America (CV 66) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 29 text:

Left: F A-18 Hornet . . . initial sea trials aboard AMERICA, October, 1979. Top: AMERICA NIMITZ at Pier 12 . . . Between major deployments, March, 1977. Above: Shirley Cothran. Miss America, 1975 . . . rededicates AMERICA ' S CIA Miss AMERICA . 25

Page 28 text:

F-18 . . . traps aboard AMERICA On 10 June, 1977, the ship led a five-ship task group that deployed to South America. During this five-week period, AMERICA and other ships of the task group conducted exer- cises with units of the Brazilian Navy. This marked the first time in history that Brazilian aircraft operated from the deck of an American carrier. September 29, 1977, saw AMERICA leaving Norfolk for her sixth Mediterranean deployment. The cruise included intensive flight operations, participation in the annual NATO National Week XXI fleet exercises and port visits to Italy, Spain and Yugoslavia. AMERICA returned to her Nor- folk homeport in late April, 1978. After a three month overhaul period and pre-deployment training. AMERICA again embarked Carrier Air Wing Elev- en, a west coast air wing, and departed Norfolk on her tenth extended deployment in March of 1979. She conducted oper- ations with assets of the Sixth Fleet and NATO, and returned to Norfolk in September, 1979. Shortly after returning. AMERICA conducted initial carrier qualifications for the F A-18 Hornet. In November, 1979, AMERICA once again steamed into the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for an extensive overhaul peri- od. This overhaul lasted more than eleven months and cost over three hundred million dollars. Installation of new com- bat equipment and overhaul of the engineering plant was paramount. Some of the major installations included the NATO Sea Sparrow Missle System, PHALANX Close In Weapons system. Tactical Flag Command Center and a so- phisticated Carrier Air Traffic Control and Display system. Naval aviation history was made aboard AMERICA on 14 January, 1981. Ensign Brenda Robinson, USNR, piloting a C-IA carrier onboard delivery (COD) aircraft, became the first black female aviator to become carrier qualified. After a series of qualification landings. Ensign Robinson made an arrested landing on the flight deck and received congratula- tions from the Commanding Officer, Captain Rene W. Leeds, USN. After successful type training in the Carribbean and an outstanding performance during the Operational Readiness Exam, AMERICA made final preparations for her eleventh deployment; her first dedicated to Indian Ocean operations.

Page 30 text:

Super Carrier, AMERICA . . . transits Suez On a gloomy morning, 14 April, 1981, AMERICA departed Norfolk with her escorts. During this deployment, she be- came the first super class carrier to transit the Suez Canal in both directions. Just by transiting the Suez one way, AMER- ICA was able to save 900,000 gallons of fuel and reduce 3400 miles and eight sailing days, from the normal 12,000 mile route around the horn of Africa. Total transit time was ten hours and ten minutes for the 104.5 mile route. During her seven month line period, AMERICA operated with the navies of Greece, Great Britain, Australia and Spain, steamed over 60,000 nautical miles in two oceans and vis- ited three countries. Just prior to returning from her seven month deployment, on 12 November, 1981, the Navy Board of Inspection and Survey team embarked in AMERICA to conduct INSURV. The results of the inspection were deemed outstanding by the board. It was particularly interesting to note that AMER- ICA was the first carrier ever to pass INSURV. On 7 December, 1981, AMERICA was back to sea for seven days to conduct fleet carrier qualifications, and a Tiger Cruise . During this period, she hosted the fathers and sons of AMERICA men and recorded almost 1700 ar- rested landings. Following the CQ period, AMERICA entered Norfolk Na- val Shipyard for a four month overhaul period. In addition to the normal renovating that took place, she was fitted with two weather satellite receivers and a heads up display unit for the Landing Signal Officer (LSO) platform. AMERICA also spent a short period in drydock for the purpose of re- working shaft cintron seals and refurbishing a tail shaft. AMERICA departed Norfolk in May. 1981, following sea trials, for pre-deployment training. Her training was exer- cised in the Carribbean operating area and included a four (4) day port call to the tropical paradise, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. Top (Right): AMERICA departs Suez Canal at Port Said. October. 1981. Above: VS-33. S3-A . . . makes contact on Foxtrot submarine. 1981. Right: Emotions arise as AMERICA departs on Indian Ocean deployment. April, 1981. 26