Sunday,  November 1,2020

What a treat....we got to go on the Norfolk naval military base and Nate showed us around his home away from home when he is deployed.  The nuclear air craft carrier, Dwight D. Eisenhower. It's big.  Really, really big.

Just a bit of info....The Parts of an Aircraft Carrier

With about a billion individual pieces, the U.S. Nimitz-class supercarriers are among the most complex machines on earth. But on a conceptual level, they're pretty simple. They're designed to do four basic jobs:

• Transport a variety of aircraft overseas
• Launch and land airplanes
• Serve as a mobile command center for military operations
• House all the people who do these things

To accomplish these tasks, a carrier needs to combine elements of a ship, an air force base, and a small city. 

Look at all the gizmos  on the upper deck (I am sure that is not a technical description)....Ok, Ok...the gizmos are part of the air craft carrier's island.......

An aircraft carrier's "island" is the command center for flight-deck operations, as well as the ship as a whole. The island is about 150 feet (46 m) tall, but it's only 20 feet (6 m) wide at the base, so it won't take up too much space on the flight deck. The top of the island, well above the height of any aircraft on the flight deck, is spread out to provide more room.

The top of the island is outfitted with an array of radar and communications antennas, which keep tabs on surrounding ships and aircraft, intercept and jam enemy radar signals, target enemy aircraft and missiles and pick up satellite phone and TV signals, among other things.

Hanger bay...The flight-deck crew can keep a small number of aircraft up top, but there's not nearly enough room for the 80 to 100 aircraft stationed on a typical carrier. When they're not in use, most of the aircraft are secured in the hangar bay, the "carrier's garage."

The hangar bay is located two decks below the flight deck, just below the galley deck. The bay itself is 110 feet (~34 m) wide, 25 feet (~8 m) high and 685 feet (~209 m) long -- more than two-thirds the length of the entire ship. It can hold more than 60 aircraft, as well as spare jet engines, fuel tanks and other heavy equipment, in four zones divided by sliding doors (a safety precaution to stop a fire from spreading).

Wandering the hallways

Jailhouse on board.......the Brig

Flight Deck....The flight deck of the aircraft carrier is the surface from which its aircraft take off and land, essentially a miniature airfield at sea. 

by now it was pouring rain as we explored this outside area where the planes take off and land.

Elevator that lifts the planes from the hanger bays o the flight deck

Good luck Nate and safe deployment.  We will think of you on the Ike.

Had a great time visiting with "the kids"....they treated us royally.  Had great meals and had fun playing games and just chatting with them.  Will be sad to move on from Norfolk and away from them.