OT: RVs and Aircraft Carriers

Tandem46 · #1 03-12-2012, 09:26 PM

As a Navy helicopter pilot I've landed on aircraft carriers before, but, what I'd give to land my RV on a carrier. Yesterday while flying back from lunch with my wife we spotted the Enterprise heading out for her last deployment before decommissioning. Can I use my tailwheel as a tailhook??

The Enterprise is America's oldest carrier and first nuclear powered carrier. Commissioned in 1961 she's over 50 years old!!

That's my left wing tip in the photo. The Airwing flew on not long after we took the photo. You can read about it here: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2012/0...oyment-031212/

PS - For those wondering, the photo makes us look closer than we actually were. I'd estimate we were roughly 5-7 miles away and we were at 6,500'. The ship had just come out of the Chesapeake Bay and was just entering the Atlantic.

DanH · #2 03-12-2012, 09:49 PM

Interesting. Is there any special airspace (or common sense) restriction around a US Navy carrier in home port waters? I mean, yeah, I realize running inbound on one in the Red Sea would be a bad idea.....but how close can you fly in US waters?

Toobuilder · #3 03-12-2012, 10:04 PM

Sure would be tempting to shoot an approach or even a touch and go on that wide open deck!

Casey Stewart · #4 03-12-2012, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toobuilder

Sure would be tempting to shoot an approach or even a touch and go on that wide open deck!

Its wide open right up to the 4 cables

Those things are pretty thick and held 4, maybe 6 inches off the deck so hooks can catch them. Cables removed? Im in!!! Now all we need is some music from Top Gun

rvmills · #5 03-13-2012, 01:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanH

Interesting. Is there any special airspace (or common sense) restriction around a US Navy carrier in home port waters? I mean, yeah, I realize running inbound on one in the Red Sea would be a bad idea.....but how close can you fly in US waters?

CV NATOPS (a governing doc for carrier ops, unclas version here) defines the Carrier Control Zone as a 5 mile radius, up to 2,500 msl. That's the airspace owned by the Air Boss for launch and recovery. The Carrier Control
Area is that airspace monitored by CATCC (Carrier Air Traffic Control Center), and is a 50nm radius to infinity (pretty confident you were on radar!

)

There may be other regs, and NOTAMs likely apply in a port transit; and I'll look into applicable FARs as a science project (other squids welcome to join the search), but I definitely wouldn't penetrate the CCZ, and there could be aircraft holding at 5,000 or above well behind the ship (15-20 miles), so be cautious for fast movers all around the boat! As Dan said, pointing at the boat for any length of time, especially approaching the CCZ would probably be a poor choice.

The fantasy of a low pass or a touch and go is a good one though (and yes, the cross-deck pendants would mess up your wheel pants Beef!)

Tobin, the LSOs would have given you a HOSX (High Overshooting Start...Underlined)

Fair Winds and Following Seas!
Bob

pierre smith · #6 03-13-2012, 04:49 AM

One of our ag airplanes landed on a moored carrier in Texas, years ago. It is a decommissioned ship and Grant Lane from Texas had authorization to land an Air Tractor on it...after quite a bit of short field landing practise.

Best,

ronschreck · #7 03-13-2012, 05:18 AM

Several years ago I read an account of a pilot who took the first flight in his newly built RV and found himself in an emergency situation with the only recourse being a landing on an aircraft carrier. The story was posted on the "RV List" about 8 or 10 years ago. It was a bogus account but very well written by a guy with a great imagination. If anyone can find this post and re-post it here I'm sure it would be well received.

Kyle Boatright · #8 03-13-2012, 05:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronschreck

Several years ago I read an account of a pilot who took the first flight in his newly built RV and found himself in an emergency situation with the only recourse being a landing on an aircraft carrier. The story was posted on the "RV List" about 8 or 10 years ago. It was a bogus account but very well written by a guy with a great imagination. If anyone can find this post and re-post it here I'm sure it would be well received.

30(?) years ago, there was a story in Plane and Pilot or maybe Flying magazine about an ex-Naval aviator performing a T&G on a decommissioned carrier being towed to its final berth. It was a good read and made you wonder if it was fact or fiction...

Sig600 · #9 03-13-2012, 06:20 AM

I can see my old stateroom!

She may be old, she may be ridden hard, she and I may have a love/hate relationship, but she always gave me a strong cat shot and a good wire at the end of a 7+ hour mission.

I have to admit, I hate seeing her turned into scrap. I really hope they don another boat with the name Enterprise.

Bill Marcum · #10 03-13-2012, 06:23 AM

Its nice to see some pics of the carrier leaving port. Should have figured someone with an RV would be airborne to celebrate the occasion.7&1/2 month deployment is a long time to be a way from family and friends. We should all be greatful for all the sailors that watch our backs so we can sleep well at night.