I received this post this morning from a good friend. He asked if I had heard about the release of records of John McCain.
I viewed the post on line and was shocked at what was written in the post. My friend did not believe it. Here is my reply,
I am no fan of John McCain, but I do not think this report is true
for several reasons.
One, jets were started with their tails pointed out over the edge
of the flight deck, not in a line like circus elephants.
Two, jets then were not able to start on their own. They required a
huffer to spin the turbines, so McCain would have no way to start his jet on his
own.
Three, the F-4 Phantom containing the rocket was on the opposite
side of the flight deck.
Four, pilots biggest concern is fuel conservation as no one wants
to run out of fuel over an ocean. On air strikes from carriers the first thing
they want to do is rendezvous with a tanker so they have enough fuel to make
their flight.
Five, I saw the flight deck film of the event, as everyone on every
carrier in the seventh fleet did. It was mandatory to watch. The rocket came
from across the other side of the flight deck, due to an electrical malfunction
on the F-4 and the safety pin had been off on the rocket.
Aviation ordinance men were usually there to remove the safety pins
on ordinance just before the planes were launched from the catapult, just like
airframe hydraulics men checked their systems and the catapult crew made sure
the plane’s cat cables were connected properly just seconds before
launch.
Here is a link to the event and how the thing
happened.
If anyone should be blamed it would be the captain of the ship for
taking on unsafe ordinance.
Captains of aircraft carriers are on the fast track to becoming
Admirals, unless there is a screw up during their captaincy.
I am confident that captain did not want to miss an air strike
launch at that time and possibly see his career flush down the toilet. He did
lose his command after the incident and finished his career pushing a pencil in
the bowels of the pentagon.
Bill
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