{"id":5059,"date":"2021-09-28T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-28T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/?p=5059"},"modified":"2024-08-22T20:12:02","modified_gmt":"2024-08-23T00:12:02","slug":"101-from-the-flight-deck-indescribable-beauty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/101-from-the-flight-deck-indescribable-beauty\/","title":{"rendered":"#101\u2014From the Flight Deck: Indescribable Beauty"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
Blog #101 (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 3, 2021<\/span><\/div>
<\/div>Audio by Andy<\/a><\/div><\/form><\/span>26<\/span> Downloads<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>
<\/div>\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re listening to this audio, take a moment and close your eyes. Allow me to describe beauty beyond comparison from the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. This is not about jet aircraft taking off and landing. This is about what one can see and witness while in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I promise no loud, scary noises or other incoherent sounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

USS Kitty Hawk<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I know other Navy veterans may chime in about their own<\/em> ship, which I certainly invite, but my perspective is from USS Kitty Hawk<\/em> (CV-63)<\/strong>, an aircraft carrier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I first arrived aboard Kitty Hawk<\/em> in March 1975 after 15 months in Guam, I was assigned to V-1 Division \/ Crash & Salvage<\/strong>. Crash had a dedicated crew of about 14 guys, led by CWO2 Bos\u2019n Ty Robuck<\/strong>, ABH1<\/strong> Jeff Atteberry<\/strong>, the Crash Leading Petty Officer, and ABH2 Shelby \u201cBig Willie\u201d Williams<\/strong>, the Assistant Crash LPO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was one of two third class petty officers. ABH3<\/strong> Gary Borne<\/strong> and I served together at NAS Agana, Guam<\/strong>, prior to transferring to Kitty Hawk<\/em>. Gary taught me how to drive the Crash trucks while stationed in Guam. Crash’s job was simple: wait until something bad happened\u2014like an aircraft crash on the flight deck\u2014then, with the help of everyone else on the flight deck, try to put out the fire and rescue the crew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"F-14
Gulf of Alaska (Jun. 3, 2004) – An F-14D Tomcat assigned to the “Tomcatters” of Fighter Squadron Three One (VF-31) sits on the flight deck aboard USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) as the setting sun silhouettes the jet.
Photo credit: PM2 Jayme Pastoric.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve previously posted several blogs about the activities on the flight deck, most notably regarding flight ops. Today\u2019s post focuses on the brief downtimes between flight operations, usually anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the mission, the flight schedules, and<\/em> our location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve mentioned this before, but most days at sea for us back in the mid-70s, flight ops began at 1000 and continued until midnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those of us working the flight deck needed to be on duty an hour before and remain an hour after. It made for some fairly long days; nothing compared to flying around the clock<\/em> during our Sea of Japan<\/strong> transit, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I have a lot of Navy veteran friends who constantly flew around the clock while in the South China Sea or the Gulf of Tonkin during the Vietnam War. I take my hat off to those guys. No complaints here\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, in between flight operations, we\u2019d almost always have a little downtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes during these brief breaks, I\u2019d go into the Crash compartment for a cup of coffee, especially if the weather was a little \u201cchilly,\u201d like in the Sea of Japan. Other times, I\u2019d remain outside and take in the atmosphere, so to speak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me share some of what I and thousands of other Navy shipmates witnessed while at sea\u2026 out in the middle of the ocean. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bright Blue Skies<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t know what natural phenomenon it is, but when you\u2019re out on the water, the sun seems brighter, the sky seems bluer, and the air tastes cleaner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re fishing a local pond in a small 10\u2019 jon boat, or if you\u2019re in the middle of an ocean aboard a 60,000 ton aircraft carrier. I\u2019ve done both.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\""Bomb<\/a>
“Bomb Farm,” USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63).
(Nov 67 – Jun 68)
(Click to enlarge)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

