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USS KITTY HAWK, At sea – USS Kitty
Hawk (CV 63) departed Yokosuka, Japan, May 15, to begin carrier
qualifications after a four-month maintenance period and recent sea
trials.
The ship’s air department will work with Carrier Air Wing 5 pilots and
air crews to earn the certifications necessary to conduct flight
operations during the upcoming summer deployment, said Cmdr. Mike
Horsefield, air department head.
Carrier qualifications will also allow the Carrier Airborne Early
Warning Squadron 115 Liberty Bells an opportunity to test new
equipment on their E-2C Hawkeye aircraft.
“We have new propellers on the planes and we are going to see how the
planes react to taking off from the carrier,” said Aviation
Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class Ricardo Sawh, a VAW-115 trouble shooter and
final checker. “The planes make a lot less noise and vibrations now,
so the plane flies a lot smoother.”
The squadron plans to thoroughly test the new propellers during 30
scheduled flights, said Sawh.
Carrier qualifications also allow air wing personnel to become
familiar with ship operations, according to Lt. James Lomax, Strike
Fighter Squadron 102 air-to-ground weapons training officer.
“Carrier qualifications really help in getting our pilots back up to
speed after not being on the ship for a while,” said Lomax.
Carrier qualifications are the last step Kitty Hawk must complete
before starting its summer deployment.
To find more news about the Kitty Hawk Strike Group, visit the Navy
NewsStand at http://www.news.navy.mil/local/cv63/.
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