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RustyBattleship · 05-03-2008, 21:23 PM

Browsing the web for some technical information, I ran across this article. Thought it might interest you guys:

First and only pilot to land on the hangar deck of an aircraft carrier, The Wings of Gold, Summer 2002 by Mikronis, Edgar

E-mail Print Link In the fall of 1942 I was in VF-41 flying F4Fs from USS Ranger (CV-4) off the Bermuda coast, practicing for what later became the invasion of Africa. We had completed our strafing runs on the beaches of Bermuda and returned to the ship. I was the last in my four-plane division to land.

When the LSO gave the "cut," I complied and set the Wildcat down on the deck. Unfortunately, on contact with the arresting gear, my tail hook broke loose and rolled off into the sea. My fighter continued forward and was restrained by the barrier. The F4F went up on its nose and still moving I found myself looking down at an airplane which had just been lowered to the hangar deck via the forward elevator. This violated the rule prohibiting elevator use during a recovery.

My plane was flipping inverted into the large hole on the flight deck where the elevator had been. I thought I would crash upside down on the hangar deck and be crushed on impact. I ran my arms down into the rudder pedals, forming my body into a ball, limiting my exposure outside the cockpit ball insofar as possible.

Instead of dropping onto the hangar deck, however, the wingspan of my Wildcat, now inverted, was just wide enough to have about a foot of each wing tip resting on the flight deck. I was now upside down in the F4F, hanging by my safety belt. The aircraft was gently rocking up and down over the open elevator hole.

Plane handlers removed the aircraft that had been on the elevator. The flight deck officer, several plane handlers and the flight surgeon assembled to resolve the predicament. At first it was thought I'd fallen out of the cockpit because I was still trying to stay in a ball and was hard to see.

Finally, the elevator was raised slowly until it was close enough to my Wildcat that a couple of sailors could pat me on my back. I was told to release my seat belt which I did. I was then lifted out of the cockpit. I stood up on the elevator, not a scratch on me.

In sick bay the flight surgeon checked me out and served me a slug of Old Forester in a paper cup. At dinner in the wardroom that evening, with all officers present, I was summoned to the Captain's table. I was recognized by my CO and XO. I was described as the first pilot in the history of the Navy to land on the hangar deck of an aircraft carrier. In honor of my accomplishment I was presented a large medal fabricated by the metalsmiths from a Prince Albert tobacco can.

Copyright Association of Naval Aviation Summer 2002
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved

05-03-2008, 21:23 PM	#1 (permalink)
RustyBattleship *Defense Professional* Join Date: 01-12-06 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 2,721	He did WHAT? Browsing the web for some technical information, I ran across this article. Thought it might interest you guys: First and only pilot to land on the hangar deck of an aircraft carrier, The Wings of Gold, Summer 2002 by Mikronis, Edgar E-mail Print Link In the fall of 1942 I was in VF-41 flying F4Fs from USS Ranger (CV-4) off the Bermuda coast, practicing for what later became the invasion of Africa. We had completed our strafing runs on the beaches of Bermuda and returned to the ship. I was the last in my four-plane division to land. When the LSO gave the "cut," I complied and set the Wildcat down on the deck. Unfortunately, on contact with the arresting gear, my tail hook broke loose and rolled off into the sea. My fighter continued forward and was restrained by the barrier. The F4F went up on its nose and still moving I found myself looking down at an airplane which had just been lowered to the hangar deck via the forward elevator. This violated the rule prohibiting elevator use during a recovery. My plane was flipping inverted into the large hole on the flight deck where the elevator had been. I thought I would crash upside down on the hangar deck and be crushed on impact. I ran my arms down into the rudder pedals, forming my body into a ball, limiting my exposure outside the cockpit ball insofar as possible. Instead of dropping onto the hangar deck, however, the wingspan of my Wildcat, now inverted, was just wide enough to have about a foot of each wing tip resting on the flight deck. I was now upside down in the F4F, hanging by my safety belt. The aircraft was gently rocking up and down over the open elevator hole. Plane handlers removed the aircraft that had been on the elevator. The flight deck officer, several plane handlers and the flight surgeon assembled to resolve the predicament. At first it was thought I'd fallen out of the cockpit because I was still trying to stay in a ball and was hard to see. Finally, the elevator was raised slowly until it was close enough to my Wildcat that a couple of sailors could pat me on my back. I was told to release my seat belt which I did. I was then lifted out of the cockpit. I stood up on the elevator, not a scratch on me. In sick bay the flight surgeon checked me out and served me a slug of Old Forester in a paper cup. At dinner in the wardroom that evening, with all officers present, I was summoned to the Captain's table. I was recognized by my CO and XO. I was described as the first pilot in the history of the Navy to land on the hangar deck of an aircraft carrier. In honor of my accomplishment I was presented a large medal fabricated by the metalsmiths from a Prince Albert tobacco can. Copyright Association of Naval Aviation Summer 2002 Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved __________________ Able to leap tall tales in a single groan.