On board a US Navy Essex Class Aircraft Carrier: In the mid 70s, one of the jobs I had was as a crewman on YTM USS Konoka , a Navy tugboat. Our only job was to help bring the Navy's primary training carrier into dockside at their pier NAS Pensacola, and get it backed out away from pier side when it was ready to make it's way out into the Gulf to train Naval aviators learning to land on a carrier. Many of them flew out from NAS Corpus Christi and NAS Beeville. It was good to see the old girl again, and the folks down at Corpus have done a great job turning her into a real world class museum for Navy aviation, WW2, and all the aircraft of her era. It's not just a museum for that tho. The ship is so large, they have turned different areas into museums for other ships as well, as you will see in the pics. As part of port services Pensacola, I was on the Lex many times while it was in home port in P'cola, when she was still in her "working clothes".
One of 3 Blue Angels planes on display there:
This is the visitor entrance--a tram takes you up a long and tall permanent ramp to starboard side elevator, and the only working Essex class elevator still 100% functional. Photo doesn't do justice for it's size. This elevator was a fairly recent upgrade. Originally, she had only an amidships elevator, then a 2nd almost immediately added then another upgrade added the first external elevator and it was on the port side. The deck overhang for the port side elevator is still there but no elevator. This is what she looked like as a straight deck carrier, with the amidships elevator in down position, and the port side elevator raised, but folded up to vertical stowing position. http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/021604.jpg
You are looking into Hangar Bay 2.
The crane, and many other "parts" of the ship came off the USS Oriskany, another Essex Class ship that was sunk as an artificial reef years ago off Brownsville Tx. Before it departed Brownsville, the curators of the Lex museum cannibalized any parts that would outfit the Lex as it was supposed to be. This includes both deck guns, many of the life raft pods, and some of the smaller AA weapons. These aa guns were not installed when I was in P'cola, as all her guns had been removed prior to 1967 including the double 5" mounts. She at one time, had 4 of those. .
Hangar Bay 2 looking forward into Hangar Bay 1. In the far end of Hangar Bay 1, is where the amidships elevator once was in the 1950s. It would travel up from the hangar bay to the center of the flight deck but once jets came into use and the cats installed, it was no longer used and was permanently welded in the up position before I first saw Lex in 1975. The "guts" and support stanchions of the elevator were removed when it went into museum status and an IMAX theatre was installed there--which is behind the glass doors you see at the far end of Bay 1.
Link trainer--one of the very early "technical" training aids--fore runner of modern flight simulators:
A little newer version for the old A7 the Navy used to fly:
A cutaway of one of the piston engines of WW2 and earlier aircraft. I focused close, to show the camshaft lobes
A radial engine of days gone by:
The largest Holley carburetor I have ever seen--the fuel line fitting on the left front is about 1":
In the forward most compartment--below decks--above the anchor chain locker. The black cylinder running left to right is a dynamic steam brake for the port catapult. This area was immaculately clean.
Back on the hangar deck, this is a large and detailed model of the USS South Dakota. During WW2, it was known to the US public only as Battleship X.
Douglas Dauntless
Avenger:
N3N Navy Biplane--Yellow Peril
To the flight deck...
[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 08-10-2014).]
Toured one of the carriers at Pensacola, probably during the early 70's. Not sure what the name was but it had oak planks on the flight deck which were being replaced at the time. Still could see bullet marks on the tower from WW2. I think it was being used as training for the USN on runs from Pensacola to Corpus Christi at the time.
On the port side, the Landing Signal Officer (LSO) station. This is where the officer stands as he guides the aircraft down on to the flight deck on recovery, day or night. In decades past, he did it with first a set of paddles, then later flags. This station pictured, operated a set of lights further forward up the deck.
LSO decal and motto right behind the operating station--don't bust your ass.
This, is the actual signalling apparatus that allows the pilot to see what the LSO is telling him. It tells him if he is above or below glide path, and whether his wings are level among other things. Also tells him where he is in relation to center of carrier deck.
SNJ5 Texan. This plane was parked on the only portion of the flight deck that has been left intact with it's wooden decking. This spot, is where the port side elevator was once located. All the remainder of the flight deck has been asphalted over, including the cats and there is no arresting gear visible.
F9F Cougar:
F-14 Tomcat
A-6 Intruder
One of two A4 Skyhawks on the flight deck while I was there:
F/A 18A Hornet
USMC F4 Phantom
F2F Banshee. One of only 2 I have ever seen in person, and this one may be the same one I saw as a training aide hangar queen at NAS Memphis in the late 1960s.
