Imperial Valley press., 1945-04-03
Precision Marks
Activities on
Plane Carriers
BY ERNIE PYLE

IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC
Delayed)-The main thing 1 never
understood about how an aircraft
carrier operates, is what they did
with all the rest CT the planes while
one was landing or taking off.
I had thought the flight deck had
to be entirely clear of planes.
thought that as soon as one took
off. they brought the next one up
frcm the lower deck by elevator,
and sent it off.
1t isn't that way at all. There are
always idle planes standing on deck
during landings and takeoffs. There
have to be, for the hangar deck
down below isn't big enough to hold
all the planes. But these idle planes
are never along the side of the deck
they are at one end or the other.
Here's hcw it's done:
Planes always take off and al
ways land from stern to bow of the
ship.
For the takeoff, all the planes are
parked tightly together at the rear
of the deck. All have folding wings.
which has been one of the great
contributions to this war without
them a carrier could hardly carry
enough planes to justify itself.
ALL WARM UP
These parked planes take up
maybe one-eighth of the flight deck
the rear one-eighth. When they
get ready to launch planes, all the
engines are started and warmed up
while the planes are still parked
tightly together.
The noise is terrific. Angry pro-
pellers whirl within inches of the
tail of the next ship. "Plane-push-
ers" by the dozen crawl around, un-
der, and among these flying pro-
pellers. adjusting chocks and un-
tying the lines that hold the planes
down.
When they are ready, the center
plane in the front row is TAXED out
few feet. His folded wings are un-
folded. The pilot tests his controls,
puts down his flaps.
A signalman standing ahead and
to the right CT him indicates by mo-
tions when he is to start. He holds
on his brakes, speeds up his engine
until the noise is ear-splitting, and
then the signalman leans over and
dramatically swings his arm for
ward, as though personally to give
the plane impetus.
TIE plane starts rolling. The deck
behind him is packed with planes.
But the seven-eighths of deck in
front is clear. Not plane CT man
on it.
The moment the last plane of the
flight is off, a klaXon signals the
fact, and the great flight deck in
stantly becomes swarm of men.
Usually there are several planes
left on deck, which weren't sched-
uled to go. All these are Immediate
ly towed to the forward end CT the
deck, and reparked there.
NEED THE SPACE
For, when the planes come back
to land, they must use that rear end
Of the deck. While they are landing,
the whole front end of the deck is
full of parked planes.
A barrier of steel cables, stretched
head-high across the deck, stops
any wild-landing plane from crash
ing into the bunch of tightly parked
ships ahead.
AS soon as plane lands, the bar
rier is dropped, the plane takes
over it, and the barrier is raised
again for the next guy coming in.
The plane that has just landed is
parked among the other inert ones
up front, and the pilot shuts off his
engine.
When the last plane is down, the
klaxon squawks, all the men rush
out, and all the planes are tcwed
back to the rear of the deck, ready
for the next takeoff.