Aircraft Carrier USS Coral Sea Flight Deck Ops 88-89

[@jimmys2199]

These guys are my hero..nobody can beat us..I am totally floored with the unbelievable expertise and dedication of the men and women. I'm a retired NYC fireman..and I am absolutely 💯 floored by them all..could watch these launches all day and sometimes do..ty all and God bless you all and stay safe 🙏 ❤️

[@apt2223]

Yes, as noted before. This was the Coral Sea. Several posters here, including myself, were members of the V-1 Division flight deck crew during this time. The F-14's came aboard for carrier qualifications. They were not stationed aboard.

[@Hey_MikeZeroEcho22P]

'Greg Kaiser' thanks for clearing that up for me.......... I was saying to myself, "When did CV-43 carry 'Cats??!!" I saw the tail codes on the F-14s, knew that they were a Naval Reserve squadron, but was curious!! By the way...being a USN Veteran and model builder, I built the USS CORAL SEA CV-43 in ~1/800 scale circa 1980s... check it out... kzbin.info/www/bejne/m32WhYueZ6yYpqc

[@donaldparlettjr3295]

A friend of mine was an a-4 driver on the Coral Sea and when they were scrapping her in Baltimore he was able to buy his readyroom . It's assembled in his basement, it's complete with the lounge chairs and all. Absolutely cool.

[@apt2223]

That is absolutely amazing! I'd love to see a photo of that.

[@NorceCodine]

@@apt2223 Where are you on the video?

[@robbieh.3118]

Was onboard during this time. Deck then OE Div. I can still taste the JP5 in the coffee

[@AlisoJim]

I used to love watching flight ops. I never did see the tomcats though. Recently, I was at the Midway museum, and they have one on deck there...big suckers. Great film, bringing back great memories. Thanks!

[@NorceCodine]

Someone told me that the Tomcats were too big for the Coral "Maru", guess not!

[@flymario8046]

Beautiful! Its funny because I was on the Coral Sea in Navigation during this time. I keep arguing with people that the Ship did have F-14's doing ops on board her at that time. People tell me that the ship could not handle F-14's... Yet again... proof that they did do ops on her. God I miss that ship.

[@AlcaniZFilms]

Nice to see the old crew. I was stationed on the "Ageless Warrior" from Jan of 89 to March of 90.. made one shortened 4 month Med cruise. I will never forget that time.

[@cypris2002]

yes the JBD's were strong enough handle the tomcat after burners i recall in 87 one of them kick its burners on during a work-up cruise in 87 during night flight ops and went strait vertical right after launch it was great this vid brings back a lot of great memories im so glad we now have video of our own flight deck crew and ops

[@juliebork]

My husband was on at that time. Aviation Electricians Mate, inflight refuling shop. Thanks for sharing.

[@FlaTater7]

I was on her from 54 to 56 and in the V1C division, we had Hydralic Cats at that time,,,she a straight deck. and everything inside of her was original....Enjoyed my time on her.

[@merkbo]

What are the odds. In the first 30 seconds of this video the VF101 Tomcat has JB and I on our CQ in 1989 before he left for his CAG Ops job. I'm wearing my Fighting 161 helmet with the Charger red lightning bolt. What luck that this guy captured the only known video of me every flying the Tomcat. Pretty cool.

[@my748duc1]

merkbo, I was in fact the "guy" that shot this video on the Coral Sea. The video camera was PO3 Paul Carrizales' and I was shooting this video for him. PO3 Panagopoulos "The Greek"

[@Nicks_Pix]

Coral Sea didn't fly Tomcats

[@DouglasStewart-m8z]

Big fighter on a small deck...great stuff todays ops are so tame compared to 80s vintage fun America v-1 80-84

[@1ayn]

My dad was on the coral sea during Nam.

[@chadx8269]

Big plane (F-14) small Carrier (Midway class)

[@kateedge5170]

My husband is yellow shirt some where. Jesse, George and Andy look like kids. I think I recognize more faces but it's hard to tell. Love all these crazy guys!

[@apt2223]

There are also parts 2 and 3 on KZbin. You'll probably recognize more familiar faces.

[@kateedge5170]

@@apt2223 are these mostly Paul's videos? I know by April 1989 David was already home because we were together again. So I don't know if he's in any of those or not but still enjoy watching them. Thanks for sharing!

[@apt2223]

The Coral Sea never had a squadron of F-14's. These Tomcats were just visiting while doing carrier qualifications off the east coast.

