6 F-35s land on Wasp for testing

[MD]

I always carried gloves with me for preflighting and such, but never wore them for flight due to the loss of dexterity. Of course, always being in hot environs, I always had me flightsuit sleeves slid up too.

[spazsinbad]

Well... apart from sunburn you would have been severely chastised in my olde worlde. Being NAVY we learnt to suffer. Luckily the A4G had great aircon which made ice in the right conditions and I flew with my feet permanently frozen - no matter the weather. Otherwise our old UK jets had hopeless aircon and were not very waterproof. The Macchi MB326H tandem trainer had a long bubble canopy that was a shocker for heat in our land down under. So bad was it that the RAAF constructed shelters on the concrete tarmac over at the main training base to shield all and sundry from 'waiting in the heat' at RAAF Pearce. NAVY? No. Suck it up. Truly it got hot inside when in the sun along with all the metal parts - bare hands? Nuh Uh.

A study made to justify the 'carports' in WA said some amazing amount of fluid was lost during a Macchi sortie over there. I trained on the sodden Vampire just as the Macchis arrived. Then when the A4Gs were gone from our land the KIWIs took on the role of battering our RAN ship fleet for a decade based at NAS Nowra and also doing their A-4K/KAHU flying training there at the time.

They made carports pronto but they did have some amazing avionics to protect in the KAHU in those days - and they made a park brake. Sheesh.

[charlielima223]

http://breakingdefense.com/2015/05/vide ... from-v-22/

[spazsinbad]

Thanks 'CL' worth noting this aspect from the story above: + the THREE VIDS!

VIDEO Of F-35B Operational Tests Aboard USS Wasp, With Gorgeous Views Of DC From V-22
31 May 2015 Colin Clark

"...The F-35Bs should be able to generate a higher sortie rate than can the Marines’ current fighter operating from the USS Wasp and other amphibious ships, the AV-8 Harrier, the Marine pilots told us.

One of the important links between the V-22s and the F-35Bs is the ability of the Ospreys to fly the five modules of an F135 engine in to a ship for replacement, a key capability during war time, not to mention one needed just to keep the fleet flying with as few visits to shore as possible for the Marine version of the Joint Strike Fighter...."

Source: http://breakingdefense.com/2015/05/vide ... from-v-22/

[quicksilver]

"...The F-35Bs should be able to generate a higher sortie rate than can the Marines’ current fighter operating from the USS Wasp and other amphibious ships, the AV-8 Harrier, the Marine pilots told us."

Sounds like junior bird man with Hornet background who has never been to sea with the rest of a MEU.

It's easy to generate sorties when one aircraft type has the entire ship and everyones undivided attention for an OT period.

[sferrin]

It's easy to generate sorties when one aircraft type has the entire ship and everyones undivided attention for an OT period.

I'm sure that thought never occurred to the USMC pilot. He's probably a nugget who just graduated from training wheels.

[spazsinbad]

'sferrin' These Bee pilots can be slagged as much as you wish however are not all of them for the moment experienced? Nuggets do not get into the F-35 system YET. Context will be important in any statement about sorties from a ship. There is no context - except this one (vague as it is - 6 Bees on a WASP). How 'bout 6 Harriers on a WASP - ever been done? Probably when CarQual/ShipQuals or whatever the STOVLies call it - Op Testing for AV-8Bs? Dunno. I'll not get carried away.

[bring_it_on]

Still can't wait for the helicopter shots showing the entire ship with the six F-35s parked there.

The best we have is 5

[sferrin]

'sferrin' These Bee pilots can be slagged as much as you wish however are not all of them for the moment experienced? Nuggets do not get into the F-35 system YET. Context will be important in any statement about sorties from a ship. There is no context - except this one (vague as it is - 6 Bees on a WASP). How 'bout 6 Harriers on a WASP - ever been done? Probably when CarQual/ShipQuals or whatever the STOVLies call it - Op Testing for AV-8Bs? Dunno. I'll not get carried away.

That was sarcasm. For this kind of testing I would be surprised if they didn't have some of their more experienced (knowledgeable) pilots. I would think they would have a pretty good idea what they're talking about.

[spazsinbad]

I'll guess there will be a big fanfare when the first nuggets from ordinary training go through the F-35 School House to first flight. YES experienced pilots fly the F-35s at moment and for good reason. Meanwhile back at the ranch....

F-35B Wasp Tests
01 Jun 2015 John A. Tirpak

"​Six F-35Bs made a "highly successful" test aboard the USS Wasp amphibious assault ship during an eight-day evaluation that concluded Friday, said Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, USMC aviation chief. Speaking with reporters via telecom from a Joint Strike Fighter executive committee meeting in Norway, Davis said the six jets flew 85.5 hours, racking up 108 sorties. "We got 10 pilots qualified" in the F-35B for carrier takeoffs and landings, Davis said, noting that three were qualified for night operations.

Landing signal officers (LSOs) also were qualified, and some 91 marines received training in fixing and turning the F-35Bs and both "managing and measuring" their low observable features aboard ship. The things discovered were "little things … a part here or a tool there," but overall the test went "as expected," Davis reported.

