Show WELCOME ABOARD the philippine SEA third and last article by albert W epperson who was a guest of the navy recently on a cruise in the pacific controlled from tower I launching ot aircraft Is conti oiled from a tower in the island small leeks decks on the starboard stai board side bide of the ship by the flight off officer who issues his hid orders over a loud system launch aircraft he orders and one after the other goes oft off the flight deck for or a short spin through the air before landing the flight deck for about a third of the way from aft lias bas huge steel cables running vertically actors the leek deck and laisee about three inches planes are equipped with lawling landing hooks about ahlee feet in length which aie dropped from the tall tail of 0 the craft when landing these hooks grab the cables when the tail of the plane lips dips downward down waid in landing in the event that the plane falls fails to hook one of the cables there are thi three ee Parri barriers ers to stop the aircraft 1 those barriers barriel a are steel cables stretched across the leek deck in upright positions during the operations we observed eight planes hit the bair lers some of the craft were damaged only slightly while others received extensive damage none of the pilots were injured however its a foregone conclusion that when nhen a plane hits the barrier there will be some damage in for landing when a pilot makes his on port side to come in tor for his landing he is guided in ill by the land ing operations officer officer who Is esposi 1 tinned on oil port side aft and al signals 9 lial the pilot by means 0 of flags in each I 1 hand if it is the opinion of the in good position that the deck Is in ill good position that the deck Is 1 right and thap ills clear up a ai i lead head lie he brings him jn in it if all is not lot right he flags him off we had frightfully rough we bealh ath i er tile the first three days of the operations and offie officers drs told us that it was haq it a real test for the pilots sortie sodie pilots told us later that halt half the time they know whether wh etherl they hit the deck or not the way tile ship was pitching flig flight op operations erat ions need wind whid so it if there is not sufficient wind the carrier makes it and at times we were up to 30 knots good warm clothing felt comfortable during observations we see the jets jet planes need about a 60 mile wind to operate ate while the prop planes fly with much ae leaa as it was lot until the last day that we saw jet operations we hakl haa finally located a 30 mile outside wind and hy by pushing the carrier engines to 30 1 0 knots jet flying was ideal they liae to cata pault those ships oft off the deck and they go oft off like rockets coming back to land at about miles per hour this operation was performed without accident however it was thought we had lost one pilot an army major at tallied to the outfit for training upon being off he tailed failed to bring the nose of his ls cilip ship 1 up and he disappeared below the end of the deck his recovery was fast bo however vever and he missed the sea by inches night operations night operations in my opinion were the most thrilling the pilot is required to land without the assistance si ot of lights until just before he hits the leek deck a few small lights along the sides tat the deck are switched on the destroyer on port side lias has a few lights in the crows nest to signal for the turn but aside from that the smoking lamp Is out the landing signal officer has luminous paint on his coveralls and his flags are of a luminous material so that the pilot is able to observe landing signals after landing i ng t the ie pi pilot ot is directed along the deck by the handlers who use two small red flashlights in their hands space does not permit further comment on oil the gig big sho show nv 1 I must say however th that at the philippine hlll sea is rightfully nicknamed nick named the show goat boat because at the time of our departure she had approximately carrier landings since commissioning this is is one show that every american should see it if given the opportunity |