[@carlosguzman443]

As a shipmate 1979 through 1982 i was told that the hanger deck was not tall enough for the vertical wing on the Tomcat.

[@apt2223]

She could handle F-14s. She just couldn't keep them aboard, due to space issues. These birds were just visiting, doing some carrier quals.

[@KuvDabGib]

somebody corrects me if i`m wrong but,buzz on tape which appear in regular intervals is from CVs onboard radar interference,right?

[@cypris2002]

love the video im happy to see that we have our own vids of flight ops

[@merkbo]

This footage was shot 29 and 30 Sep 1989. We got 6 day and 8 night traps on the 29th and came back the next day and finished with 6 more day traps. JB was on his way to a CAG Ops assignment and this was the last flying I did aboard a carrier. CDR EE Mercker, Virginia Beach

[@apt2223]

Merkbo, check your dates on that. I can assure you that this video was not shot in September of 1989, because I am in it, and I left the Coral Sea and active duty in March of '89. I believe this was shot just prior to that.

[@merkbo]

apt2223 VF-101 fleet CQ. I'm not sure which clips are which but I got a note from the guy who shot the video. AD124 that traps in the first 30 seconds of the video has LCDR Jon Snyder in the front seat. He takes his mask off and I'm in the back seat with a VF-161 helmet. Both log books have the flights and we flew aboard on the 29th and again on the 30th of Sep 1989.

[@apt2223]

I guess it's possible that the beginning of the video was somehow filmed months after the middle, but I recall specifically that I was up in that catwalk to watch the F-14's, because it was unusual to have them aboard. Also, the ship's history notes that the Coral Sea returned from her final Med cruise on September 30, 1989, so I would be kind of surprised if they were doing carrier qualifications on the day they were heading back into Norfolk. The guy you got the note from is George Panagopoulos, who was in V-1 division with me. We called him "the Greek." Maybe he can recall when this video was taken. The guy who owned the camera was Paul Carrizales, also in V-1 with us. George or Paul, were you guys both still aboard at the end of the last Med cruise, in September of '89? Do you recall taking this video then, or earlier? Obviously, since I left the boat for the last time on March 8, 1989, the middle part of the video was filmed before then... my recollection was that it was during a workup we did in early '89. I certainly may be wrong... perhaps George and Paul took some additional video on that tape during the last days of the '89 Med, and then the rest of the video is from earlier that year.

[@merkbo]

apt2223 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Coral_Sea_(CV-43) I can't account for your comings and goings on the Coral Sea. The above link gives something of an accounting of the Coral Sea. There is no mistake that I flew aboard on the 29th and 30th of Sep 1989. I'm also pretty sure Coral Sea was not conducting a Fleet CQ the day they returned from deployment. Thanks for your recollections. By the way I was the Flight Deck Officer on JFK 80-81 so I hold ABH's in high regard, likely the best two years of my Navy Career. Be well. :-)

[@apt2223]

Commander, I don't want to beat a dead horse, but this has become something of an intriguing mystery to me now, and I'd love your help in trying to figure it out. According to Bob Doris, who runs a very detailed Coral Sea tribute page, the very last trap ever made on Coral Sea was made by the CAG, Capt. Christie, and the CO, Captain Allen, on September 27, 1989. You can find that information here: www.usscoralsea.net/pages/traps.php The majority of this video, including the portion that includes me, was filmed during a workup cruise off the coast of Florida in February, 1989. We stopped in Ft. Lauderdale during that workup. Are you absolutely certain that your log is correct? Were you flying out of Oceania? Virginia Beach? Any help you can provide in figuring out this riddle is appreciated!

[@amprestigephoto]

George Panagopoulos ran around with my video camera for a couple of days during that CQ. Someone needs to find that guy. Some other guys to find, Scott (scooter) McGehee, Joe Odell, Kenny Maggard,.....the list goes on.

[@mnh38us]

Hi all, M Johnson here, adding in R Sturnman, Perry I think someone mentioned Lopez, T Brennon, Chief Howard. Of all the jobs I've had over the years this was the best time ever. I remember George's camera going around. I'm in your last of shots here, walking towards the yellow shirt and fly 2 tractor shack. Thanks for posting this. FYI, my kids found this and yelled out when they saw me!!!

[@michaelmappin4425]

It took me 14 years to see this? I saw the other one. I was there. Crash and Salvage, V1.

