guys to stand next to the crash tractor, trying to stay warm. And more than once, I fell asleep leaning over the idling crash tractor\u2014something about staying warm, a little \u201cwhite noise\u201d hum, and the vibration of the engine\u2026 next to a dozen of my closest friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Am I the only one who remembers that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Bow Flying<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019ve written about this before, but it\u2019s one of those \u201cmoments\u201d I don\u2019t want to forget. The flight deck is about 60 feet above the water line. The hull of the ship is shaped so it slices through the water like a sharp knife through hot butter. The wind generated by the ocean breeze sliding up the side of the ship\u2019s hull comes across the deck so that it helps to increase the wind velocity for aircraft to take off. At least\u2026 that\u2019s how I understand it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In between flight ops, and sometimes at night, I\u2019d often observe several fellow shipmates on the bow, leaning forward at a 45-degree angle. I say \u201cobserved,\u201d because they were right next to me, all of us leaning over the edge, the upper part of our body over the water with outstretched arms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Yes, there was a safety net in the event someone leaned too far, but I never saw anyone fall into the nets. I know some shipmates climbed into them, and I can imagine at night what that would be like. I\u2019m sure their \u201cpucker factor\u201d was a little high, that is, if they themselves weren\u2019t high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Scene<\/a>
    Titanic YouTube Video
    (Click to watch 2:45 video)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    The wind in your face and the water below made you feel you were really flying. Sort of like the movie, Titanic<\/em><\/strong>, when Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet were up front on the bow of the Titanic<\/strong>\u2014you know the scene. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It was almost <\/em>like that. Except\u2026 we didn\u2019t have anyone on board that looked like Kate Winslet, or Leonard DiCaprio for that matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Still, when I\u2019m walking outside and a stiff breeze hits me head on, I often close my eyes, tilt my head back, and I remember… those days of bow flying aboard Kitty Hawk<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    F-14 Tomcat in Full Afterburner at Night<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Working on the flight deck at night is obviously more hazardous than daytime. But once you\u2019ve been out on the deck several times, you get used to the rhythm of the action. It\u2019s still dangerous, but because you do many of the same things day in and day out, you know where to be and when and more importantly, where not<\/em> to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"F-14<\/a>
    F-14 Tomcat goes to zone 5 burner for a night launch. USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), May 1999. U.S. Navy Photo
    (Click to enlarge)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    One thing I remember vividly is standing near an aircraft, ready for launch. On Kitty Hawk<\/em>, there were four catapults, numbered 1 through 4, starting on the starboard (right) bow. Cats #1 and #2 were the \u201cbow\u201d cats; cats #3 and #4 were the \u201cwaist\u201d cats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The waist is amidships and the widest part of the flight deck. I liked that spot the best at night. That way, I could stand about 20 feet away from an F-14 Tomcat<\/em><\/strong> (yeah, the same one Tom Cruise \u201cflew\u201d in the movie, Top Gun<\/em><\/strong>), and watch as the Yellow Shirt director \u201chanded\u201d the pilot over to the \u201cShooter,\u201d ready for launch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It was loud enough to rattle your safety goggles, but would soon get much louder when the Shooter signaled the pilot to go to full afterburner. THAT is quite a sight\u2014that much power, waiting\u2026 waiting\u2026 waiting until the Shooter signaled for the aircraft to launch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Then, with the push of a button by the V-2 Division launch operator, the steam catapult launches the Tomcat off the deck, still in full afterburner. We watch as he flies straight for a bit, then suddenly, turns vertical in a steep climb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    All of this excitement happens within a matter of seconds. And then… we get to do it all over again in less than a minute with the next jet taxiing up to the catapult. Wow\u2026 just wow!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And to think, I was a part of that awesomeness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sunrises & Sunsets<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    How can I not mention sunrises and sunsets seen from atop the flight deck while out in the open ocean? Breathtaking\u2026 spectacular\u2026 awesome\u2026 Simple words cannot truly describe the feeling one has when experiencing the sun rising, peeking over the horizon with just the right amount of clouds and mesmerizing colors to give it that \u201csomebody bigger than us is responsible for this\u201d feeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Sunrise<\/a>
    Sunrise on the open ocean
    (Click to enlarge)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    The scene is so peaceful, it almost feels like you\u2019re completely outside your body as you try to take it all in, even though there\u2019s 200 of your closest friends on the flight deck with you. Some, like me, were \u201coohing and awing\u201d internally to themselves. Some older<\/em> salts\u2014who won\u2019t admit it out loud\u2014can attest to those days. And I know\u2026 I know<\/em> when they\u2019re on the beach these days and look out over the horizon to watch the sun rise… Yeah, they remember, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    These are several of the flight deck \u201cmoments\u201d that I often remember. They\u2019re the happier moments I\u2019ve experienced along my journey. Sometimes, though, the triggers I experience are not as happy. But I\u2019ve learned to \u201cturn\u201d those not so good<\/em> memories to other, happier, memories. Most of the time, it works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Stay safe, my friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Until we meet again,<\/em>
    Andy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"NEVER<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Andy Adkins is a US Navy veteran (\u201973-77) and the author of several books. His newest novel, NEVER FORGET, is the story of A Vietnam Veteran\u2019s Journey for Redemption & Forgiveness. NEVER FORGET is FREE (eBook, PDF) for all veterans. Download your FREE<\/strong> copy HERE<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Previous posts mentioned in this blog:<\/p>\n\n\n\n