Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Cathrine Yanez | ATLANTIC OCEAN (July 28, 2017) – An F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to Air Test and...... read more read more
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An F/A-18F Super Hornet, assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23, and piloted by Lt. Cmdr. Jamie “Coach” Struck, successfully performed an arrested landing and launch from the ship’s flight deck, marking the first successful implementation of the Navy’s Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) aircraft recovery system and electromagnetic aircraft launching system (EMALS).
“It’s a whole new world for us,” said Lt. Cmdr. Jamie Roman, Ford’s aircraft handling officer. “Instead of steam pipes, we have fiber optic cables, and today we proved we can do the same job as the Nimitz-class carriers. It was a good day, seeing the advancements we’ve made technologically and as a crew. I’m very proud of everyone.”
The electrically-powered AAG and EMALS are two of the primary features that differentiate a Ford-class carrier from a Nimitz class, said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) 1st Class Travis Tetting.
“The new launch and recovery systems are designed to be more efficient,” said Tetting. “They can handle a wider variety of aircraft than the traditional systems, require fewer people to operate, have more fail safes and put less wear and tear on aircraft and equipment, so ultimately less maintenance will be required.”
Ford’s crew has laid the foundations for the operability of the AAG and EMALS systems, learning from the ground up how the new, advanced technologies function,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) 3rd Class Eronza Grimsley.
“I’ve been on the ship since 2013, so I’ve seen the AAG and EMALS come together from start to finish,” said Grimsley. “Each component came on, one at a time, and since it was a new system, we learned how each piece worked as it was being installed. We brought it to life piece by piece, up to now where we’re finally launching and catching aircraft. It’s a great moment for us.”
“Today the 628 Sailors of Ford’s air department are cheering, along with the rest of America, that’s for sure,” said Roman. “I couldn’t be any more proud of their work. They definitely deserve this day.”
| Date Taken: | 07.28.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 11.13.2017 10:30 |
| Story ID: | 255100 |
| Location: | AT SEA |
| Web Views: | 541 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) Completes First Ever Aircraft Launch, Recovery, by PO1 Joshua Sheppard, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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