Air Department Fundamentals
See how much we can remember......and how much has changed..
102.1 Describe what constitutes a full flight deck uniform.
a. Cranial on and buckled
b. goggles down over eyes
c. Flight deck jerseys on with sleeves rolled down
d. Float coat on and fastened
e. Safety shoes
102.2 Discuss the purpose of a conflagration station.
- They are responsible to the Integrity Watch Officer (IWO) or OOD, as
appropriate, for the security of the Hangar bay for the proper operation of all
remotely controlled fire-fighting apparatus on the hangar deck. At a minimum,
one conflagration station per bay (containing aircraft) will be manned during
the watch period.
102.3 What is the purpose of hangar deck ballistic/deck edge doors?
Ballistic doors are large metal doors athwartship that are used to divide the
hangar deck into sections or bays. This compartmentalization of the hangar deck
aids isolation of hangar deck fires and CBR contamination. Deck-Edge Elevator
Doors are used to open and close the hangar deck openings through which aircraft
are moved onto the deck-edge elevators.
102.4 Define the term flight quarters.
Flight quarters is the condition in which normal fixed wing and helicopter
flight operations are conducted.
102.5 Describe alert conditions for fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters
(ref. f. p. 4-17, ref. c. p. 2-8)
a. Condition I- Aircraft shall be spotted on the catapult or in a position
affording a clear route to the catapult.
b. Condition II- All provision for condition I apply, except that flight crews
are not required in the aircraft.
c. Condition III- Flight crews shall be in full flight gear, briefed, and
standing by the ready rooms.
d. Condition IV- this is similar to condition III except that minor maintenance
may be performed on the aircraft if no delay in launch is involved.
102.6 Describe the following aircraft handling equipment (ref. b)
a. TD-1A/B tie down chain (p.2-24) - Is a quick-release aircraft
tie-down chain assembly that has been used almost exclusively aboard ship and
ashore for nearly 20 years. You can adjust the TD-1A/B from 1 foot 6 inches to 9
feet 10 inches. Weighs about 12 pounds and has a safe working load of 10,000
pounds. Another version, used only on amphibious ships, has a 14-foot chain for
high point tie downs.
b. Adjustable length tow bar (ALBAR) (p. 2-26)- Presently there are four
lengths. The Model 15 ALBAR is and will remain the standard tow bar for movement
of most land-based and CV-based aircraft weighting up to 90,000 pounds.
Model 8 ALBAR (9 feet long)
Model 15 ALBAR (15 feet long)
Model 20 ALBAR (20 feet long)
Model 24 ALBAR (25 feet long)
102.7 State the minimum personnel required to move an aircraft.
Six; these include:
a. Director
b. Brake Rider
c. Tractor/spotting dolly driver
d. Port wing walker
e. Starboard wing walker
f. Tail safety observer
102.8 Explain the functions of personnel wearing the following colored
jerseys on the flight deck: [ref. f, p. 2-3]
a. Yellow - Aircraft Handling Officers and Plane Directors
b. Blue - Aircraft Handling crews
c. Red - Crash and Smash crews, EOD
d. Green
1) Catapult and Arresting Gear Officers and crews
2) GSE troubleshooters
3) Line and Maintenance LPOs
4) Aircraft maintenance crews
5) Photographers
e. Purple - Fuels crews
f. Brown - Plane Captains
g. White
1) Cargo Handlers
2) Elevator Operators
3) LOX crews
4) Messengers/phone talkers
5) ATO members
102.9 Explain the function of personnel wearing the following flight deck
gear: [ref. f, pp. 2-3, 2-4]
a.White jersey with red cross - Medical
b.Green jersey with red cranial -
c.Red jersey with black stripes - Ordnance crews
d.Cranial with three orange stripes - All AIR department khakis and LPOs, EOD
team members, and ordnance officers.
e.Yellow jersey with blue vest - Tractor King
f.White jersey, no cranial- LSO
g.White jersey with green cross- Safety
102.10 Explain the following flight deck equipment markings, the purpose of
each, and the related safety precautions:
a.Foul line - A red and white line painted on the flight deck to separate
landing areas from the rest of the deck. No equipment or personnel shall be
permitted in the landing area during launch or recovery unless specifically
authorized.
b.Jet Blast Deflector (JBD) - Used to protect personnel, equipment, and
other aircraft from hot exhaust gases coming from aircraft about to be launched
from the catapult. They’re hydraulically operate and salt-water cooled.
