Posted on 05/27/2011 8:07:05 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
On board the pride of the French navy
By Jonathan Beale
Defence correspondent, BBC News
Louis, one of the pilots, gave the BBC an insight into one of his sorties
The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is operating off the Libyan coast as part of the Nato operation against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's regime. The BBC got exclusive access on board the pride of the French navy.
It is the aircraft carrier Britain no longer has.
The Charles de Gaulle is not just the French Navy's flagship. It is a projection of the nation's power that can be deployed almost anywhere in the world.
We joined the nuclear powered carrier off Libya's coast. This is where the Charles de Gaulle has been conducting military operations for the past two months.
Launching an endless stream of warplanes loaded with bombs by day and by night. A giant floating runway within easy reach of Colonel Gaddafi's forces.
Her location always shifting according to the weather and the targets. The ship can move as much as 1,000km over a 24 hour period.
On board, the first thing that hits you is the noise.
The sudden roar of jet engines is followed by the thud of a steam catapult as planes are propelled from zero to 250 kilometres an hour in a few seconds.
On deck it is deafening and the sheer force of the catapult launch shakes the entire structure of the 40,000 tonne warship.
Below decks, in two massive hangars aircrew maintain a fleet of 10 Rafale jets and six older Super Etendards around the clock.
The carrier also has two Hawkeye surveillance planes - the eyes and ears for French and
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
One of my dreams is to be shot off a carrier.
In a plane, or by a sniper?
Cute little baby bird farm.
They only have one aircraft carrier?
Too bad.
Nice to see it getting press for being operational after the ten year nightmare of construction and sea trials.
So who’s towing it for them?
Being shot off a carrier can be a thrill; landing on one is an even greater thrill! Can cause the ol’ sphincter to proclaim it’s innocence. LOL!
That’s one more aircraft carrier than Britannia, the Ruler of the Oceans, now has.
India has one and Red China is building a couple. Even Brazil has one or something pretending to be one.
Brazil has one? Has it been waxed? ;>
Too funny!!!! And me being a grammatical ....LOLOLOL
it even comes with big old fishin poles built right on to its side!
seriously....what are those things?
I believe they are radio antennas. If you look at pictures of our aircraft careers, we sport the same “fishing poles”.
Any time I see a headline like this one on FR, before I even click to view the thread I think, “Oh man, this one’s gonna be fun.” The ensuing posts almost write themselves.
I did not know that they showed Osama Bin Ladin’s burial at sea. Thanks for posting that!
They are.
By the way, is that the designated white flag waver standing on the bow?
That was the SS Ted Kennedy
Spent all my time on Destroyers, didn’t want to make a statement that I couldn’t back up from experience. Thanks.
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