A7 Corsair--the maneater. Watch that intake or get sucked into it.
The other A4 in USMC paint
T-34 Mentor trainer:
One of 2 5" dual gun mounts, with the island behind. Originally, when the ship was in her early years, there were 4 of these mounts. 2 of them were located one level up on the island superstructure. In the far background, there is the only plane I did not get a good pic of--A KA3B Skywarrior. Tanker refueling aircraft.
If you get a chance to visit Lexington, you will probably find different aircraft than what is pictured above. Some are on loan from the US Naval Aviation museum Pensacola Fla and they frequently exchange aircraft for other ones from other museums.
Almost forgot--just for Blackrams--sitting far back on the fantail---a US Army Cobra.
This, is the actual signalling apparatus that allows the pilot to see what the LSO is telling him. It tells him if he is above or below glide path, and whether his wings are level among other things. Also tells him where he is in relation to center of carrier deck.
Once the pilot gets a visual of the lights they call the ball and the LSO guides them in.
Toured one of the carriers at Pensacola, probably during the early 70's. Not sure what the name was but it had oak planks on the flight deck which were being replaced at the time. Still could see bullet marks on the tower from WW2. I think it was being used as training for the USN on runs from Pensacola to Corpus Christi at the time.
That would have been Lexington. She was the last remaining wooden decked carrier still on active duty and she relieved USS Anteitam as the training carrier in 1962. I was there as part of port services---in 75-76 I believe. This is a picture of her pierside P'cola. Click to zoom. http://upload.wikimedia.org...CVS-16_Pensacola.jpg
Just beyond the big numeral 16 on her forward flight deck, is a little short long building and a boat slip. I worked atthat slip for my first year there. Every other week, we took 2 of the 50' motor whaleboats out into Santa Rosa Sound and waited as a helo dropped a long line of student aviators into the water from about 10-15' up. The student would hit the ater, inflate their life gear, turn on their strobes and we would move down the line licking them up with a special loop thingie. This was to teach them how to be picked up should they have to eject over water in real life. When we got them all picked up, we would then drop them back into the water in a long strung out line, and the helo would return and pick them up on their hoist line--more real world training.
On the far right side of the picture, is another big slip. Look closely, and you can see the 4 tugboats that brought the Lexington into and out of her berth. On one of those, the second from the pier head, is YTM 544 USS Atakapa. I spent my second year there as engineer of that tug. It was a perilous job at times, since the ship was big, caught lots of wind and we would be "made up" tight fore and aft to Lexington, with the hawsers she dropped us run thru scuppers in our fore and aft gunwales then around our capstans. If the wind or current caught Lex, she would put her propellors in astern and we could easily be capsized as we were for all intents and purposes a part of the ship--just 4 big outboard motors. The only escape was to cut the lines with a fire ax and get the heck away from her. As part of port services, we helped in her repairs and I was on her numerous times. She was a great ship, still is and just full of history. Further off to the right in the picture, is a big round open area. You can't see it, but that was the back side of the seaplane ramp decades before. The ramp led down to the water, and was several hundred yards wide. Pcola Nav Sta began it's modern life as a major seaplane base.
[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 08-10-2014).]
Get a haircut Sailor--and get rid of that watch on the flight line!!!
LOL Don. You could tell the Navy lightened up during that time, so a lot of us took advantage of it. Being in Aviation Fuels the only time I wore a watch was during "Stand-down Days", or in port.
Isn't it strange that after a bombing, everyone blames the bomber, his upbringing, his environment, his culture, his mental state but … after a shooting, the problem is the gun....
Open your frigg'n minds, think about all the other tools that can be made into WMDs.
If you wish to upset a Conservative, lie to him. If you wish to upset a Liberal, tell him the truth.
Almost forgot--just for Blackrams--sitting far back on the fantail---a US Army Cobra.
Hands down, this was one of my favorite GI-JOE toys growing up. I think it was supposed to look like this Army Cobra. We called it the Dragonfly or something...
Also "Shipwreck." He came with the air craft carrier... hahah...
Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: Hands down, this was one of my favorite GI-JOE toys growing up. I think it was supposed to look like this Army Cobra. We called it the Dragonfly or something...
There was a USMC Cobra squadron right beside my CH-53 squadron in Vietnam..HML (now HMLA) 367. Call sign Scarface. They provided cover for us, prepping LZs and covering our approaches and departures. I truly cannot say enough good things about them.
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