After publishing some images I took on board the USS Nimitz, Boris Aguilar, a flight clothing collector and expert living in Australia, sent me the detailed description of the  flight gear worn by the CVW-11 pilots.

VF-14 Tophatters pilot wearing a JHMCS helmet adn MBU-23 mask. Note that the helmet is taped and front section called relay optics mount assembly, a composite shell that houses all electronic and optical components of the display units is left in its original grey colour.

Both pilot and Naval Flight Officer in the cockpit of this F-18F from VFA-41 are both wearing JHMCS helmets. The MBU-23 mask and LPU-36 life peserver can be seen in the photo. Also note the AIM-9X air-to-air missile fitted to the right wing’s wingtip launcher.

Pilot wearing current US Navy flightgear including tan CWU-27 flight suit, CMU-33 type i survival vest, torso harness, LPU-36 life preserver, CSU-15/p g-suit, helmet bag and brown boots. Note the two officers wear different coloured boots. The one on the top left wears a pair of Belleville M790 in tan. The housing for the upper helmet vehicle interface appears as a bump at the back of the JHMCS.

The Italian Armed Forces celebrated the 91th Anniversary since the end of WWI with a series of events involving bases, airports and military installation all around the country. As happened in 2008, Circus Maximus (Circo Massimo) in Rome hosted an exhibition with equipment belonging to the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force), Marina Militare (Italian Navy) and Guardia Costiera (Coast Guard), Esercito Italiano (Italian Army), Guardia di Finanza (Custom Police) and Carabinieri (Military Police). As the following pictures I took there on Nov. 7 show, aircraft, helicopters and much more (including flight gear) was displayed in each Armed Forces’ booths.

As happened last year (read http://cencio4.wordpress.com/2008/11/29/on-board-the-cavour-aircraft-carrier/) the second and largest Italian aircraft carrier Cavour was again in Civitavecchia harbour and could be visited by anybody who wanted to “embark”. Unfortunately, there were few photo opportunities, since unlike 2008, the aircraft inside the hangar could not be photographed. On the other side, many images could be taken on board the “Caio Duilio” (D554), that was next to the Cavour. The “Caio Duilio” is a brand new Anti-Air Warfare destroyer belonging to the Horizon Common New Generation Frigate (CNGF). The ship was taken on charge by the Marina Militare on Apr. 3, 2009 and it is equipped with a Sylver vertical launcher for 48 Aster 15 and 30 missiles, autonomous Command and Control capabilities, LRR S-1850 M long range radar, and PAAMS (Principal Anti Air Missile System) based on Windows 2000 software with an EMPAR multi-function radar. Interestingly, the ship was designed with straight lines that give the unit stealth (low observability) capabilities. The following pictures were taken by Giovanni Maduli.

On Sunday Oct.  30, 2009, Sarzana Luni airport hosted an interesting event to celebrate the 40 years of the 5° Gruppo Elicotteri of the Marina Militare (Italian Navy, ItNy). The event was attended by a few hundred visitors that found an interesting static display and no fences around the aircraft. Among the most interesting aircraft displayed at Luni, there were a high-visibility EH-101 (MMX605/PP6) and an NH-90 in Dutch Navy markings (CSX81697/N-088). Matteo Marianeschi was there and took the following pictures of both the local based helicopters and visitors.

On Nov. 2, I typed the URL http://www.aeronautica.difesa.it to get the latest news from the website of the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force, ItAF) but I got the following message:

Looks like the website has been report as being compromised with some malware injected on the page. According to Google, in the last 90 days, suspicious activity has been reported 3 times. 135 out of 563 pages visited by Google, caused the download of malicious code.

The last time the website was checked is Nov. 2, 2009, while the last time malcious code was detected on the site is Oct. 30, 2009 (again, according to Google).
By ignoring the message I got access to homepage of the ItAF website that is temporary unavailable because is currently under maintenance as you can see from the below screenshot. What is not clear right now is whether the ItAF website is being updated because it was hacked with malicious code or it is undertaking maintenance that has nothing to do with the malicious code inserted in some of its internal pages.

Following the post about the patches I took on board the USS Nimitz during my visit on Oct. 18 and 19 (http://cencio4.wordpress.com/2009/10/31/cvw-11-patches/) some readers and visitors of this site requested me to upload some pictures of the flight helmets and flight gear worn by the crews of the CVW-11.

Images obtained by stitching respectively 8 and 6 pictures taken on board on Oct. 19, 2009.

