America (CV 66) - Naval Cruise Book

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Replenishment at Sea Replenishment at sea (RAS) refers to the transfer of fuel, munitions, supplies and personnel front one vessel to another while underway. During World War II. replenishment at via was developed to a fine art of seamanship which todav is taken as a matter of course. RAS can lie accomplished in two ways. Underway Replenishment (UNREP) takes place with both the replenishment ship and the ship being replenished steaming side by side on parallel courses at a predetermined speed. During UNREP, die distance between AMERICA and the supply ship may be as little as 100 feet. Once in position, AMERICA fires shot lines to the replenishment ship. These lines arc used to haul across the heavA’ span wires. Once these arc properly attached, the process of passing cargo begins. In the case of refueling, fuel hoses ride across the span wires to couple with receivers on AMERICA. It is not uncommon fot AMERICA to receive hundreds of tons of cargo, more than a million gallons of fuel, or both during a single UNREP. Vertical Replenishment (VERTREP) permits .AMERICA to remain on sution in combat formation, eliminating the need to temporarily immobilize itself by going alongside another ship. As a supply ship steams m company with AMERICA, helicopters transfer supplies from helicopter platforms on the replenishment ship to AMERICA'S flight deck. Both UNREP and VERTREP require a tremendous amount of coordination and skill from all concerned. It is a total team effort that allows AMERICA to resupply safely and efficiently while underway anywhere in the world.

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Carrier Flight Operations Like a well-choreographed ballet, aircraft operations on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier require precision and coordination between the performers. More than 200 men respond to the call to flight quarters and move to the skillfully orchestrated ballet of man and machine. In what appears to be total chaos to an observer, the men, who arc identified by their various colored jerseys, perform their jobs professionally, rapidly and safely. Airplanes move at the direction of the yellow shirts, and weapons arc loaded by the red-shirted ordnancemen. Green shirts maintain the catapults and arresting gear, blue shirts chock and chain the aircraft. and the purple-shirted “grapes provide J P-5 fuel to the aircraft. Safety checks on aircraft prior to launch are done by the white shirts. In order to land on the pitching flight deck of an aircraft carrier, the pilot must bring his aircraft in at an exact predetermined speed, altitude and angle. One of four arresting cables on the flight deck brings the plane to a stop from 150 mph within a distance of about 350 feet. A catapult launch from one of AMERICA’S four catapults sends a 22-ton aircraft 260 feet from zero to 180 mph in two seconds. The tempo of operations can be exhausting, with a launch as often as every minute, and a recovery as often as every 45 seconds. Day and night, underway in all weather conditions, the men of AMERICA and CVW-1 respond to the challenge of the world's most dangerous job.

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V AMERICA Facts I lorse power....................................................... 200,000+ Speed ....................................................................30+ nols Length............................................................ 1048 Feet Extreme Breadth of Flight Deck........................................... 252 Feet Depth at Centerline........................................................98 Feet Area of Flight Deck................................................4.57 Acres Displacement at Load Draft.......................................80,000 Ions Number of Crew (including Air Wing) ................................... 5,300 a Meals served aboard daily..............................................18,000 Number of Anchors...........................................................2 Weight of each Anchor ...............................................30 Tons Weight of each Anchor Chain Link ................................391 Pounds Number of Propellers (Five-Blade) ..........................................4 Height of Propeller ..................................................22 Feet Weight of each Propeller......................................69,300 Pounds Number of Deck Elevators....................................................4 Area of each Elevator.....................................3,880 Square Feet Number of Catapults.........................................................4 Daily Capacity of Distilling Plants .........................280,000 Gallons Highest Point of Ship.............................................. 195 peet