USS Nimitz - Arabian Gulf 1993 - Can you help, please?
 

I am looking to make contact with personnel who were aboard the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) during that vessel's time in the Arabian Gulf, March to June 1993. I am fairly sure that I have identified the correct carrier, as I don't think there was more than one carrier in the Arabian Gulf during Operation Southern Watch in 1993. If my research is correct, the USS Nimitz relieved the USS Kitty Hawk in the Arabian Gulf, and was then itself relieved by the USS Abraham Lincoln.

The reason for this thread is that I am hoping one or more of the personnel aboard the Nimitz will have photos or video of a flyby of the carrier that was undertaken by a Royal Air Force Victor K2 tanker aircraft. I cannot be sure of the exact date of the flyby (precise details were not recorded in the logbook, sadly) but I know that it was in the period 19 to 26 May inclusive.

Just in case readers of this post cannot recall what the Handley Page Victor K2 tanker looks like, here is a random, representative photo of the aircraft type:
Handley Page HP-80 Victor K2 - UK - Air Force | Aviation Photo #1472774 | Airliners.net

The flyby took several days of arranging and on the day there were a lot of frequency changes and radar identification manoeuvres required (unsurprisingly!) before a descent to, and just-above-deck-level flyby down the one side of, the Nimitz was carried out.

We spent a few years using the Victor K2 to refuel US Navy aircraft in Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm and thereafter, and I am hopeful that Nimitz personnel who saw the carrier flyby will remember the event, as the Victor K2 was an unusual looking aircraft. The view of the Nimitz from the Victor cockpit was certainly memorable - it really is a big ship when seen close-up, and it had what looked like an entire air force topside! ;)

If anyone has any surviving photos or video of the Victor flyby I would be very pleased to hear from them. Please contact me via Private Messaging on this website and we can then arrange to communicate by email. If you know of any friends or colleagues who were aboard the Nimitz in the Arabian Gulf in 1993, then please bring this thread to their attention. Alternatively, if you have access to any US Naval social forums or similar and could publicise this thread thereon, that would be greatly appreciated. I am positive that there must be somebody out there with photos or video of the flyby. Many thanks!

PS: Unfortunately, we did not have any cameras on board the Victor K2 so there are no 'reciprocal' photos of the event. :sad:

Just a bump back up the list, to get some more visibilty. Fingers crossed this thread connects with someone in the know ....

Suggest you send a PM to one or two of the ex and serving USA military pilots who post in the US politics thread in JB.

Have you tried speaking to the US navy direct?

The Nimitz has its own Facebook page. I'd try there for starters.

@parabellum some of those folks also post in this forum. ;) While I don't have a lot of contacts with Nimitz (in 93 nor in any other year) the suggestion to hit the Nimitz faceboooook page isn't a bad one.

A tongue in cheek suggestion, perhaps? ;)

The US Navy. Quite a large organisation. And they are unlikely to just have a singular email address or phone number for enquiries about crew who might have been on a carrier in May 1993. But thanks for the suggestion. ;)

Ahhhhh, Facebook. Not an entity with which I am registered, nor keen to engage with, hence posting here on the PPRuNe military forum. That might seem strange to some but, in my humble opinion, Facebook is rather pernicious in the way it operates. :hmm:

PPRuNe does seem to have quite a reach, so I am hoping that someone with knowledge of the event I described will see this thread. However, whilst I am not keen on Facebook, you did give me an idea about where else to look and I have found the USS Nimitz Association - I will try contacting them.

Thanks for taking the time to respond, folks! :ok:

I'd argue you are denying yourself your best option by ignoring Facebook. Sign up make contact and when finished delete? And I'm also sure THE USN has a single point contact for media relations etc that would happily direct your enquiries to Nimitz.

A quick Google search.
Full contact details for Nimitz.
www.nimitz.navy.mil>contact

Given the habit of recording, documenting and photographing everything the US military does I'd say a quick phone call would put you on the right path.

You'd only have to join Farcebewk for long enough to contact the Nimitz page - then you could quit...

Plus you have control over what information you tell Facrebewk about yourself & you can set the security as to who can 'see' you.