NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NAVAL AVIATION May 17, 2016

Blue Angels Diamond Formation

Flight Deck mock up with real Fresnel Lenses

Catapult attached to launch fighter plane

Carrier Ready Room

Pensacola Naval Air Museum

 Our first stop on our road trip was in Pensacola FL to see the National Naval Air Museum, one of the premiere military museums in the country. Here one could follow the evolution of naval air power from its beginnings before WWI through our current struggles in the Middle East and beyond. As part of the museum stop, we sat in viewing stands to see a practice show by the renowned Blue Angels who flew six F-18 Hornets at 500 to 700 mph in diamond, fingertip, and echelon formations--- sometimes with only 18 inches between wingtips! I need more space than that to park my car. But, back to the message of the museum.

 The Aircraft Carrier is an amazing tool of war and, more important, peace through strength. Consider the carrier as a fully operational air base with about 5,000 personnel representing a full cross-section of the American people. The carrier, by its very presence in whatever ocean, is a symbol of American military might and commitment to maintain world order.

 Although we saw many planes and heard the stories of many campaigns, most memorable was the ½ hour we spent with a museum docent, a retired Marine pilot, Lt Col. Jerry Geil, who, in his younger days, flew the A-6 Intruder off a carrier deck. He led us through the intricate ballet that takes place with the launch of every aircraft and its retrieval. He described the role of all the enlisted men and women, many barely 19 years old -- the yellow jackets, the green jackets and the rest who took responsibility for the launch and retrieval of the airplane from the carrier deck. He flexed his body, waved his arms, raised his hands to illustrate the essential message that each particular crewman needed to communicate at the stage in the launch for which he was responsible. As explained, it became an incomparably beautiful ballet with a pilot’s life hanging in the balance depending fully on the right signal at the right time. No moments of indecision possible in this incredibly brief time frame. Amazing responsibility for anyone so young---but also so committed and so well trained. 

The mechanics of the catapult, the attachment to this mechanical sling shot, its release, the aeronautics of landing with the Fresnel lenses, the holding wires on the deck, and the rushed retrieval to a safe location off the carrier runway are mindboggling. In barely two seconds, the catapult shoots the plane forward at 180 mph across the carrier deck. Most telling was the concept that the 5,000 personnel on this carrier had a sole purpose of taking good care of the 80 or so pilots responsible for carrying out the carrier’s mission. Everything each one of them did from greasing the pistons on the catapult to baking bread, from maintaining the Fresnel lenses to working in the laundry, each and every task was directed at keeping the pilot as the point of the spear, prepared, in the air and safe. A true team effort and organizational masterpiece.

A final thought: Our guide pointed out that our military has been severely depleted by the political action of sequestration.