[@Duececoupe]

Absolutely fantastic video!! Such a shame that they couldn't save The Ageless Warrior, the best carrier ever, together with the two USS Yorktown, CV-5 and CV-10!

[@davidburnett2458]

I enjoy visiting CV-10 in Charleston, South Carolina to this day.

[@gerisinger]

OZ division, 1979 - 1981. Wish I could go back for just a day....

[@apt2223]

KuvDabBig, you're exactly right. That buzz you hear is from the radar.

[@Jake-love939]

Greg, belated thanks for uploading this! Was this before or after the USS Iowa turret explosion? I was with VMFA-451 Ordnance, and I missed most of the workups, but I _was_ aboard Coral Sea when the explosion took place. Also, do you have any footage of us transferring our ordnance to the carrier that replaced us? I had fun running under the CH-46s that came in to take the bombs.

[@apt2223]

Hi Jake, This video was recorded in either late 88 or early 89 during a workup cruise off the coast of the US. We were doing carrier qualifications for F-14 pilots who (if I remember correctly) were flying out of Norfolk. I left the Coral Sea for the last time on March 7, 1989, and I believe this video was made not long before that.

[@cypris2002]

there is no mistake this is the Coral Maru the JBD's of cat 1 are a dead giveaway and not too mention the island and f-14's did do traps on her they just could not be stationed there due to lack of space on the flight deck and most of all they were to wide and high to be store in a hangar bay

[@gerardjohnson7117]

Only doing CQ for two days.those birds were from the ROSIE.

[@jamesonmarquardt7741]

I was a blue shirt then and there. V1 fly 1

[@michaelmappin4425]

I remember.

[@cypris2002]

yea i remember hearing the radar buzz on my walkman lol and and on the tv

[@chrisboston]

Very cool!

[@allgood6760]

Awesome! ✈️👍

[@NikMartin-I-am]

I may have come on just after that CQ. Fly2 Blueshirt, martin, aka Forehead. Steve-O Lyons gave me that name, because I started going bald at 18. Man V1 was dysfunctional during that time. Everybody fought like cats and dogs all the time.

[@michaelmappin4425]

Naw, it was just ABs being ABs.

[@NikMartin-I-am]

@@michaelmappin4425 Mappin, how are ya?!

[@michaelmappin4425]

@NikMartin-I-am I'm good, brother. I retired from the Navy in 2012. I worked for a while but then decided to be full-time RVers. We gave that up when grandkids came around. How are you doing?

[@tonyrollman3991]

took some great piks that day watching that tomcat trap from the crows nest.vfa-137

[@weasele1]

i recon you had more fun then me I got stuck aimd powerplants moffet field p3 orions

[@gerardjohnson7117]

It was April of 89' I was the hookrunning, I got of the navy May89' G.A. Johnson Virginia Beach / Las Vegas.

[@meschio]

@apt2223 which kind of video-camera did you use? thanks roberto italia

[@apt2223]

Atvron, I assure you that, contrary to what you think you know, this is the Coral Sea. If you would bother to read the other comments posted here, by V-1 flight deck crewmembers including myself, who can be seen in the video, you would see that an explanation for why there are F-14's landing on the Coral Sea's deck in this video.

[@gtc1961]

My buddy was a photographer's mate on the Coral Sea in the early 80's. So, when did they transistion form F-14's to F-18's?

[@juliemacarthur909]

The Hornets made the first deployment in 1985-86 with 2 MARINE and 2 NAVY squadrons for the " Line on Death" Med cruise. Also the first combat use of the new F/A-18's against Libya. Coral Sea was also the first carrier to get them.

[@JamesSeletyn-hd1xv]

I was in. B div during this time snipes

[@magicmaiden-cloudtalker9250]

love it

[@curtiserickson235]

I served aboard in 1986-89 GSE, IM-4 Division of AIMD, fantail of hangerbay, 'cross from jet shop. Want to buy my old padeye scrapper?

[@Nicks_Pix]

Hahahaha, Not buy but I'll trade you my left handed spanner wrench for it.

[@12345fowler]

Anyone from the Navy could inform about aircraft markings ? NH on the vertical fin ? Seems all squadrons have the same so not specific to sqr. Aircraft numbers ? It seems I see most Tomcats with 200 series number on them ? Having watched the 2005 PBS Nimitz movie I know aircrafts are referred to this 200 series number when flying (202 airborne etc.) What about call signs, they are sqr specifics ? What other marking would be interesting to point out ? Thanks.

