Rock 'n Roll Carrier

HMAS Melbourne on a rollicking day

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• carriers
• high
• seas
• melbourne

[saltytheseadog]

@zeo300zx I remember that it was one or our DE's that broke its back in that weather, (Derwent?) and had to run for Adelaide with their 1000 ton an hour bilge pumps running. We had the Torrens, one of the DDG's, and the Waiketo with us as well. Yep, there was a medevac, but I don't remember who for.

[saltytheseadog]

@sk93 weather in the Great Australian bight is consistently South Westerly, so you always take it on the port bow going to Perth, therefore you pitch and roll all the way there. Or if you head into it, eventually you will get to Antarctica.

[sk93]

turn the nose into the waves and no more rolling?

[zeo300zx]

If this was the 81 trip we had to fly a medevac in that weather, 817 ASW Sqdn. I also seem to remember that a New Zealand destroyer had its bow staved in and had to limp in to some safe port somewhere.

[ricebubble4]

It was exciting sitting on the catapult when the weather was 'marginal'. The norm was to time the launch when the bow was up but sometimes the ship didn't behave and you were launched pointed at the oggin. I flew with VS816 Sqn (S2s) through most of the 70s and the 1980 IO Deployment. We had these conditions when I went across the Bight in 1977 and 1980.

[pootubeftw]

@bengello

no i cant imagine they trying to land on that deck at night. you know why? they wouldn't. it's rolling too much. they have certain rules for what is considered safe to land, and in this case its clearly rolling way too much. (hence they guys walking on the deck casually and planes on the runway).

[saltytheseadog]

I was on this then, we were gong across the great Australian bight in 1981. heading to Perth. The weather was bloody awful.

[bengello]

Imagine trying to land on that deck at night. Carrier pilots are incredible...