Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Kallysta M Mikulsky | Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) 1st Class Kenneth Fells, from Palatka, Florida,...... read more read more
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Ford Sailors ensure safety of flight operations
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ryan Seelbach
USS Gerald R. Ford Public Affairs
ATLANTIC OCEAN — Everyday at sea, Sailors assigned to USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) air department man various watchstations on Ford’s flight deck to conduct routine flight operations.
From the top of the island in primary flight control to the aviation boatswain’s mates who direct the aircraft to the Sailors assigned to each squadron and everyone in between, some could say that no other watchstation carries the weight of responsibility like the Sailors qualified as catapult safety observers.
Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) 1st Class Kenneth Fells, from Palatka, Florida, assigned to Ford’s air department, explained that once he stops on the flight deck, his job has just begun.
“I have to make sure all of our personnel are squared away. Making sure that they brought all the necessary equipment, like weight boards and hold back bars, and I pre-check everything,” said Fells.
All Sailors on the flight deck communicate with hand signals from the naval air training and operating procedures standardization (NATOPS) manual. These hand signals provide the basis for how the catapult safety observer conducts their checks on the Sailors on deck and the pilots in the aircraft.
After ensuring all equipment is functioning and his team of Sailors is ready to go, the green beacon light rotates on the island indicating a ready-deck and that aircraft will soon use Ford’s state-of-the-art Electromagnetic Aircraft Launching System (EMALS) catapult to launch.
“After I finish my sweep, checking all the watchstations, I look at the launch control officer (LCO) who also does a sweep and gives me permission to take tension [on the aircraft],” said Fells. “I continually check the foul lines, plane checkers and catwalks to ensure we are still a go for launch. The LCO presses the fire button inside the integrated catapult control system and the aircraft launches from the deck.”
Catapult safety observers are qualified in the various positions of which they supervise during their sweep of the flight deck such as the topside safety petty officer, deck edge operator and EMALS rover just to name a few.
“You have to be a subject matter expert and be mature. A lot can happen and you are overall in charge, so you have to be versatile and know how to operate all over the flight deck,” said Fells.
Chief Warrant Officer Anthony Dellajacono, Ford’s aircraft launch and recovery equipment boatswain says that a catapult safety observer is the Sailor who ensures all launches are successful.
“The safety observer is the overall subject matter expert when it comes to topside launching,” said Dellajacono. “Fells has gained the knowledge of flight operations through many years of training. It is paramount that the safety observer knows what is going on both topside and below decks to have a successful launch.”
Fells recalled a time when his valued expertise played a crucial role during a watch.
“One of my favorite memories onboard Ford was when I helped the topside petty officer solve an issue while an aircraft was on cat [catapult] one. The Sailor didn’t know how to break down the aircraft when something wasn’t working,” said Fells. “We worked through the problem together to solve the issue. I like being that guy, the problem solver, in the heat of the moment.”
Being the leader of a team on the flight deck means having courage and awareness, both are qualities that Dellajacono expects from Sailors like Fells.
“These qualities contribute to a safety observer leading a team of aviation boatswain’s mates (equipment) on deck because the safety observer consistently sets the example that every single Sailor up there needs to follow,” said Della Jacono. “They have to be able to trust and look up to their leader which will instill confidence in their own safety on deck as well.”
Under the leadership of Carrier Strike Group TWELVE, Gerald R. Ford is underway in the Atlantic Ocean conducting first-ever integrated carrier strike group operations with Carrier Air Wing EIGHT, Destroyer Squadron TWO and their Air and Missile Defense Commander, Commanding Officer of USS Gettysburg (CG 64).
For more news from USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), visit www.dvidshub.net/unit/CVN78.
| Date Taken: | 11.19.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 11.19.2020 13:49 |
| Story ID: | 383371 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 118 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Ford Sailors ensure safety of flight operations, by PO1 Ryan Seelbach, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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