Height of the flightdeck

[nk006]

Hi,

Wat is the wright height of the flightdeck on the USS Nimitz? I read on the aircraft 21 feet when i landed on it. But when i read it on the internet it is 57 feet on a nimitz class carrier.

What is wrong or wright?

Regards,

Kenneth

[Hawkeye07]

I served on the America CV-66, Eisenhower CVN-69 and a short stint on John F. Kennedy CV-67. All of their flight decks varied, depending on number of aircraft on board, ordnance and fuel, but the average was approx 70 feet from the ocean's surface to the flight deck. A fully loaded ship sits lower in the water of course. If you look online as I just did out of curiosity you'll find a wide range of figures. I also found a big variation in the number of aircraft a Nimitz class carrier can hold and crew strengths. The actual figures by the way are 80-82 aircraft (fixed and rotary wing)and 5,500 crew members.
Here's a diagram of the flight deck with all the locations noted ( a couple of them were missing so I added them). It's very important for those working on the flight deck to know these locations because if something happens or needs to happen, like putting out an aircraft fire, the Air Boss will call out what it is and where using these location names.

[Fozzer]

Love the names of the locations, Hawk...

Does include a "Gay Bar" for Flight Lt. Tom Cruise and his Wingman?...>>>

...... ....."Top Gun".... ...!

Paul.... ... ...!

[Hawkeye07]

Love the names of the locations, Hawk...

Does include a "Gay Bar" for Flight Lt. Tom Cruise and his Wingman?...>>>
...... ....."Top Gun".... ...!

Paul.... ... ...!

Thanks Paul. Those are the actual names used but I'm not sure how far back in time they go or how they came about. The Six Pack, the Corral, EL 1 & EL 2 is where the A-6's and A-7's (Now the F/A-18's) were parked prior to launch. The Street was the pathway up to Cats 1 & 2. The Box is where the squadron's flight deck Final Checkers and the cat crews were positioned during the launch cycle. The Hummer Hole was where the ready E-2C was parked. Most of the time there were two Hummers in that area and the third was parked in the Junk Yard which was where most of the flight deck ground support equipment is parked ("yellow gear" in the USN - called that because it's all painted yellow except for the tractor with the AFFF rig for fire fighting which is painted white with red). The Turkey Triangle and EL 4 are (were) reserved for F-14's.

True Story Time! During my last at sea time on the Eisenhower I was promoted to Chief Petty Officer and I had to move from my nice cozy rack in the enlisted berthing up into "Chief Territory" on the 03 level which is the one directly below the flight deck. As my lousy luck would have it my new rack was right on the yellow and white center line just aft of #3 wire. Ha-Ha!! No sleep until after flight ops were over for the day.

[Breanna]

Hey Hawkeye07, I also served on the IKE and was in an E2 squadron. There were three locations for the Hawkeyes to park in: the forward and aft "Hummer Holes" ( forward spot being right in front of flight deck control and the aft spot being right next to "tilley" and next to "L 3". The third spot was up on the "Point", but that was only after flight ops were thru for the day ).

I love the diagram though, brings back memories of working the deck.

[Hawkeye07]

Hey Hawkeye07, I also served on the IKE and was in an E2 squadron. There were three locations for the Hawkeyes to park in: the forward and aft "Hummer Holes" ( forward spot being right in front of flight deck control and the aft spot being right next to "tilley" and next to "L 3". The third spot was up on the "Point", but that was only after flight ops were thru for the day ).

I love the diagram though, brings back memories of working the deck.

I was an AE in VAW-121 on board IKE back in 1979 -81 time frame. Made last part of her very first deployment and then the IO cruise in 1980. Our shop was on the 0-3 between EL1 & 2 right across the passageway from the Grape Shack. Spent many an hour in the Hummer Hole and the Junkyard fixing broke Hummers.

[Victory103]

Great labeled diagram and nothing has changed since my last time on deck (late '90s). Just missing the helo spots. 1st cruise, our aircrew berthing was just outside the A-gear rooms. Next time we were under Cat 2. I only "worked" the deck during a det while Plane Captain training, but afterwards always loved going up prior to the cycle being complete to watch the action as I waited on my ride (helo).

[Hawkeye07]

Great labeled diagram and nothing has changed since my last time on deck (late '90s). Just missing the helo spots. 1st cruise, our aircrew berthing was just outside the A-gear rooms. Next time we were under Cat 2. I only "worked" the deck during a det while Plane Captain training, but afterwards always loved going up prior to the cycle being complete to watch the action as I waited on my ride (helo).

If you look in the fourth posting where I added "True Story Time" look for the RED ARROW just aft of #3 cross deck pendant. That was the location of my rack after I made Chief. Just forward of my rack was a steel bulkhead ( all the bulkheads are steel aren't they? Ha-Ha!!) On the forward side of that particular bulkhead was the #3 arresting gear machinery room. You have never in your whole life heard a screeching sound as loud and as multi pitched as an arresting gear machine paying out the cables trying to stop an aircraft on the flight deck. Being in an enclosed space with the sound reverberating off the walls and overhead made it all the louder.

When I first went onboard IKE as an E6 our enlisted berthing was on the 0-2 level at frame 25. That's between Cats 1 & 2 one deck down ( for those of us unfamiliar with the innards of a US Navy carrier). Not much noise really except when the A-6's or a F-14 in afterburner went off Cat 3 or 4. Even then it wasn't bad. I had a nice comfy middle rack on the end in a 120 man compartment.
Prime location I must say. When we hit heavy seas the ships movements would rock you to sleep like a baby in your mother's arm. And when the ship had to go on water hours guess who's fresh water didn't get shut off. We were in the same zone as the ship's engineering division and those boys never shut off their own water. Ah, life was good!

[highfive66]

Great responses..! My only experience being on a Navy ship underway was on a very old Tin-can (USS Ellison) as Cadet in my teens. No running water after the first day at sea and a tropical depression which rocked me to sleep but sent several others to the head to revisit previous meals.. It was so rough that they couldn't even prepare hot meals for a day, though due to the conditions crackers was about all I was interested in, at least I wasn't heaving like the ship.. I was fortunate to be in the forward compartment bunks the one's in the rear compartment were right next to the engine room & quite louder and hotter..

[Hawkeye07]

Great responses..! My only experience being on a Navy ship underway was on a very old Tin-can (USS Ellison) as Cadet in my teens. No running water after the first day at sea and a tropical depression which rocked me to sleep but sent several others to the head to revisit previous meals.. It was so rough that they couldn't even prepare hot meals for a day, though due to the conditions crackers was about all I was interested in, at least I wasn't heaving like the ship.. I was fortunate to be in the forward compartment bunks the one's in the rear compartment were right next to the engine room & quite louder and hotter..

In my opinion Tin Can sailors are a whole different breed. Much stronger stomachs than I have. I've been to sea on a few smaller ships, two LPH's and a LPD, and I'll take a big flattop any day.