WORKING WEEK
flightglobal.com 10-16 April 2018 | Flight International | 47
Stint on catapult crew showed the value of teamwork, says VerissimoOfficer charts course to leading role
A distinguished career flying fighters for the US Navy and prestigious Blue Angels display team taught Capt
Douglas Verissimo many vital lessons in preparation for commanding the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson
WORK EXPERIENCE CAPT DOUGLAS VERISSIMO
toric port visit to Vietnam that
marked the first time a US carrier
has visited the country in more
than 40 years. We are on a sched-
uled deployment in the Western
Pacific working with internation-
al partners and maintaining re-
gional peace and stability.
What is a typical day like?
I wake up as early as 06:00. De-
pending on the day, I conduct in-
spections or attend meetings be-
fore flight operations begin.
Flight operations can last late
into the night, and I usually
watch from the navigation
bridge. I am able to fly about once
or twice a week.
What’s the most difficult part of
your job?
One of the toughest parts of my
job as captain is holding crew
members accountable when they
don’t follow rules and standards
that exist to keep them safe and
fulfil our mission.
Any advice for aspiring military
aviators?
Don’t give up your dream. Stay
resilient and focused. If you want
to be a fighter pilot then pursue
that. But even if you run out of
luck, don’t give up. There are
great opportunities across the
military in many fields. nWhat inspired you to fly?
I grew up in a blue-collar house
in Massachusetts. As a kid, I
loved fast, noisy things. I remem-
ber building models of rockets,
aircraft and racing cars and imag-
ined myself as a fighter pilot or
racing car driver. I didn’t have
the money to pursue the latter, so
chose a naval aviation career. I
had only travelled in an aircraft
three times before I entered flight
school. My first assignment was
with a strike fighter squadron
based in Lemoore, California,
that flew McDonnell Douglas
F/A-18 Hornets when they were
very new to the US Navy fleet.
When Saddam Hussein invaded
Kuwait in 1990 and the squadron
was embarked aboard the aircraft
carrier USS Independence, we
were ordered to head to the Mid-
dle East for Operation Desert
Shield. We were the first of the
American forces to arrive. But we
didn’t fly any combat missions
and left before the war started be-
cause Saddam stopped moving
south. Desert Storm didn’t start
until after my unit left the area
and coalition forces were on the
scene.
What have you flown, and from
where?
I’ve flown fighter jets throughout
my career – both legacy Hornets
and Super Hornets. Over 30
years, I have operated from both
US coasts and travelled across
the world. I was lucky enough to
serve as a Blue Angels pilot for
three years. This experience led
me to be a better pilot than I ever
imagined as a child.
What has been the most
challenging assignment?
Of all the high points in my ca-
reer, flying with the Blue Angels
was the most challenging. I didn’t
command the squadron, but it
still was my most challenging as-
signment. Flying at different
show sites in different weather
and in different formations was
incredibly demanding. There’s a
lot of responsibility that comes
with flying in that unit, but you
get through it by not quitting and
doing the right thing. It sounds
like a cliché, but it works.
How did you become a carrier
commander?
I was never fully certain I would
one day command one of our na-
tion’s 11 aircraft carriers. But an
assignment as a catapult and ar-
resting gear officer aboard theUSS John C Stennis earlier in my
career helped me realise that
naval aviation is more than just
flying jets off a flightdeck. It takes
a team working seamlessly to-
gether. This piqued my interest
in carrier operations and I
mapped out achievable goals, al-
though some of it was good luck.
But when preparation meets
good luck, great things happen.
How large is your crew? What is
your current mission?
I command a crew of more than
3,000 sailors, who are responsi-
ble for operating and maintain-
ing a nuclear-powered aircraft
carrier. The ship also supports an
additional 2,000 embarked per-
sonnel, who make up the air
wing and strike group leadership
staff whenever we operate at sea.
We have just completed an his-US NavyIf you would like to feature in
Working Week, or you know
someone who does, email
your pitch to kate.sarsfield@
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