The following patches were among those worn (and sold) by the crews of the various squadrons of the CVW-11 aboard USS Nimitz during my recent visit. The CVW-11 composition was:
100 VFA-41 F/A-18F
200 VFA-14 F/A-18E
300 VFA-97 F/A-18C
400 VFA-86 F/A-18C
500 VAQ-135 EA-6B
600 VAW-117 E-2C
610 HS-6 SH-60F/HH-60H

The following pictures taken from the Vulture’s Row, the narrow balcony on the ship’s island, don’t give the exact idea of the darkness that surrounds an aircraft carrier at night. The flight deck is illuminated by a soft sodium-vapor light and by the runway lights. The aircraft are surrounded by many coloured shirts performing the usual tasks needed to launch and recovery aircraft in safety. The afterburners create a bluish-white glow that disappears immediately after launching from the catapult. Combined with thousands of stars clearly visible above us, the sight is absolutely stunning.

My father in law is an amateur poet. After my visit to the USS Nimitz, he wrote the following poem. When he read it to me for the first time I immediately recalled the atmosphere of the flight deck at night:

La Portaerei
Un buio avvolgente
Un mare increspato
Un lieve rumore di onde
Ad un tratto un boato
Una luce improvvisa
Un aereo prende il volo
Un rumore assordante
Una scia di fuoco nel cielo
Il chiarore si allontana
Il buio ed il silenzio tornano a possedere il mare

F. De Santis (ottobre 2009)

The Aircraft Carrier
A winding darkness
The rippled ocean
The gentle sound of waves
Abruptly a rumble
A sudden light
An aircraft takes off
A deafening sound
A trail of fire in the sky
The glimmer of light fading away
Darkness and silence continue possessing the ocean

F. De Santis (Oct. 2009)

After my recent visit on board the USS Nimitz, many visitors of this site asked me to describe a flight on the C-2 Greyhound COD (Carrier On-board Delivery) and in particular the trap landing on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. I thought that the best way to describe the flight was through some pictures I took with a small Powershot camera I had inside my cargo pants.

As you can see from the pictures I took during my 3 hours flight from Manama, all the passengers were required to wear the life jackets, the “cranials” and seat backward! Dealing with the trap landing, the video is self-explaining: everything happens very fast and the strong deceleration make you feel like you are laying on a floor looking at the roof!

In my opinion, departing from an aircraft carrier with a catapult launch is even more exciting than arriving. Unfortunately I have no video available to show you this experience. It would have been almost impossible for me to keep the camera in my hands as the acceleration of the C-2 Greyhound being catapulted off the flight deck, reaching 150 miles per hour in 3 seconds, is unbelievable. Opposite to what I felt when we landed, I felt like I was hanging inside a wind tunnel looking towards a floor (that was actually the seat in front of me) with my arms and legs pointing at it. The following pictures were taken during the return flight. I was lucky enough to get a seat next to one of the two small windows even during this flight that gave me the chance to see Dubai from above.

In the previous post “Compressor stall…in the worst case scenario” I explained what a compressor stall (or surge) basing on a picture I took aboard USS Nimitz. I uploaded an image within that post that I created by merging two pictures I took one after the other. Since that picture provided a view of the last few seconds of the catapult launch by a VFA-86 F-18C, I thought it could be interesting to publish the whole take off sequence that you can find here below.

Some visitors of this site that analysed the pictures I took on the USS Nimitz (http://cencio4.wordpress.com/2009/10/23/images-from-the-uss-nimitz-cvn-68/), asked me why the F-18 (both C, E and F versions) has the rudders deflected inwards during catapult launches.
That position of the rudders is common to all the Hornets, not only those departing from the flight deck of an aircraft carrier: the rudders are deflected to help the nose raising as the aircraft leaves the ship. Since the vertical fins are angled outwards, deflecting both rudders inwards gives a downward component of lift, which acts behing the centre of graviting generating a momentum that assists the elevators.

Between Oct. 19 and 20, I had the possibility to spend some 25 hours on board the USS Nimitz nuclear supercarrier. I went to Manama, Bahrain, and after a long flight in a C-2 of the VRC-30 “Providers” I trapped on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier that was sailing “somewhere” in the Indian Ocean. The purpose of my visit was to prepare a report that will be published in the next months on RID (Rivista Italiana Difesa). The following pictures are just a preview of all the images I took during my stay on the ship along with Giovanni Maduli. I will soon publish more images, reports, video and will answer some of the most frequent questions dealing with an aircraft carrier.

