USS Gerald R. Ford Catapults Flight Deck Safety, Training

UNITED STATES

01.19.2020

Courtesy Story

USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78)           

With the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) underway, newly installed aircraft launch and recovery equipment on Ford’s flight deck is being tested. Safety and training are paramount to self-preservation and successful flight deck evolutions.
Ford is currently conducting at sea conducting Aircraft Compatibility Testing (ACT), to further evaluate its Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems (EMALS), and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG).
“We’re working on a whole new system and anything can happen,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 2nd Class Ryan Little, a night crew supervisor in charge of the crash and salvage team. “It is a safety concern because it is unchartered territory,” said Little, about Ford’s new equipment and technologies.
Ford’s personnel said the key to successful evolutions on the flight deck includes daily training and safety practices; tools paramount to saving lives.
“Being on the flight deck, it is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world,” said Chief Aviation Support Equipment Technician Meadow Goodyear. “I have seen, on a previous deployment, where an engine was catapulted and ‘boom!’ The crew got sucked into an aircraft,” said Goodyear, a 19-year veteran.
According to Goodyear, fatal injuries and mishaps can result from complacency, lack of situational awareness and training, and not wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).
“We can replace equipment,” said Goodyear, “but we cannot replace lives.”
“Situational awareness is on the top of safety practices, but also situational knowledge,” said Little. According to Little, situational knowledge not only includes training but also takes responding to mishaps or accidents in a timely manner. “We train every day. If there’s a hiccup, we correct it right away,” said Little.
When it comes to promoting aircraft safety, Goodyear noted that getting skilled and being vigilant are also tools to promoting safety awareness.
“It is important to be qualified, knowing your surroundings and the layout of the flight deck,” said Goodyear. “For example, if you have your back turned toward an aircraft, that could be catastrophic. You’ve got to keep your head on a swivel, because there’s a lot of moving parts.”
Air department personnel said that daily safety practices, like foreign object debris (FOD) walk downs, are also essential. They also stressed the importance of wearing PPE such as hearing protection to help prevent hearing loss.
All Navy personnel are required to wear mandatory PPE on a flight deck, which includes double hearing protection, flight deck goggles, safety boots, flight deck pants, long sleeve jersey, a cranial, gloves and float coat.
Ford’s air department personnel also uses effective communication tools to promote the importance of safety through a plan of the day, emails and posters.
In addition to communication tools, Goodyear also relies on departmental safety representatives to continue training personnel and report unsafe practices on the ship.
Both Little and Goodyear said flight deck safety and training are a team effort.

“Everybody comes together regardless of the color of the jersey,” said Little. “All hands on the ship, whether they are civilian or military, all play an essential role in safety. It’s an all-hands responsibility.”
For more news from USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), visit www.dvidshub.net/unit/CVN78 or www.facebook.com/USS GeraldRFord

• Date Taken: 01.19.2020
• Date Posted: 01.25.2020 14:05
• Story ID: 360379
• Location: US