Except, Oldgrubber, that the pad is needed only on the LSD/LPDs... which can only handle 2 at a time.
The LHA/LHDs have a thicker flight deck, so they are under the "no more than 10 minutes above idle and no more than 90 minutes at idle" regime.
Here is the estimated time-frame for a permanent, "hands-off" solution to the problem:
The Office of Naval Research’s proposed timeline aims to develop a flight deck cooling or heat blocking system by 2014:
• 2010: Award contract.
• 2011: Test materials to handle aircraft heat.
• 2012: Build a large-scale test panel.
• 2013: Conduct land-based testing.
• 2014: Install the Thermal Flight Deck Management system on a ship.
Seems like they think the "temporary" measures are good for the next 5 years... not quite the emergency "good old Lewis Page" is screaming about.
Then there is CVF... with a far thicker flight deck than the LHA/LHDs... where the F-35B will only have its nozzle pointed down during actual landing (vertical or rolling)... less than 1 minute, then the nozzle is rotated back for taxiing, etc.
If the RN ever buys any Ospreys, the thicker deck would make the issue much less impertant... and the USN will have been testing its new Thermal Flight Deck Management system on ships for a while before HMS QE enters trials, so if needed, CVf can get it whenever it is determined to be needed (since the system will be designed to be retrofittable).