There were times, usually during the day\u2014because the nights were totally<\/em> different\u2014when I\u2019d look up at the brilliant bright blue clear sky. I’d briefly close my eyes, simply to get lost in my own thoughts. Of course, there were 200+ other flight deck personnel going about their regular duties, but I’d find those special moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But many times between flight ops, I made it a point to just stand next to the railing outside the Crash compartment on the starboard side of the island and take it all in. It wasn\u2019t hard for me to do that, especially on clear days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then again, I\u2019d probably be standing next to a few dozen 500 pound bombs in the area commonly known as the \u201cBomb farm,\u201d located just outside the Crash compartment. These were ordnance, ready to be wheeled out and loaded onto the A-7 Corsairs, the F-4 Phantoms, and the A-6 Intruders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I digress\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crystal clear water<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I used to tell a story of when I was a young kid out at our place at Kingsley Lake, Florida. We\u2019d take the 14\u2019 Stumpknocker fishing boat out to the middle of the lake\u2014it was only about thirty feet deep\u2014and drop anchor. One of us would swim down to the bottom and \u201crake\u201d the bottom clear of plant life to expose the brilliant white sand, then swim back up to the boat. On a bright, cloudless day, I swear we could see the bottom of the lake\u2026 it was that <\/em>clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re out in the middle of the ocean, you\u2019re surrounded by\u2026 you got it: water, lots of it. Most of the time, we’d have other ships around, the carrier task force. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"USS
SOUTH CHINA SEA (Oct. 9, 2019). Multiple aircraft from Carrier Air Wing 5 fly in formation over the Navy’s
forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).
Photo credit: MCS2 Kaila V. Peters.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But looking down from the flight deck\u2014about sixty feet to the surface\u2014I\u2019d see blue water so clear that now and then I could spot a humpback whale or two off the starboard bow (they were so<\/em> big they were easy to see), or perhaps a school of dolphins racing each other to see who could keep up with the ship, or even a school of flying fish, though they were harder to spot unless the sun was just right, glistening light off their transparent \u201cwings,\u201d as they sailed 200 meters on ocean breeze just a few feet above the calm water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2026 directly below us\u2026 was the cleanest and clearest water I\u2019d ever seen. I can still visualize it today, right now, as I write this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My wife & I took a cruise down the Mexican Baja Peninsula several years ago. Yeah, the water was clear, but it didn\u2019t seem as clear to me as when I was in the Navy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t know; maybe I\u2019m just a little <\/em>biased. Anyone else?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clean, Clear Salty Breeze<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The front of the ship is the bow; the rear is the stern or, if you\u2019re on <\/em>the flight deck, the fan tail. Both offered unique sights, sounds, and experiences, depending on what you might be in the mood for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the bow, the salty breeze was usually pretty stiff. Because the flight deck extended over the bow, you really couldn\u2019t see the ship\u2019s \u201cbulb\u201d cutting through the water like a sharp knife through warm butter. That is, unless you crawled out onto the safety nets (I never<\/em> did that, not even<\/em> at night!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if you were in the forecastle\u2014the large compartment forward on the ship where the anchor chains are stored\u2014you could stick your head out of the portal and look straight down. Now, that was a sight! And yes, I took the opportunity to do just that<\/em> many times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The air was always clear and clean. Unless, of course, you were following behind a diesel-powered smoke burner. But when you\u2019re on an aircraft carrier, it\u2019s rare you followed anyone.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fantail offered a completely distinct look and feel, primarily because of the churned up water from Kitty Hawk\u2019s<\/em> four propellers. At night, we\u2019d often see the phosphorescence: plankton glows a beautiful turquoise blue-green when churned up in the ship’s wake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Night
Ship’s Wake at Night (Photographer unknown). <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And letting my eyes follow this miles-long pathway toward the never ending horizon, where the indigo sky meets the water\u2026 well, I was awestruck by the view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Red Sky at Night\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

\u2026 Sailor\u2019s delight. Red sky in morning, sailor\u2019s warning.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t know how true this ancient adage is or if it\u2019s just an old wives\u2019 tale. But from my perspective, the sunrises and sunsets when at sea are nothing<\/em> short of spectacular. I\u2019ve only witnessed the quick \u201cdouble flash\u201d of the sun at sunset a few times\u2014that is, when it sets below the horizon, there\u2019s a momentary \u201cflash\u201d of light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though we\u2019d have flight ops throughout the day and most of the night, there were times when the sunset was almost indescribable. If you happen to view the sunset just as it touches the water and there is a gentle ocean breeze that causes slight ripples on the surface, you can almost feel an inviting pathway, leading you to the edge. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"USS<\/a>
USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) port side view sunset in Pacific Ocean (2000).
Photo credit: PH3 John Sullivan.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