Personnel and equipment shall remain clear of the JBD machinery when it is being
raised or lowered. JBD panels are designed to withstand the weight of an
aircraft only temporality. Aircraft should not be stopped, or parked, on top of
the JBD panels.
c.Elevators - Shall be operated only by qualified personnel. They’re used
to transfer aircraft and equipment between the flight deck and the hanger or
main deck. Never attempt to get on/off a moving elevator. The deck edge is
identified by a 6"x12" red-and-white line.
d.Stanchions - Electrically operated, they provide safety for flight-and
hangar-deck elevator areas. Stanchions are automatically raised and lowered when
the elevator up/down button is pressed.
e.Safe launch line - A white line associated with each catapult. Gives
the catapult officer a reference for determining a “clear shot” to ensure
nothing
interferes with the launch.
f.Deck edge scupper - Provided around the edge of the flight deck to
ensure immediate drainage of water and fluids. Painted white.
g.Barricade stanchion - 24' barricade stanchion is used to raise and
support (by means of tensioning pendants) the barricade which is used for
emergency aircraft arrestments.
h.Bomb jettison ramps - Provides a means for jettisoning bombs in
emergency situations. Ramps should be exercised daily to ensure operability.
They’re identified by a yellow stripe painted up and over the wheel ramp coaming
at both ends of the ramp opening. The flight deck in front of the opening is
marked with alternating 4" red and yellow stripes with a 12" dark facsimile of a
bomb.
i.Access ladders - Allows access to the flight deck from the cat walks.
Identified by white 12" deep box as wide as the ladder or platform.
j.Ordinance elevator - Weapons elevators are used to transfer ordinance
between the magazines and the flight deck.
102.11 State the purpose of the following flight deck edge scupper
markings and describe the appearance of each: [ref. g]
a.Catapult steam smothering valve - 18" white facsimile of a valve handle
identifies the catwalk location of the valve.
b.Aqueous Film-Forming Foam (AFFF) - 18" wide green stripe painted up and over
the 3" high “AFFF” painted in the center of the stripe.
c.Saltwater station - 18" wide stripe painted over the deck edge wheel stop
coaming with a 3" high yellow “W”.
d.CO2 - 12" wide red stripe painted over the deck edge wheel stop coaming with a
red 5" high “CO2”.
e.PKP - 12" wide red stripe painted over the deck edge wheel stop coaming with a
3" high white “PKP”.
f.Electrical power hatch - Hatches are painted blue, and identify the “deck
edge” and “flush deck” electrical power stations.
102.12 State the hazards of the arresting gear cable during arrestment/respot.
- During respot, aircraft handling and maintenance crews must be alert for the
cable return to slap if it has been stretched out of place by aircraft movement.
Also the arresting gear is raised which gives way to the possibility of an
individual coming in contact with the cable as an aircraft is rolling over it.
Great care must be taken to keep feet and hands out from under the cable.
102.13 Explain the purpose of the barricade.
- Used for the emergency arrestment of aircraft which, because of mechanical
failure, cannot make a normal arrested landing.
