"Carrier" on PBS

[racermike]

10 part series that started on PBS tonight, covering the life and times aboard the USS Nimitz on rotation to the Persian Gulf.

Through the first hour, and this is by far the best thing I have ever seen on TV showing what its really like to live aboard a ultra modern Aircraft carrier.

http://www.pbs.org/weta/carrier/?campaign=pbshomefeatures_1_carrier_2008-04-27

Program runs all this week, every night

[nrc]

TiVo'd it based on a the free preview from Amazon Unbox (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017X2RFK/ref=atv_dp_se_to_ep?ie=UTF8&redirect=true). I haven't watched the entire first episode yet, but it looks pretty amazing in HD just looking at the first few minutes.

[ferrarigod]

saw it and dvr'd. very kool.

[coolhand]

Damn, missed it.

[racermike]

All I can say after seeing the "pitching deck" segment during Hour 7 tonight, makes me have a helluva lot more respect for ALL the flight crews and deck personnel onboard those carriers.

That might be the most riveting 20 minutes of real TV I have ever seen.

At one point, there was 15 missed attempts in a row, on a deck that is pitching as much as 30 degrees up and down, in the dark, and pouring down rain.

Even the experienced jock said "I dont ever want to do that again"

[Andrew Longman]

The pitching deck thing was gripping. Add to it that they are out there running out of fuel and the captain has to decide whether to launch more tankers for them because the tankers could just wind up being more planes he can't land.

Near miss clusterfub

[racermike]

The pitching deck thing was gripping. Add to it that they are out there running out of fuel and the captain has to decide whether to launch more tankers for them because the tankers could just wind up being more planes he can't land.

Near miss clusterfub

You could tell for a few minutes there was serious concern for not just the safety of the pilots, but that there were probably careers on the line there.

All the young pilots watching the live "coverage" in their flight ops center, and the 2 veteran pilots with serious looks of concern on their faces.

[Elmo T]

I am all for "train like you fight - fight like you train", etc, etc, etc....

But did the conditions outweight anything that might be gained? And then to continue into darkness! :confused:

The collective sigh of relief could be felt through the TV. :eek:

Cool show. :thumbup:

[oddlycalm]

Yeah, the pitching deck recovery segment was the best of show so far. Riveting watching the experienced pilots get their approach lined up on the high point in the cycle then got in synch with the deck rising/falling cycles and let it come to them.

BTW, that's how they've taught it since people have been doing carrier landings. When I was a little kid I spent hours and hours watching my dad's 8mm carrier landing training films from WWII every time I could get my mom to set up the projector for me. I had the paddle signals memorized and would stand on the back porch in his canvas head phones (no helmets back then) and try to guide the family dog in for a safe landing...:gomer:

oc

[Ankf00]

:rofl:

[Gnam]

Landing back on the Carrier was always the hardest part of my missions.
Many an 8-bit Nintendo controller was thrown in frustration at crashing after completing the level. ;)

mCnG5sthg34

[chop456]

Landing back on the Carrier was always the hardest part of my missions.
Many an 8-bit Nintendo controller was thrown in frustration at crashing after completing the level. ;)

mCnG5sthg34

Really REALLY NSFW review of Top Gun for the NES. :D

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ofM11nPzFo0

[emjaya]

Night Carrier Approach and Landing.

vZQ9pS1b4R4&hl=