Photo By Seaman Apprentice Soren Quinata | ATLANTIC OCEAN (April 5, 2025) Sailors assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS...... read more read more
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The sounds of helicopter rotors, intercom speakers, and chains being dragged across non-skid can be heard, night and day, across the flight deck of the first-in-class amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD1), as pilots conduct vital training necessary to maintain proficiency in their craft and ensure their ability to land onboard Wasp anytime, anywhere in the world.
As a mini aircraft carrier, Wasp’s flight deck often supports Deck Landing Qualifications (DLQs), a practice for which pilots conduct repeated land and launch evolutions in quick succession to evolve the muscle memory needed to land aircraft successfully on a moving target at sea. Providing the flight deck in this manner also enables ship’s company to train and maintain proficiency in the complex and deadly art of flight operations.
Like any good orchestra, there is an intricate web of personnel, from both inside the skin of the ship and personnel on the flight deck itself, that must work together in order to conduct flight operations safely and efficiently. A blend of seasoned Sailors move with practiced precision in preparation to play their part in the symphony that is flight operations on a “big deck” amphib. Some of the major roles in support of flight operations include aviation boatswain’s mates in handling or fueling, air traffic controllers and aviation support equipment technicians.
The most visible and well-known components of flight operations stand bravely in harm’s way, yellow shirts worn proudly, arms signaling in the wind. Landing signalmen enlisted (LSEs) are a highly qualified group of Aviation Boatswain’s Mates (Handling) responsible for transporting, landing, and securing the aircraft to the deck. Their job is to direct aircraft to their position to launch or land on the flight deck. When an ABH arrives to their first ship, they begin a rigorous qualification process. Initial qualifications start learning to chock and chain, eventually working toward the ability to direct the aircraft movement on deck.
“My heart was racing my first time landing an aircraft,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Destiny Johnson. “To be directly in front of the downwash, looking up at the helicopter and directing the pilot was exhilarating and a little scary at first.”
Pilots perform phenomena in their aircraft each and every time they set to the skies. However, these “birds” need plenty of fuel to operate. That’s where the “combat grapes” come in. The purple-shirted Aviation Boatswain’s Mate’s (Fueling) day starts early in the morning when Sailors of V-4 Division, the ship’s fuels division, sample and test the ship’s supply of jet fuel to ensure quality control. After the fuel is verified to be ready to use, ABFs in their respective pump rooms control where the fuel travels as it makes its way to flight deck to be quickly accessed by the team on deck. When a pilot lands on Wasp’s flight deck, “fuelies” stand by to refuel the aircraft.
Meanwhile, deep inside the skin of the ship, in the amphibious air traffic control center (AATCC), Air Traffic Controllers (ACs) monitor and communicate with the aircraft the flight path the pilots must take to safely reach the ship. To do this, they take into consideration factors, such as low visibility, dangerous winds, and air space restrictions, in order to provide pilots with the safest, most direct route to the ship.
“We can’t afford to make mistakes,” said Air Traffic Controller 2nd Class Greylyn Sauro, assigned to Wasp. “People’s lives are on the line.”
Directing the symphony from on high is Commander Cristobal Yera, Air Boss and senior aviation officer. He is responsible for the safe execution of flight operations onboard Wasp, as well as the training and readiness of 162 Sailors within Air department.
Flight operations contribute to Wasp’s overall mission as an amphibious platform ready to support operations anywhere in the world. "It’s easy,” said Lt.j.g. Eduardo Aceves, the ship’s air boatswain. “We have the number one ship and the number one crew in the fleet.”
| Date Taken: | 05.02.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.04.2025 14:25 |
| Story ID: | 496904 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 64 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Symphony at Sea: the Orchestra Supporting Amphibious Flight Operations, by SA Soren Quinata, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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