102.14 Discus the three major systems that make up the MK-7 recovery
equipment
(ref d, p. 3-1)
a. Emergency recovery equipment- an emergency arrestment is accomplished
in the same manner as a normal arrestment except that a barricade webbing
assembly transmits the aircraft’s landing force to the purchase cable through
the webbing assembly instead of a crossdeck pendant.
b. Drive System - When a landing aircraft engages a deck pendant, or
barricade, it pulls the purchase cable from the arresting engine. This action
causes the crosshead to move toward the fixed sheave end of the engine, causing
fluid displacement from the engine cylinder. The movement of the crosshead
causes the drive system to rotate a valve cam, forcing a plunger down onto a set
of levers. This action forces a valve sleeve and valve stem down to mate with a
valve seat to close the valve, shutting off the flow of fluid from the engine
cylinder to the engine accumulator, bringing the aircraft to a stop.
c. Engine Installation- a framework for supporting the engine and most of
its components and for securing the entire assembly to the ship’s structure. It
is composed of a welded steel base made in two longitudinal box sections with
the necessary ties, plates, and other structural members. It encases the Main
Engine Cylinder, Accumulator, Constant Run-out Valve (CROV) and the Air Flask as
the main components.
102.15 Discuss the purpose of the deck pendant/purchase cable
- The purchase cable is the wire rope reeled onto the arresting engine sheaves
and fed through fairlead tubing and over the fairlead sheaves to the deck gear
on the flight deck. The purchase cable transmits the force of the landing
aircraft from the deck gear to the arresting engine.
102.16 Discuss the purpose of the impact pads located on the flight deck
- Impact pads are made up of several sections of polyurethane pads laid side
by side and secured within an outer steel frame. Upon initial arrestment by an
aircraft the terminal will impact on the pads instead of the steel deck,
minimizing damage to the fittings, purchase cable, and crossdeck pendants.
102.17 Discuss the purpose of the cross deck pendant wire support
- The wire support provides a method of raising the crossdeck pedant off the
flight deck to ensure arresting (tail) hook engagement of the incoming aircraft.
Height requirement is 2 to 5 inches.
102.18 Discuss the function of the retractable deck sheave
- The function of a retractable sheave is to provide a means of lowering deck
sheaves that would interfere with passage of aircraft and deck equipment when in
the raised operating position.
102.19 Discuss the function of the aircraft integrity watch
- Aircraft Integrity watch is responsible to the Command Duty Officer/Officer of
the Deck for the security of all aircraft and equipment on the flight deck and
hangar bays.
102.20 Describe the purpose of these:
- The shuttle carries the forward motion of the pistons to the aircraft by means
of a launch bar attached to the aircraft nose gear and connected to the nose
gear launch shuttle spreader.
102.21 Discuss the function of the JBD.
- The JBD consists of three to four “panels” of ablative material, cooled by
circulating salt-water, and is used to deflect jet blast up and away from
personnel, equipment, and other aircraft during catapult shots.
102.22 Discuss the function of the water brake cylinder
- The water brakes stop the forward motion of the shuttle and pistons at the end
of the catapult power stroke. The water-brake cylinders are installed at the
forward end of the launching engine cylinder. The after end of each water-brake
cylinder is supported and aligned by the most forward section of each launching
engine cylinder, which fits closely around the end of the water-brake cylinder.
The forward end of each cylinder is anchored in place by upper bracket and lower
support saddle and a chock.
102.23 Discuss the term catapult no-load
- Testing of the catapult during periods when no aircraft are to be launched but
the catapult is in an up status. These tests consist of at least two catapult
shots, during which the control system is operated through its complete cycle.
102.24 Discuss the purpose for the Integrated Catapult Control System (ICCS)
- Is the primary mode of controlling fixed-wing-aircraft launching operations.
The Catapult Officer directs all phases of the launch from the ICCS.
102.25 State the purpose of aviation fuels watch
- This watch is stood 24 hours a day when the ship is not at flight quarters.
Personnel standing this watch must be properly trained, familiar with the
AvFuels system, and fully PQS-qualified as an AvFuels Security Watch.
102.26 Discuss the purpose of the Fresnel Lens Optical
Landing System (FLOLS)
- The Fresnel Lens Optical Landing System (FLOLS) is the visual landing aid
normally used by the pilot to bring the aircraft down a glide slope to the deck
within the arresting gear crossdeck pendant pattern with safe clearance between
the tail hook and the stern of the ship. Its primary control station is in
PRI-FLY with secondary control capability from the fresnel lens control room.
Remote indicators are located in PRI-FLY control and on the LSO platform.
