Acknowledgments: Thanks to LCDR Kyle A.
Raines, chief of public a airs for the USS Carl
Vinson, and LT Joe W. Hontz, public a airs
COMNAVCENT, for their support.Squadron Nickname Aircraft MoDex
VFA-22 ‘Fighting Redcocks’ F/A-18F 1xx
VFA-81 ‘Sunliners’ F/A-18E 2xx
VFA-113 ‘Stingers’ F/A-18C 3xx
VFA-94 ‘Mighty Shrikes’ F/A-18C 4xx
VAQ-139 ‘Cougars’ EA-18G 5xx
VAW-116 ‘Sun Kings’ E-2C 6xx
HSC-15 ‘Red Lions’ MH-60S 61x
HSM-73 ‘Battle Cats’ MH-60R 7xx
VRC-30 ‘Providers’ C-2A xxCARRIER AIR WING 17 CVW 17
electronic attack, and command and control
over Syria and Iraq. We have dropped over a
quarter of a million pounds of ordnance on
targets, and probably uploaded and
downloaded fi ve times that number when we
carry weapons but do not use them...’
During a visit to the Carl Vinson at the end
of January, VADM John Miller, Commander
US Naval Force Central Command/US 5th
Fleet added: ‘Carl Vinson has recently
reached a milestone of dropping 500 bombs
on targets, with a 97 per cent success rate’.
The big difference in the weapons being
loaded and offl oaded compared to weapons
dropped clearly shows how diffi cult it is to
fi nd targets that can be attacked without the
risk of civilian casualties.The ‘Ouija board’
With intense fl ying activity and additional
non-fl ying movements on the fl ight deck,
planning is an absolutely crucial part of the
success of a modern aircraft carrier: on the
crowded deck there is literally no room for
error. Up to 45 aircraft have to be handled in
a confi ned area using up to four catapults.
The personnel on the fl ight deck receive their
instructions from operators in the handler’s
room, working with the so-called ‘Ouija
board’. This 6ft-long board is, explains LCDR
Kyle Caldwell, ‘a scale mock-up of the fl ight
deck, which we use to manage all deck
operations on the ship and to ensure that the
right airplane with the right confi guration is
ready to go at the scheduled time.’
‘With its ‘pinology’ you have all
information on the actual status of any
aircraft at a glance’, Caldwell continues. ‘A
green pin on an aircraft template signals theaircraft to be launched with one cycle of
sorties, a yellow pin is for the next cycle.
Other pins indicate, for example, if the
aircraft is being refueled, loaded, or
unloaded with ordnance. Templates on the
board but out to the side of the fl ight deck are
for those aircraft airborne.’
Take-off and landing distances on the
carrier are the same for all aircraft,
independent of weight or type. Accelerating
an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet with fi ve fuel
tanks at a take-off weight of 66,000lb to 160kt
in well under three seconds results in loads
of about 4g. This is achieved with the
engines at full military power, while the
F/A-18Cs engage their afterburners when
launching with heavy loads. Even a
lightly-loaded Hornet landing at an approach
speed of 140kt experiences deceleration
forces of around 3g.
With fl ight operations day and night, seven
days a week, and in all weathers, the USS
Carl Vinson and its entire team is the
linchpin of the international fi ght against IS.
The Carl Vinson is scheduled to be in the 5th
Fleet AOR for six months. This means it will
be in the Persian Gulf area until April, when
it is relieved by the USS George Washington
(CVN 73). The ‘Starship Vinson’ will then
return home to San Diego at the end of an
almost 10-month tour, making it one of the
longest US Navy carrier deployments in the
last 30 years.Top left: The so-called ‘Ouija board’, used to
manage the hectic and often complex cycle of
deck operations.
Left: Steam spills from the catapult as a VFA-22
F/A-18F is marshaled into position for launch.
Top: The Air Wing’s complement of EA-18G
Growlers with VAQ-139 ‘Cougars’ are likely to
be involved with monitoring IS command and
control communications.
Above: Mission markings on the nose of a
‘Sunliners’ F/A-18E reveal a healthy tally of
Maverick and JDAM drops.
Top right: The ‘Charlie’ Hornets tend to launch
from the carrier in full afterburner. The pilot is
also hands-o for the rst few seconds of the
ight, with the aircraft pre-trimmed for the
perfect climb angle.http://www.combataircraft.net May 2015 9590-95 USS Vinson C.indd 95 20/03/2015 11:14