They call them " Aviators " in the Navy, because they're better than " Pilots "
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50 years ago, in 1973, the famous Helo 66 which recovered the Apollo 8, 10, 11, 12 and 13 capsules, was transferred aboard USS Kitty Hawk.
Unfortunately, on June 4, 1975, during an anti-submarine training exercise it crashed in the Pacific Ocean but its crew was rescued.
The Sikorsky Sea King Helo 66 had flown 3245 hours ... I believe the U.S. Navy incident report still remains classified ?
A few of my scale models (work-in-progress)
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Edit: I had to add this detail Hail Columbia
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While I'm at the subject: Helo 66 Belly for Apollo 10 recovery ( 26th May 1969 ) " Hello Dere Charlie Brown "
(Photo: US Navy)

 

I think Maddog flew those birds. Not that particular one, of course.

 

Seahawk jockey.

 

Correct…the SH-60B.

The only pic I have of me flying it…my first deployment flying off the USS Vincennes [CG-49] circa late 1989 or early to mid 1990…possibly somewhere in the Persian Gulf…



…and then 30 years later at a mil reunion, I found an SH-60B at the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, FL…



…and then Top Gun Maverick was released and I rode my Honda Monkey to the theater wearing most of my old flight gear…

 

Nope…I flew the SH-60B…but quite a few of my winging buddies from 1988 flew them.

 

My apologies. I obviously need to brush up on USN helos. What about brown shoes? Thought USN aviators wore those? Or is it jet-boys who wear them?

 

We wore brown shoes with our khakis…but our flight boots were black at the time. Brown flight boots came later…after my time…as well as waaaaay before my time since early Naval Aviators wore brown flight boots.

 

Quiz time...what's the thing in the grass??

 

Something @Mad Dog never used when he landed on a carrier?

 

Is that at the "Good snatch" end or the "Shit no brakes end"?

 

That’s easy…it’s a dirt pile…

 

Funny story...I became acquainted with the, "shit, no brakes," end the other week. Aborted a takeoff and somehow made it between the REIL system without striking any. Even stopped it on pavement. In essence, I tested the book numbers on accelerate-stop.

Anybody been flying in the smoke these past few weeks? I shot 6 approaches yesterday out of necessity. Vis was 2sm or less everywhere I went. Canada needs to get their shit together

 

A keen eye. I expect nothing less from a Naval Aviator

 

What's been happening in Canada? A lot of forest fires?

 

Yes, already the worst fire season in history, and it's just getting started. I expect this is sort of the new norm - warming temperatures will have an effect...

 

Hope everyone who's affected is safe and the situation can be brought under control soon.

 

I do hear you and I dont know to what degree the oposition seeks to take advantage ... but they do say there is no smoke without fire (not to derail this thread with a debate on the topic but just to put an alternative / additonal element). It is important for health and safe flying that the authorites get on top of it. Less fires over time can sometimes cause complacency / budget cuts, and more developments - and then when fires come there is more to burn I guess.

''Canada has failed to fund the proactive management of forest fires sufficiently and is not poised to do better moving forward. “Wildfire management agencies in Canada are at a tipping point. Presuppression and suppression costs are increasing but program budgets are not.
In fact, as average atmospheric temperatures have risen from 1970 to 2017, Canadian forest fires have declined sharply in number and show little obvious trend in areas burnt''

 

Thanks I will let them know because surely they are oblivious to this fact...oh, and Happy Canada Day too...