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From: chem001@hoss.unl.edu (Jonathan Skean)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Aircraft turnaround and maintenance
Message-ID: <1991Feb14.004040.18190@hoss.unl.edu>
Date: 14 Feb 91 00:40:40 GMT
References: <1991Feb13.221910.6268@cbnews.att.com>
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker)
Organization: University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Lines: 30
Approved: military@att.att.com

In <1991Feb13.221910.6268@cbnews.att.com> jlc@milton.u.washington.edu (Jeffrey Casterline) writes:

>	a.  Are aircraft assigned to only one pilot?

All this is based on my experience as enlisted flight deck crew 1969-1977, so
more up-to-date comments would be appreciated.  One pilot?  Nope, available
aircraft are assigned to available pilots.  Often a more senior pilot will
invoke rank to bump a junior out of a desirable ride.  Each bird has
a pilot's name on one side and the enlisted plane captain's name on the other.
Both were only symbolic.

>	b.  How often do these high-tech, sophisticated, planes need a 
complete overhaul." 

Complete overhauls are undertaken at special facilities at intervals of many
months or a few years.  Fairly serious repairs involving downtime of several
days might strike at any time but scheduled maintenance usually doesn't take
an aircraft out of service beyond a day or so.

>	c.  Is the payload of one of the navy aircraft restricted
>when launched from a land base?  

Not at all.  The ancient F-8J's I worked on occasionally operated out of
Danang when things where really desperate and they didn't need much of the
available runway.  The advantage of operations ashore is mainly the extra
space.  The overwhelming characteristic of life aboard a carrier is always
being crowded.   When I visited a DE (now a frigate, I suppose) I was
amazed at the vast space per capita.   
--
Jonathan Skean U of Nebr Chem CHEM001@HOSS.UNL.EDU JSKEAN@UNLCDC2.BITNET
           _INFINITI_ "Wi maik karz az gud az wi spel!"