This Naval Academy Adventure is for Real!

[Big Ugly]

DD-2 is off on her summer cruise before entering her final year at the academy this fall. I am unable to give the specifics, as you can imagine, but for the younger members of our audience I want to relate how six years ago this same young woman--who was too young for a drivers license—was volunteering at the small local airport, helping out at the annual glider competition, connecting gliders to their tow planes and then running down the runway while steadying the glider’s delicate wing as the tow plane throttled-up and pulled away. Fast forward to this week and I get an e-mail from DD-2 where she writes,” Crazy watching jets land and circle around. I got to be a shooter- the guy underneath the jet with the one leg down giving the thumbs up as they take off with the catapult. That was NUTS- literally shakes your teeth and your ribcage. Also the engine melts your eyes with fumes. Super crazy. They said they’ll let me do it at night with one taking off on afterburners.”

This adventure is for real! I know my daughter’s high school classmates who are back from college for the summer are not having the same experience. I only hope DD-2’s adrenaline levels will drop back to normal by September.

 

[severn]

DD-2 is off on her summer cruise before entering her final year at the academy this fall. I am unable to give the specifics, as you can imagine, but for the younger members of our audience I want to relate how six years ago this same young woman--who was too young for a drivers license—was volunteering at the small local airport, helping out at the annual glider competition, connecting gliders to their tow planes and then running down the runway while steadying the glider’s delicate wing as the tow plane throttled-up and pulled away. Fast forward to this week and I get an e-mail from DD-2 where she writes,” Crazy watching jets land and circle around. I got to be a shooter- the guy underneath the jet with the one leg down giving the thumbs up as they take off with the catapult. That was NUTS- literally shakes your teeth and your ribcage. Also the engine melts your eyes with fumes. Super crazy. They said they’ll let me do it at night with one taking off on afterburners.”

This adventure is for real! I know my daughter’s high school classmates who are back from college for the summer are not having the same experience. I only hope DD-2’s adrenaline levels will drop back to normal by September.

What about the shooter "dance" like in the opening scenes of Top Gun?

 

[justdoit19]

DD-2 is off on her summer cruise before entering her final year at the academy this fall. I am unable to give the specifics, as you can imagine, but for the younger members of our audience I want to relate how six years ago this same young woman--who was too young for a drivers license—was volunteering at the small local airport, helping out at the annual glider competition, connecting gliders to their tow planes and then running down the runway while steadying the glider’s delicate wing as the tow plane throttled-up and pulled away. Fast forward to this week and I get an e-mail from DD-2 where she writes,” Crazy watching jets land and circle around. I got to be a shooter- the guy underneath the jet with the one leg down giving the thumbs up as they take off with the catapult. That was NUTS- literally shakes your teeth and your ribcage. Also the engine melts your eyes with fumes. Super crazy. They said they’ll let me do it at night with one taking off on afterburners.”

This adventure is for real! I know my daughter’s high school classmates who are back from college for the summer are not having the same experience. I only hope DD-2’s adrenaline levels will drop back to normal by September.

Isnt it hard to believe that these are their LAST training blocks?? Blows my mind, honestly. I have an older (now ensign) Mid, and his time went fast. But these 4 years have flown by even faster.

C/O ‘24 is the first ’covid’ class. And although they had some missed traditions, ie: iday, they haven’t missed out on any summer traInnings. My ‘22 had two of his 3 summers affected. My ‘24 has done more training blocks than his brother, who had no PROTRAMID…THE iconic summer block. So although ’24‘s plebe summer was affected, they have had relatively normal summer trainings.

Lots of good stuff. Lots to be amazed at. Lots to be thankful for.

Cheers to ‘24, now Firsties, and their amazing opportunities.

 

[Gearhead5]

What about the shooter "dance" like in the opening scenes of Top Gun?

Carrier flight operations are truly something to be experienced up close and personal. I had a coworker who got surround sound installed a few years back. He said the first thing he watch was the original Top Gun. The next day he kept telling me “You just don’t know!“ I finally had to break it to him that I did ”know“ what it‘s like. Having been a “Grape” on CV-59 in the mid 80’s I knew all too well what it was like to be there.

Your DD-2 is absolutely correct about the catapult launch, they are NUTS! And carrier night operations are even more crazy. Your head is on a swivel and your senses are more acute. To this day when I smell jet exhaust it takes me back to almost 40 years ago when I first stepped onto a carrier flight deck during flight operations.

As you so eloquently stated, This adventure is for real! The experience your DD-2 is having on her summer cruise truly is a rush that few get to experience. This is just the beginning of many sea stories that are sure to told in the future.

Best of luck!

 

[usnabgo08]

Hopefully your DD can get a trap and catapult launch off the flight deck…truly amazing experience. Even more suspenseful in a C-2 greyhound…but those are being phased out.

 

[MidCakePa]

What about the shooter "dance" like in the opening scenes of Top Gun?

I believe that iconic “flattop shimmy” is actually done in reaction to an F-14’s tailhook catching the cable. In any case, I’ve long believed that the opening scenes of the original “Top Gun” are the finest four minutes in cinematic history. Put it on a giant screen, crank up the surround sound — to 11, if you’ve got it — and let ’et rip! If that doesn’t get your pulse racing and your heart pumping for the greatness of ’Mercia, then I don’t know what will.

 

[WT Door]

Carrier flight operations are truly something to be experienced up close and personal. I had a coworker who got surround sound installed a few years back. He said the first thing he watch was the original Top Gun. The next day he kept telling me “You just don’t know!“ I finally had to break it to him that I did ”know“ what it‘s like. Having been a “Grape” on CV-59 in the mid 80’s I knew all too well what it was like to be there.

Your DD-2 is absolutely correct about the catapult launch, they are NUTS! And carrier night operations are even more crazy. Your head is on a swivel and your senses are more acute. To this day when I smell jet exhaust it takes me back to almost 40 years ago when I first stepped onto a carrier flight deck during flight operations.

As you so eloquently stated, This adventure is for real! The experience your DD-2 is having on her summer cruise truly is a rush that few get to experience. This is just the beginning of many sea stories that are sure to told in the future.

Best of luck!

CV-59. The "FID", First in Defense. Sailors that I knew loved the ship. Thanks for the hot pumps and JP-5 back when!

 

[Heatherg21]

Sometimes I have to pinch myself when I think about the crazy adventures DS has had, and he hasn't even joined the fleet yet! Where the last three years went is a mystery to me, but I have loved being a witness to his experiences and the opportunities and access he has had as a result of this crazy ride.

He stays in touch with a few friends from high school, but to be honest, they really don't have much to talk about anymore. They are home on break, sleeping in, partying it up, looking for summer jobs, staring at looming college debt. DS doesn't have any of that (outside of sleeping in when he is home for a quick break).