'KenV' asked:
"Anyone else out there an old school Scooter driver?"
For what it is worth - now some forty years ago - from 1970 until mid 1974 with RAN basic training from 1966 then RAAF basic/advanced training from more or less 1968 then on to NAS Nowra from 1969. Was early years of the A4G in the RAN FAA so things were slow for new pilots. Sadly the RAAF did not have a carrier to qualify upon (nor the aircraft) so it was not until late 1971 that I earnt my wings (yes it was or still is Navy tradition not to have wings confirmed until at least first arrest/cat - hence significance of such events for aircrew and aircraft). Not unsurprisingly either in those early years with MELBOURNE being hammered and tickled for the new aircraft and not so readily available, that my first 'deck landing' was only a series of four touch and goes on the venerable HMS Eagle on a farewell tour in the antipodes at the time. A month or so later was my first arrest/cat. Mind boggling stuff on the shortish/thinnish MELBOURNE.
Hook to ramp clearance was 6 foot with NATOPS guidelines stating min. was 6.5 so we were a bit under. NAS Nowra runways were just over 6,000 feet with also min. NATOPS saying similar. Sporty landings ashore on wet runways for sure - especially if returning from carrier with carrier tyre pressures [and don't forget to ARM the SPOILERS!]. At least we had nosewheel steering and spoilers so we were spoilt in that regard but nowt else (except for four underwing AIM-9Bs).
Oh and MELBOURNE had FIVE wires in the A4G/S2E-G era when in earlier times for Sea Venoms/Gannets she had SIX wires. With all five set target wire was usually no.4 but often not all wires set as explained by others. The worst I had were three which was likely the minimum and briefly NONE when circling overhead with nowhere else to go for an hour and no tanker south of Hawaii. Thank goodness promises were kept and wires back up for my best ever deck landing - as I recall. :-)