the
SHUTTLE
USS Enterprise (CVN 65)- Thursday June 16, 2011
Flight Generator
Found here Photo by MC3 Jared M. King
Photo by MC3 Alex R. Forster
Thursday June 16, 2011
the SHUTTLE
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Enterprise News
Enterprise’s aircraft generator shop keeps planes flying By MC3 Alex R. Forster USS Enterprise Public Affairs
USS ENTERPRISE, At sea – Many people are familiar with their car’s alternator that provides power to run electronics and start their engines. Sailors and Marines aboard the deployed aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) have the aviationequivalent: the “Generator Converter Unit” (GCU) that form the heart of modern naval strike aircraft. Without the power provided by a GCU, F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets and their aviators would not be mission-capable. “These generators are the main power sources for these aircraft – without them, they wouldn’t fly, which means they wouldn’t be able to deliver ordnance on target,” said Aviation Electrician’s Mate 1st Class (AW) Keith L. Karriker, the leading petty officer for the IM-3 division of Enterprise’s Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department. The ship’s generator shop is responsible for the repair and quick turnaround for GCUs, making their work mission critical to the ship and the strike group. With a team of only seven technicians, the challenges they face are sometimes large but carry with them extreme importance. “Depending on what’s wrong with the GCU, we can take it and turn it around in about one to three days,”
Photo by MC3 Alex R. Forster
Aviation Electrician’s Mate 2nd Class (AW) Joseph A. Murphy demonstrates Generator Converter Unit (GCU) disassembly on a unit for an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. The GCUs provide complete electrical power for F/A- 18 Hornets, which allows them to complete their mission.
said Karriker. “To work in the generator shop, you need to be sharp and possess the ability to think outside the box.” Karriker said that physical strength is necessary too, as the lightest generators weigh 35 pounds, while the heaviest, which power the F/A-18 Super Hornets, weigh 135 pounds. Generator shop technicians constantly feel the weight of incoming generators. According to Karriker, the shop receives a new generator to work on every two to three days. The high turnover rate for GCUs is affected in part by the amount of power they handle. “If you had a way to spin one fast enough you
could power your entire house with [a GCU],” said Karriker. “Aircraft have two.” With three F/A-18 Super Hornet squadrons and one F/A-18 Hornet squadrons embarked aboard Enterprise, GCU shop technicians understand the need for their constant, high quality work. “What we do out here is extremely important,” said Aviation Electrician’s Mate 2nd Class Joseph A. Murphy, a production supervisor for the GCU shop. “The more you work with the generators, the more you realize how critical they are to the aircraft. It is my duty to make sure every generator that goes out the door is ready to go and repaired
to the absolute best of our ability.” Aviation Electrician’s Mate 2nd Class Jonah D. Charles, the day-check supervisor for the GCU shop, said the amount of training done within the shop allows them to keep the generators working to the end of their expected operational life. The fewer generators that must be replaced, the more money the Navy saves and the more Hornets that can continue their missions in the air. “When the Hornets are in the sky and not in the hangar bay—when they take off without a hitch—I know I’ve done my job,” said Charles. “I feel like I’ve served my role in the larger Navy mission.”
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the SHUTTLE
Sailors of the Day
Machinery Repairman 3rd Class
Thursday June 16, 2011
Aviation Electronics Technician Airman
Michael T. Petronio- Chicago, IL
Caleb V. Caspe- Chicago, IL
MR3(SW) Petronio, a machinist for the repair division ATAN Caspe, a plane captain for the “Checkmates” of of Enterprise’s Engineering Department, joined the Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 211, joined the Navy Navy almost three years ago to “serve my country and 20 months ago for college benefits and to see different experience new things in life.” To Petronio, the most cultures around the world. To Caspe, the most rewarding rewarding aspect of his job is knowing the machine parts aspect of his job is “being part of an organization dedicated he makes, many of which can no longer be purchased, to keeping our nation safe.” Caspe plans to finish his allow this 50-year old ship to complete the mission. college degree and would like to own his own photo studio Petronio aspires to earn his enlisted aviation warfare with forays into fashion photography and independent film surface pin and make second class petty officer. In the cinematography. When he returns from deployment, Caspe future, he would “like to run my own shop and continue plans to work out and discover new restaurants. to mentor Sailors.” When he returns from deployment, Petronio plans to mountain bike and read. Photo by MC3 Jared M. King
FUN ZONE!
Down 1 Silent greeting 2 Samoan capital 3 Engine speed, for short 4 Babble 5 Bank deals 6 Ballpark official 7 Be in front 8 Countless 9 Early Christian 10 Chain of mountains 11 Son of Abraham 12 Disavow 15 Slow Spanish dance 18 Type of lens 22 Caesar’s “veni” 24 First course 26 Commoner 27 Fair to middling 28 Colleagues 30 Keep out 32 Cynic philosopher 34 Eye part 35 Little helper? 37 Monopoly purchase 38 Seine tributary 41 Square dance 43 Branagh of movies 45 Tips off 46 Bikini tops 47 Patron saint of France 49 Felt sore 50 Opera star 51 Watch face 53 Mogul capital of India 54 Neighbor of Thailand 55 Minor mistake 58 Dernier ___
Across
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26 Biblical song 29 Eccentric 31 Mislay 32 Expected to arrive 33 Aviator Earhart 36 Capital of Sweden? 37 Ilium 39 Conversational stopgaps 40 Weep noisily 42 Assist 43 Singer Kristofferson 44 Mountain lions 46 Admirer of Beauty
48 Bring home the bacon 50 Made numb 52 Lock sites 56 “Long Day’s Journey ___ Night” 57 “Love Story” author 59 Opinion 60 Fixed look 61 Captain Picard’s counselor 62 Professional org. 63 Didn’t have traction 64 Hinged fastener