[@gregorygordon8747]

The letters on the tails were for the carrier air groups.(cags) Each air wing has a has it's own call letters. This is so that every squardon that belongs to that cag will have the same call letters. As for the aircraft numbers. Each Aircraft type had numbers. The Fighters were 100 and 200. That what the F14 were. there were two squadron of f14 on a carrier till that were phase out for the F18.

[@michaelmappin4425]

East coast airwings use A and another letter, AJ, AB, AC etc. West coast use N like as in NH, NL, NK etc. Fighters 100, 200 series. Strike Fighters 300, 400 series. Attack used to be 500, but now Growlers. Hummers 600-605. Helos 610 to the teens. I'm not positive about the assignment of 100-400 now that Rhinos are all we use. I think airwings with an F35 squadron are using 400.

[@SwampRabbit68]

How can this be aboard the Coral Sea? She was not configured to handle F-14's. And yes, I was a crewmember on her last Med cruise

[@michaelmappin4425]

You missed out.

[@VHVDRAGON]

The Tomcats were just doing carrier trials. They were not part of the permanent airing. To large to keep in the hanger and do maintenance. They were really big.... compared to the original hornets....

[@bladesaint21]

Wow back in my day noone owned camcorders and when I got out in '82 we were still flying F-4's. I thought the Maru couldnt handle anything newer. Interesting.

[@apt2223]

I don't recall specifically, but yes, I believe the F-14's sometimes used afterburner. We certainly often did with the F-18's that were assigned to the ship.

[@michaelmappin4425]

Our JBDs could handle burner. At CQ weight, it isn't necessary.

[@thebull405]

FLY 3 (The Ghetto) RULED....88-90...Ahh the memories. Shorty call all of us, "Dick breath bitches", being handcuffed to the berthing pole and having everyone take a shot at me, stripping and waxing the passage way after 12 hours of flight ops, or grabbing some snipe in from the passage way to PLUKE the hell out of em ! GOOD TIMES, GOOD TIMES !

[@michaelmappin4425]

Who is this?

[@Sangheili1000]

THAT WAS FRIGIN AWSEOM

[@weasele1]

anybody watching this video went to school at nattc millington for powerplants mechanic (AD) in the spring of 87? ...AD3 Rueck

[@dennishayes65]

Joseph Rueck I was there in 1/72-4/72 then went to VA-42 NAS OCREANA till 8/15/75 & got out.

[@weasele1]

@@dennishayes65 this was filmed when i was re building p3 engines in a boring hangar at moffett field this looks like more fun. these guys look like there having to much fun watching f 14s taking off 20 feet away must be loud

[@weasele1]

wtf Happened to the NAVY.. No more dungarees no more khakis. no more F14's no more f 4 phantoms... glad im not in anymore. everyone complained about the dungaries but i loved them plus when you watch an old ww2 film thts what the sailors wore whos idea was it to switch to those god awefull ugly camies

[@Nickshark1982]

I would hate to be on a carrier and not be flying the jets.

[@cloneguy1235]

my dad was on the corel sea

[@ATLAirportTV]

Sure this is the Coral Sea? I don't remember any F-14s when I was a crew member in '89.

[@gerardjohnson7117]

that because they was only there for two days.I was the hook running that day. look at the first min &47 sec. that me in the green shirt giving direction

[@bennybenitez2461]

Ah VF-101 doing CQs

[@apt2223]

Um... okay...

[@elievano67]

@apt2223 My Flying Team ABH

[@lauriechristenson8234]

The flight operations are not the Coral Sea

[@apt2223]

Yes, they are. Unless I lived on a different aircraft carrier for two years and just thought I was onboard the Coral Sea!

[@atvron927]

this is not the coral sea on 88-89 med cruis or any cruise coral sea had fa/18 hornets not f*-14 tom cat s

[@roberthunt9430]

Sorry there boot camp who ever you are. Coral Sea was never equipped to launch and recover F-14 Tomcats

[@apt2223]

Oh jeez... here we go again. I was there. It happened. More than once. It was my home for two years. I promise you this is Coral Sea.

[@michaelmappin4425]

Wanna bet?

[@billkrolikowski2960]

Wait coral sea tomcats Noooool

[@apt2223]

Read bill. Read. Educate yourself.

[@1ayn]

My dad was on the Coral Sea during Nam.