A spare engine was apparently[?] flown out to the ship on an MV-22 fitted with a special "cradle to fit it inside," he said. "Thermion coatings" applied to the deck of the Wasp to make it more resilient against the heat of the vertical-landing F-35Bs exhaust, also "worked well," Davis said.

In addition, a deployable version of the Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) performed "very well," he said. Pentagon acquisition chief Frank Kendall during the same telecon said, "This tells you where the program is," reflecting "steady progress" and offering a glimpse of "the future of the program.""

Source: http://www.airforcemag.com/DRArchive/Pa ... Tests.aspx

[quicksilver]

It's easy to generate sorties when one aircraft type has the entire ship and everyones undivided attention for an OT period.

I'm sure that thought never occurred to the USMC pilot. He's probably a nugget who just graduated from training wheels.

Sarcasm noted. Now here's the rest of the reality for you --

About half-to-two thirds of the gents out there came from Hornet world; the rest from AV-8s. No nuggets. The Hornet guys were flying to/from/on/off of a big deck Gator for the first time, including the squadron CO.

Hornet guys have little/no reference for 'normal' when it comes to STOVL flight ops on an amphib. Where exactly would they have acquired experiential knowledge of such things? Their understanding of Harrier history is fragmented, anecdotal and often fraught with community folklore. The assumption is that Gators are just like CVNs except smaller; not so, and the differences are not even close. They won't fully appreciate the differences until they make a deployment somewhere, and that won't occur for a while.

They have heard the horror stories from their AV-8 squadron-mates about deploying aboard a big deck Gator for 6 mos and not getting to fly much. Lotsa reasons for that, not the least of which is that amphibs primary mission is not to generate strike sorties. Generally speaking, it is to transport, train and support multi-purpose amphibious forces across a wide range of missions and geographic locales. In practical terms that means that there are other priorities that often impede the ability to fly jets, including: time spent in port; other training priorities; necessary ship movement at odds with launch and recovery winds; risk aversion; and occasionally, personalities. Amphibs get stretched in lotsa different directions, and the resulting consequence is that those variables can result in a 100% difference in how much flying that jets do aboard amphibs. The other major piece is that the jets are a small part of the aviation component on board the ship (the MEU ACE). Thus, other priorities from within the ACE will similarly impose themselves on the already complex dynamics of operations aboard amphibs. That's the reality.

The good news is that a new aircraft and an injection of new eyes into the amphib environment will catalyze new thinking and help establish new capabilities and new norms. That will be good for the USMC, the USN and the US of A.

[sferrin]

It's easy to generate sorties when one aircraft type has the entire ship and everyones undivided attention for an OT period.

I'm sure that thought never occurred to the USMC pilot. He's probably a nugget who just graduated from training wheels.

Sarcasm noted. Now here's the rest of the reality for you --

About half-to-two thirds of the gents out there came from Hornet world; the rest from AV-8s. No nuggets. The Hornet guys were flying to/from/on/off of a big deck Gator for the first time, including the squadron CO.

Hornet guys have little/no reference for 'normal' when it comes to STOVL flight ops on an amphib. Where exactly would they have acquired experiential knowledge of such things?

So what you're saying is they're prone to spouting BS with no frame of reference? Doesn't sound very professional to me.

[quicksilver]

"So what you're saying is they're prone to spouting BS with no frame of reference? Doesn't sound very professional to me."

Oh c'mon...

They're voicing their belief based on what is limited knowledge. They dont know what they dont know...yet.

[spazsinbad]

Thanks for the overview 'QS'. To me I see a corollary for early deployment of A4Gs - only Four - out of a possible Eight (the rest back on training squadron plus two trainer aircraft not able to operate from HMAS Melbourne). Being FOUR on an otherwise ASW specialised carrier meant that we flew not as often for 'fleet defense'. Later when more A4Gs available for more missions, such as the more popularly known ship strike/AtoG, then EIGHT or MORE A4Gs onboard sometimes helped shift the thinking to a more capable - other than ASW only - carrier. These shifts in paradigm take time for sure; whilst the new eyes/thinking will make a huge difference to all F-35 ops over time. Go Navy or whatever - Go Gyrenes?

ALSO I think most journalists go for the 'sparkling' quote and for whatever reason (I could go nasty) they do not provide the context or the QUALIFYING further remarks pertinent to that SPARKLER (my dog is bigga than your dog etc....).

AND... the most memorable quote of my existence (told to a bunch of new middies at NAS Nowra by the CMDR Air in a meet and greet: "What you don't know you don't know - you don't know" boom boom. The context would be we had all been trained by the RAAF - who are noted NavAvers. Then we had to knuckle down to LEARN NavAv! AND... how to frickin' land using Opt AoA (or constant low airspeed just above stall in our old training jets) with the mirror and minimise the flare or HAVE NONE in the A4G/SeaVenom. Joy Oh Frabjous Jay.

[spazsinbad]

I can see some black exhaust impinging on the very used deck - but don't tell any reporters.

"https://www.dvidshub.net/image/1965619/uss-essex-operations "150525-N-IC565-025 PACIFIC OCEAN (May 25, 2015) An AV-8B Harrier from Marine Medium-lift Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 161 (Reinforced) prepares to land on the flight deck of Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2). (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Bradley J. Gee/Released)" https://www.dvidshub.net/download/image/1965619