No two sunsets (or sunrises) are the same and with the glory of God\u2019s beauty, the various combinations of oranges, yellows, reds, peaches, and every hue and shade in between were\u2026 well, breathless. Throw in all that reflection off the ocean surface and it\u2019s a sailor\u2019s cocktail, waiting to be drunken in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From what little I understand, the reason the colors are so vivid during sunrise and sunset is because the atmosphere is the thickest on the horizon\u2014all that means to me is there\u2019s more air to dilute the light, loaded with dust and moisture particles. To a physicist, the red wavelength <\/em>is the longest in the color spectrum, hence we can see it farther away. Blues are shorter wavelengths and thus are scattered and broken up before they reach our eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well\u2026 that\u2019s what they tell us. Personally, I just think it\u2019s God\u2019s way of showing us his awesome love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Night Sky<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If I\u2019m going to write about the brilliant bright blue sky during a day at sea, I\u2019m also going to reflect on the night sky. When you\u2019re in the middle of the ocean, there\u2019s no light pollution\u2026 anywhere<\/em>. Everything is so clear and so well defined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a clear night, the sky is lit up by millions of twinkling stars. It is one of the most incredible sights I\u2019ve ever witnessed. It was almost like the stars were calling to you with a warm, “Hi and welcome to tonight’s special show.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And with the calm, glass-like ocean surface, you literally cannot tell when the water on the horizon ends and the starry sky begins. The Milky Way is clearly visible\u2014there\u2019s no doubt that it\u2019s there. And when there\u2019s a shooting star overhead, everyone<\/em> takes in a deep breath and makes a wish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve heard today\u2019s sailors describe it as a \u201creal world high-def<\/em>.\u201d It\u2019s almost surreal because you know\u2014you know\u2014<\/em>what you\u2019re looking at, but your eyes have literally never <\/em>seen how bright the night sky truly is. Only then do you realize all those National Geographic magazine photos you saw growing up weren\u2019t fake or touched up. It really is that<\/em> beautiful. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"C-2<\/a>
C-2 Greyhound – USS Enterprise (CVN 65) at night. Gulf of Aden (Oct 8, 2012).
Photo credit: MC2 Brooks B. Patton, Jr.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

What pictures can\u2019t display is the tranquil feeling of physically being there: one person on a huge ship with 5,500+ of his closest \u201cfriends.\u201d Yet here you are in your own little bubble, witnessing something that only a few lucky people in the world will ever see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I didn\u2019t work the night shift too often\u2014too quiet for me. If memory serves, my good friend Gary Borne took night shift duty most of the time. But those few times I found myself working throughout the night, I\u2019d venture out onto the flight deck (there were no flight ops, only maintenance).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, I\u2019d lie down on the steel deck and look up at the night sky. And as I glanced around me, I\u2019d see another shipmate or two doing the exact same thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I still do that these days, at the beach or when we owned a house at Kingsley Lake. And yes, the night sky is still wonderful, but it just doesn\u2019t compare to what it was like it when at sea. Take what you see on these clear nights and multiply it tenfold. Then you\u2019ll get a sense of what it\u2019s like at night while in the middle of the ocean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And now\u2026 today<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Even now, there are certain things that trigger one of these fond memories, whether it\u2019s a walk on the beach at night, a drive down a country road after a summer morning rain with the dew glistening off the grass and wildflowers, or a song that comes on the radio from the 70s.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Fort
Sunset at Fort Myers, Florida (Spring 2018)
Photo credit: Andy Adkins.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

There are other things that still<\/em> mesmerize me. Like watching a campfire with the white hot glowing coals at the base, or the constant flight of a thousand embers, floating up and burning out as they race to rise. Or watching the constancy of ocean waves gently breaking as they wash ashore, bringing new life for shorebirds to find, and thus completing another circle of life. Or walking along an uncrowded beach at dawn, watching millions of diamonds flicker with the reflection of the brilliant slowing-rising sun, bringing with it a new day for us all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winding Down<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Back during my time in the Navy\u2014my late teens and early 20s\u2014my spirituality, religion, or whatever you call it, tended to drift in and out. I don\u2019t know how else to put it, but I know I\u2019m not alone in that regard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019d been raised a Methodist and attended Sunday school and church most of my growing-up years in North Central Florida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when I had those moments described above and all that surrounding beauty, I do remember wondering\u2014 sometimes out loud\u2014what an awesome God we have. I mean, who\/what else could surround us with such wondrous beauty out in the middle of nowhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quiet, serene, tranquil\u2014you can\u2019t help but feel there’s a higher being out there, holding you in their arms, loving you when you need it the most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, that\u2019s where I find my solace and my peace: mostly in nature\u2026 especially when I\u2019m sharing it with family or friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I began writing this week\u2019s blog post, I asked you to close your eyes as I tried to describe what I and thousands others have witnessed when at sea. Simple words, however, cannot express the feeling one has; it just wouldn\u2019t do it justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As one shipmate described, \u201cYou just feel like you\u2019re being swallowed up in nature\u2019s beauty. I\u2019m just one small being on one ship in one ocean on one planet in one galaxy in one universe; yet surrounded by all this awesome<\/em><\/em> beauty, I feel I\u2019m on top of the world.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But know this… something my father told me years ago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next time you look up at the night sky and see the moon, the dippers, a special constellation, or one of the visible planets… know that we have thousands of active duty men and women around the world helping to preserve our precious freedoms and they may also be looking up at the sky, seeing the same wonderous beauty as you. Take a quick moment to say, “Thank you<\/em>.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until we meet again,
Andy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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