Enterprise Cleared For Deployment After Newport News
Rebuild
The Air Department crew
aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN 65) completed flight deck
certification October 19. The certification, involving multiple
tests to prove readiness of the ship and her crew, is required
before an aircraft carrier is released for deployment.
According to a Navy press release, the Enterprise Air Department
had been preparing for certification since the carrier entered
Northrop Grumman Newport News shipyard in Virginia more than a year
ago.
"From day one in the yards, we start looking at when we come
out," said Master Chief Aviation Boatswain's Mate (AW) Paul
Wallace, Air Department's leading chief petty officer. Wallace said
that upon arrival at the shipyard, Air Department began tearing
apart and rebuilding pumps and catapults and sending airmen to
other ships to earn qualifications.
The first step after the AIRLANT inspectors arrived was fuel
certification. This involves checking all the fuel equipment,
service pumps, and purifiers to make sure they run properly. Also,
the inspection team checks to ensure there are no leaks in any
tanks below decks.
Enterprise passed its fuel certification Oct. 18.
Next, AIRLANT began to inspect all flight deck personnel
records, ensuring they were qualified to perform their specific
jobs. "Yellow shirts have to be qualified to move aircraft, tractor
drivers and chain and chalk walkers have to be qualified, V-2 has
to be qualified to man the catapults," said Wallace.
After all records had been checked, AIRLANT inspectors observed
Air Department as it conducted flight operations. The inspection
teams also checked all spaces and material conditions, and made
sure there was no rust and that PMS (Preventive Maintenance System)
procedures were up to date.
The flight operations went well, along with the rest of the
flight deck certification process, according to Wallace.
"We’re going to pull in with our heads held high. On our
first time out after a year of lay-up, we hit it hard and got our
flight deck cert. In my opinion, we did it in record time."
"We're back in the game again," said Wallace. "We’re back
out here doing the nation’s work again."
The Air Department's next big step is to pass Tailored
Ship’s Training Availability (TSTA), in which the ship's crew
and the entire air wing will begin working together. "We’re
ready for TSTA," Wallace said. “TSTA is going to put us at
the top of our game."