USS Hornet blog

Albany Rifles said:
Stoof!
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The Stoof is done as the tail got finished just before July 4. Couldn't get a clean shot of it because too many people around it on the following Saturdays. The Hornet has done well this month. 1500 people visited July 4th. Another 1500 visited on July 17th as there was a huge car show (benefit for the Hornet) around the ship with about three dozen cars on the hanger deck. July 24th had the 52 anniversary of Apollo 11 with former crew members from that time aboard talking about that day. That drew 607 visitors. We also had our first overnight since January 2020 which was out bread and butter. Almost everyone was let go last year and so far Admin has not gone overboard and bloated Admin yet.
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On the 11th the docents mentioned to me that Pri-Fly was locked, because of a cracked window, till who knows when. I asked if there was a plan to address the issue and was told no. Well then I am going to deal with it if the ship isn't. A senior docent, who flew the A4 during the 60s and 70s volunteered to help me get it out. I went up and saw two cracked windows looking aft and thought those? When I arrived on the morning of the 17th Alan was already in Pri-Fly removing the inside nuts at 0915. Only room for one person under, even though Tom was there, so I went up top by climbing down the Island from O11. Once all the inside nuts were off, and the large screws pushed out, it was time to separate the frame from the opening. I had to lift the frame, with glass, from the outside with one hand while the other held onto to a post. Window about 40 lbs, so we cleared the flight deck under in case it slid away from me. Lugged it up and around the searchlights to the forward end of Pri-Fly to lower down to O7. From O7 it was then lowered to the flight deck. The glass is green tinted laminate at about 1/4" thick. I have to see if I can locate glass. The lower part of the frame is a mess so repairs will be needed. The whole process, including plywood in place to stop birds, took from 0915-1845 with a 45 minute lunch break. rsz_prifly_glass_001.jpg rsz_prifly_glass_003.jpg rsz_prifly_glass_007.jpg rsz_prifly_glass_004.jpg rsz_prifly_glass_008.jpg
 
This past Saturday, the 24th, I walk on at 0929 and Security pulls me aside to ask if I recall seeing the hatch window to Pri-Fly shattered? WTH! No! Apparently between Sunday and Tuesday then. Being at chest level I got this one out and took the frame home to soak the bolts that keep the two halves together. Once out and fully cleaned I'll paint and use all new bolts. This glass was tempered. Whereas I want glass on the overhead window I am thinking maybe plexiglass with a UV and abrasion coating. Thought I was making good headway painting O6 with the great new paint donated to us with catalyst. Good prep, good scratch, surface rusted dealt with and then two coats of the new haze gray. Then ships crew had to come up and think they could pick up where I left off the last Saturday and paint with no prep and one coat of paint incorrectly used with debris all over it. Now I have to remove hundreds of square feet of paint. Do not let them paint your house. Now this glass issue which will distract me for several weeks.

One delay will be to restore this exterior entry to Pri-Fly as it is a mess. It will get my treatment and end up pristine top to bottom.

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Looks like some great work being done...despite the "helpers"!

Any idea how the glass is getting damaged?

That said you guys have made great strides. And I love the carshow idea.

You mentioning about groups coming aboard being your bread and butter reminds me of the Civil War battlefield where I am a volunteer docent.

https://pamplinpark.org/

We got hammered by COVID. Me were making a strong comeback after the Great Recession then COVID hit. We would get 180-200 school groups annually to the park as well as tons of groups coming to our adventure camp. From MAR 20-JUN 21 we had 0. That was a full 45% of our revenue. They had to cut paid staff in half...if not for we volunteers they couldn't open the park. We lost all our momentum we had built up. We were dur for some badly needed capital improvements but with the losses we are back at square 1.

Well, here's hoping all .orgs can make a comeback!
 
The glass overhead was helped along you could say. Docents don't touch it from below. I'm the only person who ever goes above so that leaves visitors. Visitors have a tendency to remove items from any kind of park or museum if they can get away with it. Remove a starfish from a National Seashore. Remove a glass lens from an electrical panel or MC. I used blue loctite on stuff like that throughout the Navigation and Flag Bridges. The hatch glass may have been stress caused by swelling in the frame from some rust and the glass just let go.

Entrance to the ship is $20 for adults, $17 for seniors, under 6 free, military $15. However, overnights are the big money maker. The cost is $100/night and we can have groups from 25 all the way up to 400. They generally are the big draw during the summer months. Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Sea Scouts and assorted. The ship supplies food and pays the docent/volunteers who come on especially for overnights. For example a Navy Warrant Officer (P3s), who I made friends with in 1999 when the Reserve trained onboard and saw me on the Avenger. and retired in 2005 is gladly on call for these overnights. Saw him last weekend when I saw his pristine 1983 Mazda 3 on the pier. He personally is great in plane restoration.

There are also nights when the ship is rented out for corporate parties. There was one on July 1st where the ship was paid $60,000 in rent for the night. Out of that all volunteer Security guys are paid as would any docents needed. We also do the basic setup and if the corporate sponsor has special needs they handle those. Sounds like big money but only if they can keep their staff numbers in check as ship care means you have to buy stuff at times that volunteers can't do or donate. The plexiglass I may pay but the green tinted glass the ship will have to pay for.