“A compressor stall is a situation of abnormal airflow resulting from a stall of the aerofoils within the compressor. Stall is found in dynamic compressors, particularly axial compressors, as used in jet engines and turbochargers for reciprocating engines. Compressor stalls result in a loss of compressor performance, which can vary in severity from a momentary engine power drop (occurring so quickly it is barely registered on engine instruments) to a complete loss of compression (compressor surge) necessitating a reduction in the fuel flow to the engine” (Wiki).
A particular kind of stall is the so-called compressor surge is a complete breakdown in compression that occurs when compressor’s blades stall (airfoils) just like an airplane wing stalls, because the flow is disrupted or the angle of attack gets too high, forward flow through the compressor can no longer be maintained, air piles up in the rear stages of the compressor without being compressed and a momentary reversal of flow causes a violent expulsion of previously compressed air out (sometimes) through the intakes too. The excess air can cause a loud bang a flames (because of the high temperatures).
The compressor will usually recover to normal flow once the engine pressure ratio reduces to a level at which the compressor is capable of sustaining stable airflow. Some engines have automatic recover functions even if pilots experiencing the surge can be compelled to act on the throttle or, in some cases, relight the engine.
Needless to say, compressor stalls could be very dangerous especially when occurring in critical phases of the flight: departure, initial climb, landing. Look at the following image I created basing on a sequence of pictures I took “somewhere” in the Indian Ocean aboard USS Nimitz (CVN-68) on Oct. 19, 2009. It shows an F-18C (BuNo 165205 Modex 405) belonging to the VFA-86 “Sidewinders” experiencing a compressor stall during the catapult launch from CAT number 4. The aircraft is fully loaded with fuel and it is carrying weapons too, since it is taking off to support Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Fortunately, the aircraft was able to depart in spite of the loud bang and flames coming out from the port engine exhaust that in the second image seems to be operating without the afterburner.
Please note the image is watermarked since all rights are reserved

On Oct. 15, 2009, the Reparto Sperimentale Volo (RSV) of the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force, ItAF) based in Pratica di Mare, celebrated its 60th anniversary with a private ceremony that comprised also a flying display of both solo aircraft and formations. Giovanni Maduli took the following interesting pictures of the mini-airshow held above Pratica di Mare airport.

Piana delle Orme, located near Borgo Faiti some 90 kilometers to the South of Rome, is a historical park where visitors can find a heterogeneous and interesting collection that includes aircraft, tanks, locomotives, carts, models, weapons, radios. The museum’s exhibits focuses on the 20th Century. Its 14 pavilions are organized into two sections: the Agricultural Section and the War Section. The Agricultural section includes the following pavilions: Old-times Toys and Modelling (1 pavilion), Reclamation of Pontine Marshes (2 pavilions), Olden- times Farming Machines (1 pavilion), Life in the Country (2 pavilions). The War Section contains the following pavilions: Olden-times military vehicles (1 pavilion), From El Alamein to Messina and Salerno (2 pavilions), The Landing of Anzio (1 pavilion), Battle of Cassino (1 pavilion), Civilian Use of War Surplus (1 pavilion). A complete visit would take some 4 hours as each pavilion has textual boards and audio guides (available in English and German too). Interestingly both an F-104S/ASA-M (believed to be the MM6722 as the serial is missing) “9-35″ formerly belonging to the 9° Stormo at Grazzanise, and an EC-119G, visible from the car park are displayed in the area between the two rows of pavilions. The EC-119G is the example MM53-8146 “46-35″ an aircraft manufactured in 1953, employed by the Indian Air Force, then by the United Nations in Congo and later by the 46^ Aerobrigata of the Aeronautica Militare at Pisa. For this reason the aircraft still wears the 46^ AB markings. In 1975, the aircraft was modified and then taken on charge by the 71° Gruppo at Pratica di Mare, and used with radio callsign “Perseo 35″ as an Electronic Warfare asset. The aircraft made its last flight on Oct. 31, 1979 and it was the last Fairchild “Flying Boxcar” operating in Europe. It was initially destined to the Museo Storico Aeronautica Militare (ItAF Museum) at Vigna di Valle, but after resting many years at Pratica di Mare, it was acquired by the Piana delle Orme Museum in 1998. As picture I took in August 2009 show, the aircraft is in almost perfect conditions; furthermore, an hydraulic system allows the rotation of the propellers by inserting a 2 Euro coin in a sort of parking meter. The “Sbarco di Anzio” pavilion (for the story of the famous Anzio Beachhead click here) contains the remain of a Curtiss P-40L “Warhawk”. The aircraft sank in the sea in front of Latina on Jan. 31, 1944, after a successful ditching performed by Lt. Michael Mauritz. He was flying the Curtiss P40L dubbed “Skipper” in a reconnaissance mission on Anzio when he was forced to land on sea following serious overheating problems at the engine. Althought he was able to escape the sinking aircraft and reach the beach on a lifeboat, he was taken by the Germans. Helped by partisans, he was able to escape from the prison camp of Laterina (Arezzo) and after a long and difficult escape across Italy he was able to rejoin with his unit: the 79th Fighter Group. In September 1998 Michael Mauritz was invited to Piana delle Orme for the presentation of his aircraft that was recovered from the sea-bed where it laid at a depth of 10 meters at short distance from the beach, on Jan. 11, 1998.

For those interested in a visit, I suggest having a look at the Museum’s website whose contents are available in Italian, English and German language.