On these super carriers (Nimitz and Enterprise) Is there a way the aircraft are always staged in hanger deck for retrevial. Being the organized individual that I am, I would have a set way and place for everything. Anyway, are figters in front, back , middle. I figure like most, you are going to place aircraft in hanger deck near the elevators and I would kinda like to do it right. Plan to lay some sheet styrene inside Enterprise to give a basic hanger deck near elevators. I understand port, starboard, forward and rear as descriptions of locations

I'm sure we'll get some definitive answers, but from my reading, I don't believe the spotting below decks is by type.

I believe that as aircraft are recovered, those that need to be taken below go to a forward elevator, as they are already toward the bow after landing on the angled deck. Moving them to the rear would likely interfere with additional recovering air craft. Conversely, I believe that as aircraft are brought to the flight deck for launch, they typically are brought up so they can be moved to the cat for launch. The skills required to smoothly conduct flight ops on a carrier are almost beyond description, especially when you consider that many of the sailors on deck average about 19 years old.

As far as helping to manage the flow, I believe it's the Air Boss who has a large scale model of both hanger and flight decks and scale shapes of every aircraft on board. They are always moved around to indicate where everybody is so you can keep track.

We got any "Brown shoes" on the site?"

Tom

Spent a few years on Bird farms.....
Usually they were brought below for repairs and maintenance and would be spotted by the repair shop that was going to do the repairs, or servicing. So you could easily find an A-6 and an F-4 sitting next to each other outside the jet shop, and an A-4 and a Spad, and a Whale outside the Avontics shop.
Just remember that the hanger deck really didn't go from side to side...... it was lined with the various repair shops along the sides, and forward and aft. It really wasn't as large an area as the flight deck was and that people think it is. It gets very crowded, and dangerous with all the folded wings, and chains and chocks and pitot tubes. Aircraft were normally man-handled below decks, and were basicly fitted together like pieces of a jig-saw puzzle. Starting just a little forward of the #1 elevator, and ending pretty far aft of the # 3 elevator. On these new classes....(All new to me after CV67, she was new when I was on her) I would guess they now end just a little aft of the #4 elevator. The Jet Engine Shop take up a fair amount of space at the aft end of the hanger deck.
Beside aircraft stored in the hanger deck we also had: all of our liberty boats, the Captain's Gig, and the Admirals Barge. ..... our ships truck, and our ships van. On one cruise we also built our ships sailboat..... and anyone who helped build it could use it on weekends when we were in port.
It was also where we lined up for chow, and liberty call.... :-) :-) :-) :-) Set up the ring for our Friday night smokers, and watched our movies.

That is very interesting Dave! Never having been onboard a ship before, and specialy a aircraft carrier. I did not realize all the activity and work area's on the hanger deck . But stopping and thinking about it, that would be the only area large enough for all of that activity, intersting indeed! Dave if you get the hankering to tell more about the operations onboard, I would be all ears!

Good stuff!

Garry

My operations area was about 8 decks below the hanger deck...... but tripped over many a chain, and walked into many a folded wing at night ..... red lights at night.... hell you still can't see.....
A good day for us was being able to go up topside and watch the flight ops..... during day light...... :-) :-) :-) :-) I was always amazed watching night ops...... The flames from the jets was interesting.... but watching those old Spads go at nights was awesome.... those engines spitting flames down half the aircraft..... as each cylinder fired.
Really fun days were when you lucked out in the drawing, and got to ride in the rescue helo..... :-) :-) :-) everyday thing for airdales, but for us black gang a real treat, just like snagging a hop on the COD..... got to fly off and do a trap..... again.... nothing for an airdale.... they got to do it all the time .... but we snipes had to put our names in a hat, and get picked..... if you got picked, and had the watch.... you had to get someone to stand your watch before you could go.... same as the deck apes.....
The last ship I was on.... if you went to the classes, and passed the ejection seat courses would let you go for a cat shot in an A-6 or F-4...... and again land back aboard.....
but atlast, I was a member of the fat-cats club, and over the weight limit for that.......
I doubt they allow any of this anymore.....
I can honestly say, I really did have a lot of good times in the Navy....

Hi Dave!!

I could listen (read) to your accounts for hours!!!
Thank you for sharing with us!

Skipper

I could bore you with my "Upholding Navy Traditions" to the fullest.... doing the three things sailors are famous for...... :-) :-) :-) :-) But poor Staff_Jim would really have a heart attack..... :-) :-) :-)
But a real fast one would be the time being drunk on ozzo and forgetting the ship was anchored out..... and I really could't walk to it....... :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

Ooohh Dave!!
That one must have been your "biggest" - since you have told it to me... twice: in person and now for all the gang!!!! :-) :-) :-)

You are a true Sailor!

Skipper

All I can ay is WOW and to reiterate what Garry said...I'm all "ears". I could go on and on about tank stories, but I can listen all night to sea stories

Oh and thanks guys for the info...got lots of Tamiya stuff to stick in the hanger giving me some room to maybe purchase a box or two of the Trumpy Tomcats for my Big E

Dave - I never saw CV-67 but I took a "guided tour" of CVA-59 and CVN-65 at Norfolk in '62 or '63. Anything after that is new to me. :-)

I was just watching a show on the Stennis, and this morning they had one on the Ronnie..... amazing ships..... found it interesting..... and it sure brought back memories .....LOL
They showed the guys coming back from liberty in Brazil, and you could see the ones that errr... tested the local beverages..... :-) :-) :-) :-) When I went aboard the JFK... she was new, and I was amazed... coming from Essex class carriers.... I would be totally awestruck checking out these..... :-) :-) :-) :-)

Dimension wise, I think the Nimitz is very close to the JFK. One is an oil burner, the other nuc....but that's from a modeling standpoint Model kit wise, they have just about all major US classes out in 350 except Midway and Forrestal. Ild sure like a Korean War vintage carrier to add to m collection

I would say that any of the 1/350 Essex classes from Trumpeter would be a good starting point for Korea.
Perhaps White Ensign makes some Korean era 1/350 aircraft.
Or you could just put some corsairs on the flight deck, and tell everyone the jets are on a mission..... :-) :-) :-)