Constellation (CV 64) - Naval Cruise Book

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Important Dates in the History of USS CONSTELLATION CV-64 October 27, 1961 July 12, 1962 August 4, 1964 May 10 1972 November 23, 1974 July 1, 1975 August 20, 1981 February 21, 1985 September 26, 1986 August 3, 1987 February 13, 1990 April 11, 1990 February 28, 1993 March 4, 1993 July 22, 1993 November 10, 1994 January 11, 1995 March 21, 1995 March 23, 1995 May 10, 1995 • Commissioned at New York Shipyard. • Departed New York to sail around Cape Horn to San Diego. • Launched air strikes in response to Gulf of Tonkin incident. • LT Cunningham and LTJG DriscoU, flying off USS Constellation, became first US aces of the war by downing three MiGs in one day and five in three months. • Entered Persian Gulf while participating in MIDLINK 74, the first time an American carrier had been in those waters in 26 years. • Redesigned CV from CVA, reflecting upgrade to multi-use carrier with anti-submarine capabilities. • President Reagen declared Constellation America ' s Flagship. • Departed San Diego for WESTPAC, the first deployment with the F A- 18 Hornet. • Became the first carrier to visit Anchorage, Alaska. • Began flying cover for U.S. -flagged tankers in the Persian Gulf • Departed San Diego for transit around South America ' s Cape Horn enroute to Philadelphia. • Commenced Service Life Extension Program in Philadelphia. • Visited Valparaiso, Chile - the fu-st aircraft carrier to do so since Connie last stopped in Valparaiso in 1962, on her last trip around the horn. • Departed Philadelphia for San Diego by way of Cape Hom - her third trip around the Hom. • Arrived in new homeport of San Diego. • Departed San Diego for its 17th deployment to the Westem pacific, the first overseas deployment in five years. • Entered Persian Gulf with embarked carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2), to patrol U.N. No-Fly zone over southern Iraq in support of Operation Southern Watch. Conducted Maritime Interception operations in support of U.N. sanction against Iraq. • Secretary of Defense, William Perry, visited Constellation in the Persian Gulf • Constellation departs Persian Gulf • Arrive in San Diego from deployment to the Westem Pacific and Indian Ocean. USS CONSTELLATION Statistics Builder. New York Naval Shipyard Keel Laid September 14, 1957 Launched Octobers, 1960 Commissioned October 27, 1961 Total Cost 400 million dollars (1961) Propulsion Four Steam Turbine Engines Speed In excess of 30 knots Flight Deck Length 1,079 ft. Flight Deck Breadth 270 ft. Area of Flight Deck 4.1 Acre Number of Aircraft Elevators Four Height Keel to Mast 17 stories Compartments and spaces Over 3,000 Anchors Two 30 tons each Weight of the Anchor Chain Links 360 lbs. each Combat Load Displacement 88,000 tons Propellers 4 with 21 ft. diameter Rudders 200,000 lbs. each Telephones Over 1,300 Distilling Capacity 400,000 gallons day Meals served per day 18,000 plus