{"id":8118,"date":"2026-03-31T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/?p=8118"},"modified":"2026-04-01T16:35:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T20:35:14","slug":"212-down-time-part-2-uss-kitty-hawk-on-duty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/azadkinsiii.com\/blog\/212-down-time-part-2-uss-kitty-hawk-on-duty\/","title":{"rendered":"#212\u2014\u201cDown Time,\u201d Part 2: USS Kitty Hawk (On-duty)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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

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  1. Who said, \u201cNever be bored, and you will never be boring.\u201d<\/em>?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. In what movie (and who said it) did we hear, \u201cMama always said life was like a box of chocolates.\u201d<\/em>?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. In what song (and who sang it) did we hear the following:
    Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?<\/em>
    Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality<\/em>
    Open your eyes, look up to the skies and see<\/em>
    I’m just a poor boy, I need no sympathy<\/em>
    Because I’m easy come, easy go<\/em>
    Little high, little low<\/em>
    Any way the wind blows doesn’t really matter to me, to me<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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    Above Photo: An F-14 Tomcat aircraft waits behind the blast deflector panels as another F-14 from Fighter Squadron 84 (VF-84) prepares for launching during flight operations aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS CARL VINSON<\/em><\/strong> (CVN-70). An A-7E Corsair II aircraft from Light Attack Squadron 82 (VA-82) is ready for launch on the port catapult.<\/p>\n\n\n

    <\/div>
    Blog #212 (audio)<\/div><\/div>
    <\/div>
    <\/div>
    Published: <\/span>March 28, 2026<\/span><\/div>
    <\/div>Audio by Andy Adkins<\/a><\/div><\/form><\/span>0<\/span> Downloads<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/div>
    <\/div>\n\n\n
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    \"A<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Before I get started on this post, I wanted to share that I just published a new book: A Veteran\u2019s Journey: Short Stories and Navy Friday Funnies, Volume #4<\/a>.<\/strong> It\u2019s nothing new. In fact, it\u2019s a collection of my latest 50ish blog posts, put into book format. Like most of my books, this book is free to download<\/strong> (PDF and eBook format) from my website. But if you really want a hard copy (paper back), you can order one from Amazon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Or just go to my \u201cblog list<\/a>\u201d and start reading. That\u2019s the easiest and cheapest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    In my last post (#211\u2014\u201cDown Time,\u201d Part 1: NAS Agana, Guam (On-duty)<\/a>)<\/strong>, I shared what I did during down time while on duty<\/em> when I was stationed at NAS Agana, Guam<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Being an aircraft Crash firefighter<\/strong>, you sit around for 24 hours a shift, waiting for something you hope will never happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Fortunately for me, the only real aircraft \u201cemergencies\u201d we had were fuel spills, flat tires, and aircraft landing with an engine out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"NAS
    NAS Agana, Guam – 1974. Crash trucks rolling to an emergency.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    That was duty at a Naval Air Station. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Being aboard an active aircraft carrier<\/a> was a different story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When I left Guam and after a few weeks at home on leave, I transferred to USS Kitty Hawk<\/em><\/strong> (CV-63), arriving in March 1975. Unfortunately for me, Kitty Hawk<\/em> was out on a month-long RIMPAC exercise, and the Navy would not fly me out to her. For three boring<\/em> weeks, I remained in a temporary holding company. I\u2019ll spare you the details, but you can only visit SeaWorld and the downtown YMCA so much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Flight Ops<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019ve written many times about flight operations aboard Kitty Hawk<\/em>. Basically, on a \u201cnormal\u201d day, we typically began flight ops \u201ccycles\u201d around 1000 and continued until midnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A cycle (back in the mid-70s) began with launching \u201cpre-spotted\u201d aircraft off the flight deck. Even though Kitty Hawk<\/em> had four steam catapults, we\u2019d usually simultaneously launch aircraft off two cats. Periodically, we’d launch off all four cats, but that took a lot of careful planning & maneuvering of aircraft on the flight deck and the hangar deck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We launched the first 10-15 aircraft, starting with the helo \u201cplane guard,\u201d followed by the E-2 \u201cHawkeye.\u201d<\/strong> Next up were the fighters (F-4 Phantoms<\/strong>) and the attack aircraft (A-7 Corsairs<\/strong>, A-6 Intruders<\/strong>). Following them would be a mix of the EA-6B Prowlers<\/strong>, an A-6 Intruder\/Refueling Tanker, an A-3 Whale<\/strong>, and the S-2 ASW Trackers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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    \"USS
    E-2 Hawkeye readying for launch; USS Ronald Reagan (CV-76). 2009. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    The total time to launch these aircraft\u2014assuming things ran \u201csmoothly\u201d\u2014was usually 15 to 20 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    After the first launch, we \u201cre-spotted\u201d for the second launch. That basically meant we moved aircraft around the flight deck, lining them up, ready for the next launch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Depending on the type, the aircraft would be airborne for about an hour before needing either to refuel in mid-air or return to the carrier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So, we\u2019d launch the second cycle (again, 10-15 aircraft) similar to the first cycle. After they launched, we respoted the flight deck to recover the aircraft from the first <\/em>launch. That meant moving all the aircraft out of the recovery area, usually to the bow, with a few on the starboard side of the flight deck, aft of the island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Recovering 10-15 aircraft\u2014assuming no problems\u2014took about 15-20 minutes. It was longer at night for obvious reasons, but think of an aircraft landing about every 45-60 seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We\u2019d do this all day long and into the night. Launch, respot, recover, respot, launch and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Meals During Flight Ops<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    On top of all that, we needed to get our crews down to the galley for chow. Back in my day, we\u2019d usually send about 3-5 guys down at a time. That is, 3-5 guys from each Fly (1, 2, & 3), and Crash. Sometimes the lines were long, and it wasn\u2019t unusual to wait in line for an hour or so. Then, you’d quickly scarf it down in minutes so you could get back on the flight deck to let the next crew eat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    After all, there were about 5,500 guys on the ship when at sea. That included about 3,500 sailors from \u201cship\u2019s company\u201d with another 2,500 from the Airwing (squadron personnel & pilots). That\u2019s a lot of food to prepare and a lot of sailors to feed. The cooks (mess specialists) did an awesome job not only preparing the food & cooking it, but serving it to keep the lines going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I\u2019ve written about meals aboard the carrier<\/a> before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

