I always thought it interesting that the series “Star Trek” used that name too.
Posted on 03/10/2012 3:53:50 PM PST by DemforBush
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — When the makers of "Top Gun" were filming on board the USS Enterprise, they donated a set of black fuzzy dice to liven up the ship's otherwise drab interior.
A quarter-century later, the dice will still be dangling inside the tower of "the Big E" as the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier sets sail on its final voyage Sunday...
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
That was just before my time but many of my shipmates were in Operation Frequent Wind (USS Midway.)
My uncle served aboard the Hancock also. A kamakaze Japanese
plane crashed on their flight deck. Several of his buddies were injured or killed.
“Thanks, but I was drunk at the time.”
LOL, I was helping you and didn’t even realize it!
I can remember well the Big E docking at the new Carrier pier at Cubi Point, Subic actually. It took up the whole pier with decks towering above the concrete below. Other carriers came and the difference was immense. They did not dominate the landscape.
Near by was Olongopo, just across the creek, outside the main gate. It was said that when the Big E and the vessels in the group came to port, the shore party approached 10,000. Olongopo had problems hosting such a big party. The shore leaves had to be carefully sequenced to ensure the numbers did not exceed the available facilities.
I always thought it interesting that the series “Star Trek” used that name too.
See my post 84
I was there in ‘66 working for OICCSWPAC and ROICC Subic
I think it is safe to say that will never happen!
Thanks for the ping, and the memories!
When I was on active duty, Enterprise was the only carrier on the West Coast that I never bagged a “trap” on. Dagnabbit!
I was the RVAW-110 LSO (1968-1970), and had the pleasure of conducting CARQUALS (and bagging my share of “traps!”) in all of the West Coast carriers, both large and small deck — the “27 Charlies” were still in the Fleet back in those days.
The “Big E” was a showboat, and in the early days of her West Coast tour, she did not conduct CARQUALS — Air Wing ops and showboating only.
The “lesser” carriers had to carry the working man’s load, and to their credit, they did a fine job of it.
Parenthetically, waving “Whales” (Douglas A-3 Skywarrior) at night on a 27-C is the second highest “pucker factor” “Paddles” work I ever did; waving ANY RA-5 Vigilante, day or night, was the highest!
HST, F-8 Crusaders were fun, too!
Bringing in a whale I can see. The aluminum overcast has no business landing on a carrier. Why the Vigs?
IIRC,the Oriskany was recently sunk to make an artifical reef. Seems to me, that would be a far preferable fate for the Big E rather than scrapping her, and probably cost about the same.
If the Kenyan gets re-elected I would wonder if there will even be a CVN-80 let alone CVN-79
Do you know of any pics of Enterprise going warp speed? I’d love to see that rooster tail!
I read that the expense of preparing a “defueled” Big E for either a museum or sinking as a reef is all out of proportion to the benefit.
Enterprise has 8 reactors, and to remove the nuclear reactors and the powerplant, the ship has to have large access holes cut, literally, FRom the Hangar Deck to the bilges.
Very expensive to replace! And, if the ship is to be moved after those large access holes are cut, they must be replaced. Worthwhile if the ship is to kept in service, not so if scrapped or prepared to be sunk for a reef.
Enterprise will most likely be scrapped, at enormous expense, but still cheaper than if rendered whole again.
Then, there is the Environmental Whacko argument about sinking ships in the ocean. Since they have the upper hand in all things governmental, the cost to “properly render the hulk safe so as not to pollute the oceans” will be prohibitive.
Oriskany was sunk for a reef, and America was sunk in a series of weapons tests (the results are secret, BTW).
IIRC, the rest of the decommissioned aircraft carriers are either museum ships, in mothballs or have been cut up for scrap.
“The dance of the Whales” was a rite of passage for all new LSOs! Lineup, as you may infer, was VERY important (critical), as it was for the E-2 and the A-5.
Essentially, the Vigi was a large F-8. The early version’s high approach speed critical landing attitude made them challenging to wave. The wave off point was further out then other carrier jets because of their speed and the relative difficulty in establishing a decent climb rate after wave off.
HST, the pilots were very good, the both the Vigi pilots and RANs had very large cojones!
See http://www.bobjellison.com/RA5C_Vigilante.htm for a very well-written article about the Vigi. IMHO, it is the most beautiful aircraft ever constructed!
[Except for the P-5M that “formated” with me 150 miles back to NAS North Island when I lost an engine in my trusty E-1B many years ago!]
Thanks. I didn’t realize the Vigis were that big. The higher landing speed would certainly add to the pucker factor. The aircraft I am familiar with for carrier ops were the A-7 (A and E variants), F-4, A-6, E-2, C-2, C-1 EA-6 and EA-3.
I always liked Star Trek tho I did not reallt keep up with the latter series.
Have there really been that many imaginary Enterprises?
“I think it is safe to say that will never happen!”
Nothing would surprise me anymore!
Saw the Enterprise at Sewall's Point, Norfolk, in December while visiting relatives and revisiting my old stomping grounds in Virginia Beach. I was stationed in "Norfork" in the CINCLANTFLT compound in 1972.
There were three carriers, several missile cruisers, and eight SSN's there at the time, plus one British SSN, forget which one. Biggest boat at the pier.
<Yeah, yeah -- they're "ships" now .... to people too young to know better.>
When the war finally comes, we will need allies with big decks.
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