The Smell of Jet Fuel in the Morning

THE SMELL OF JET FUEL

By Duane F. Haven

“Reveille! Reveille! Reveille! All hands heave out and trice up!” – U.S. Navy saying. This is the sound of a U.S. sailor speaking over the 1MC (shipboard public address) to the flawless crew of the aircraft carrier. It is something like a civilian’s alarm clock to get them out of bed and prepare for the day, but in our case, a nautical day. It is time to play the game and roll with the punches as a worthy aircraft director (yellow shirt) and the countless duties of flight deck personnel.

Arising and rolling out of a coffin-sized rack (bed), three levels high on both sides of the shellback, extending into the endless sea of new and old salty sailors that cloud the 280-man berthing will take much getting used to. Desperately seeking your shower shoes in the creases of your rack, you do not want to make skin contact with the barely decontaminated decks (floor) of the berthing. Enlightened by the galley’s breakfast menu, the sailor rushes to get a decent, clean toilet and sink so that he or she can quickly poop, shower, and shave, as if they were in the comfort of their own once-cherished bathroom.

After a fairly-cooked breakfast by the ship’s culinary specialists, it is time for her (ship’s) crew to get their game faces on to tackle day and night flight ops. But first, there is always a briefing on safety and the first launch sequence. A choice assemblage of flight deck personnel are bunched up inside flight-deck-control. The huddle space is neighboring the deck, jam-packed inside a family room-sized section of the ship. The hardy scent of that fine Navy coffee crawls about the space. Hungry personnel who missed out on the fine Navy chow only have this hard-as-nails blend to satisfy their appetite until lunch. The enjoyable beverage not only satisfies the eager men and women, it amps them up for the hard-hits of launching and recovering of the aircraft.

The safety briefing will consist of the Aircraft Handler (head honcho of the flight deck) reminding all personnel to keep aware of their surroundings and to, “Keep your heads on a swivel! Get your heads out of your butts! Beware of props and rotors.” This proverb is a constant reminder to everyone’s commitment to the dangerous and very hazardous 4.5 acres of flight deck. Several types of aircraft will be taxiing, propelling, and stirring about the deck.

For many duties onboard the aircraft carrier, it is time for all personnel to put their worries, their fears, and the hardships of their personal lives aside. The hard-earned schooling and training the Navy has paid for is about to shine.

The plane captain and the pilot have an extraordinary bond. These two communicate using hand signals. As a fact, the whole deck crew will be communicating with hand signals and rats (headsets). Maintenance, ordnance, catapults, arresting gear, safety officers, fuel, and the air wing, are all standing by for flight operations. The aromas of jet fuel, grease, exhaust, and the rich scents of the ocean waters, linger throughout the day. We appreciate the view of sailors having sweet desires to perform well their respective duties. And we know for whom they do it - God, country, family, friends, plus total strangers whom they have never met. The sailors do this all for the freedoms that each and every one of us take for granted.

SAR (search and rescue), eyes, fuel, and attack is the launch sequence, the order in which aircraft are to launch first. Each aircraft has a duty. The pilots and flight deck crew work together to get the job done. It is important for the aircraft to return to the carrier so they can regroup, launch and recover, and then the cycle repeats it-

IN THE MORNING

self. This rotation continues for twelve hours straight, or the amount of time it takes to complete the task at hand. The morning launch kicks off flight ops, and it determines how the rest of the day will run. Smoothly, chaotic, timely; we all hope for the rhythmic and stable flight activities.

The planes are up and ready. Walk-arounds and spot-checks of the aircraft are completed. The pilot’s plane captain gives the aircraft director a thumbs-up, letting the director know their plane is ready for take-off. Chocks and chains (tie downs) are removed from the aircraft. At this exact moment, flight ops begin. The yellow shirt, anxious to taxi the planes, are directed to one of four launching catapults that will volley the planes into the air at a distance of 300 ft. at a whopping zero to 180mph in just two seconds. Once the jet is accommodated in its respected catapult, this is where all hell will break lose, whether it is for training purposes, or an actual dog fight amongst the adversary. The day and night flight operations bring about our country’s finest United States Navy men and women.

The exhaustion of flight deck personnel will never halt. Each and every man and woman has a duty to uphold. The early morning announcement is a reminder of why sailors are on watch around the globe, twenty-four/seven, three hundred and sixty five days a year. The sailors are there to protect this great country from foreign threat that will continue to exist as long as there are people. It is just another day in the office afloat.