    There wasn\u2019t really that much downtime during<\/em> flight ops, but we managed a few minutes here and there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Aside from meals, we\u2019d find time to keep a game of cards going in the Crash compartment in between flight ops, or there were several guys who smoked. If memory serves, you could smoke inside the Crash compartment. We\u2019d keep the hatch open, just to keep the air flowing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Fortunately, I never took up the habit, which I\u2019m grateful for. I buried both my parents, way too young, because of smoking-related cancers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When I was on the ship, there was so much action during flight ops\u2014no complaints. But during downtime at sea, a lot of guys played poker. I learned early on during my time in Guam that I was NOT a poker player. Hearts & Spades, yes, but I\u2019m not a good gambler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Chet Adkins Record \u2026<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Kitty Hawk<\/em> had a single TV station (closed circuit) and ran movies all day and all night. Mostly were \u201cB\u201d movies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    During flight operations, the TV would broadcast the aircraft launch and recovery. Cameras were on the island superstructure, able to capture launches from both the bow cats and the waist cats. There was also a PLAT (Pilot’s Landing Aid Television) camera built into the flight deck to show aircraft landing. It was actually mesmerizing. <\/p>\n\n\n

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    \"Chet<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    We had our three radio stations (Rock, Soul, & Country) and I had my morning radio spot\u2014Country Chet Adkins<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Gary Borne<\/strong> (R.I.P.) loved the night shift<\/a>, but it was not for me. That worked out well for me, since I loved the action on the flight deck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There were a few night shifts I took, most times I was bored out of my gourd. But since I played guitar and sang country music, I started writing down lyrics in my \u201cofficial record log\u201d\u2014here it is, 50+ years later. I still got \u2018em and I still sing \u2018em.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"Chet<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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

    Working on the flight deck is one of the most challenging and rewarding jobs. It is fraught with peril, though, if you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. We had a few incidents; we lost a shipmate, but despite those sad days, I am proud to be a Navy veteran. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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    \"Andy<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Andy Adkins is a US Navy veteran<\/strong> (\u201973-77) and the author of several books (www.azadkinsiii.com<\/a>), many of which are free downloads (PDF, eBook format). He is currently retired and lives in Gainesville, Florida with his wife and life-long soulmate, Becky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Previous Blogs mentioned in this Post:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n