Originally Posted by Schiller
Ten years to train for carrier ops seems to me to be something of an exaggeration, especially as we should have the assistance of the US and the French.
Hi Schiller
I enjoyed reading your post and I agree that ten years seems an exaggeration.
The conning of a carrier is certainly not rocket science, the taking off and landing are things that will come with practice, practice and more practice both on dummy decks and hopefully with the assistance of our NATO allies.
BUT..... are we forgetting those that do the highly skilled work of preparing these aircraft for launching and perhaps the recovery after landing.
I believe I have posted
before but it hammers home just what a dangerous place a flight deck will always be.. This is no place for making even the slightest mistake, there is no relaxing and incompetence is met with death.
During my time aboard a carrier most flight deck deaths were caused by being caught by jet exhaust, sometimes through not being aware of aircraft, or sadly aircraft that crept forward and caught out the unsuspecting sailor standing directly underneath it.
How will Royal Navy sailors train for this when the last carrier we had was retired some thirty plus years ago?
Will other Navies allow our untrained flight deck personnel to double up with their counter parts to get that experience? I very much doubt that plus the numbers we are talking would make accommodating them a 'challenge'.
Would it be more prudent to work the new carrier up in very slow stages with just a few aircraft aboard the ship and everything carried out in slow time?
If this is the option then it will certainly take a considerable period of time although not the period being suggested.
A crowded flight deck is NO PLACE for any untrained personnel to be allowed and at a speed needed to commence flying, it is even more hazardous. My I suggest that training these sailors might be more of a problem than some might think?
Respect to you for having walked the walk