Your park sounds interesting. One day I must get out there to visit the Air & Space Museum and the Udvar-Hazy Center. Have to maybe try your park at the time if you are around. Another must is the Pensacola Naval Aviation Museum.
 
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You ever come this way I know a tour guide!

When I was a Scoutmaster we went to Patriots Point in SC and regularly to USS Wisconsin at Nauticus in Norfolk.

We have an overnight immersion camp at Pamplin. We put folks in blue or gray uniforms, give them dummy muskets, teach them drill and battle formations and have them go at it. We also feed them period food to sample....hardtack is a surprising hit!

Our costs for admission are similar but we have a ton of stuff for folks to do & see.
 
I have finally finished building a new window frame and brought it to the glass shop last week. Now I have to discuss with a few others about how much weight could be handled getting it into a difficult location when done. A 1/4" glass frame is estimated to be 80-85 lbs. while 3/8" glass frame is at 110-115 lbs. The door window has already been done with 3/8" tempered glass and even that smaller window is pretty damn heavy for it's size.

The now current outlook for Pri-Fly entails the making of all 8 overhead frames as the lower edge is rusting out, swelling, and allowing slow leaks. One needs glass to replace the plexiglass put in back in 1998. I'll make that one this winter while three will get done next summer and the other three in the summer of 2023.

Here's how to make a new frame.

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tbm3fan said:
Nah, I'm no shipfitter so if I can learn a few things so can you. Tom showed me how to use a stick welder which is actually easy on metal like this. Try mig on sheet metal, such as a car, and you'll know what I mean.
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What I know about mig and tig welders comes from when I was a mechanized Infantry battalion S-4 in the 1980s. The unit had been stood up as light infantry in 1979 and converted to mech in 1983. By 1985-86 we were still trying to get equipment through the supply system we were owed. We were supposed to have a mig & tig welder in our battalion maintenance section but never got them. Of course, we were also short 1 M88 recovery vehicle and had 2.5 ton's in lieu of 5 tons.

The nightmares finally ended about a decade ago!
 
Albany Rifles said:
And glad they gussied up the ship for their new guests.

Nothing better than to be in a metal box in a Pacific summer that has been freshly painted!

Better stock up on barf bags!
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I do not think any of them are actually going to go out to sea on the Gem State even for a day. The 200 are to be bunked aboard the Hornet on Deck 2 and fed in the mess hall on Deck 3. Now the "logistics" is what interests me. Food by a caterer I assume. Heads we got BUT as far as I know there are not a lot of working showers. Laundry, hah! While the ship's laundry is fully complete on Deck 4 it is not functional. There is a single washer and dryer (household type) up near the Jr. Officer's quarters forward of L1 for minor ship use.

Say didn't you say you know a thing or two about logistics? Want a fun filled summer vacation aboard a carrier with mild weather and calm seas?
 
tbm3fan said:
I do not think any of them are actually going to go out to sea on the Gem State even for a day. The 200 are to be bunked aboard the Hornet on Deck 2 and fed in the mess hall on Deck 3. Now the "logistics" is what interests me. Food by a caterer I assume. Heads we got BUT as far as I know there are not a lot of working showers. Laundry, hah! While the ship's laundry is fully complete on Deck 4 it is not functional. There is a single washer and dryer (household type) up near the Jr. Officer's quarters forward of L1 for minor ship use.

Say didn't you say you know a thing or two about logistics? Want a fun filled summer vacation aboard a carrier with mild weather and calm seas?
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These guys I mentioned wouldn't go to sea with a vessel. They are organized to handle everything from pier-side inland. They don't travel with vessels. So knowledge and practical experience of working with crane ships would be a requirement.

For a unit that sized for that long they will probably have a mess team along to prepare and cook meals. That would be too long and too expensive for a catering op for a group that size.

Same for shower & bath...they could bring in a shower and bath unit or find a local gym or whatever to provide access to showers. When we went to the field for extended periods in Germany we would contract with a local swimming club to use their shower facilities. Laundry can be done by hand.

When it comes to military items if I can't dig a hole to avoid enemy fire I want nothing to do with that!
 
Albany Rifles said:
These guys I mentioned wouldn't go to sea with a vessel. They are organized to handle everything from pier-side inland. They don't travel with vessels. So knowledge and practical experience of working with crane ships would be a requirement.

For a unit that sized for that long they will probably have a mess team along to prepare and cook meals. That would be too long and too expensive for a catering op for a group that size.

Same for shower & bath...they could bring in a shower and bath unit or find a local gym or whatever to provide access to showers. When we went to the field for extended periods in Germany we would contract with a local swimming club to use their shower facilities. Laundry can be done by hand.

When it comes to military items if I can't dig a hole to avoid enemy fire I want nothing to do with that!
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Should be an interesting month on board. I wonder what will go on during down time in the evenings and weekends?

I'll be down on three Wednesdays so I should them what is going on in person and get some photos. They know how to swim, right?

I hope none of them try to dig a hole through a deck...
 
tbm3fan said:
Should be an interesting month on board. I wonder what will go on during down time in the evenings and weekends?

I'll be down on three Wednesdays so I should them what is going on in person and get some photos. They know how to swim, right?

I hope none of them try to dig a hole through a deck...
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To become an officer you have to pass a swim test...not sure about troops.

And since they are Transportation Corps and not Infantry you should be okay on the deck!
 
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