The Down Range Forum

Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: Timothy on July 22, 2017, 10:47:15 AM

Title: Fair Winds & Following Seas!
Post by: Timothy on July 22, 2017, 10:47:15 AM
Welcoming the USS Gerald R. Ford CVN-78 to the United States Naval Fleet!

God Bless and God Speed!

Non Sibi Sed Patriae!

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170722/7b31f33120267b82ea12bb7e8e842e2a.png)
Title: Re: Fair Winds & Following Seas!
Post by: Big Frank on July 22, 2017, 05:11:20 PM
A navy ship named after a navy vet and the only president from Michigan. I'm on board with that.   ;)  Aren't you originally from the Grand Rapids area where he grew up?
Title: Fair Winds & Following Seas!
Post by: Timothy on July 22, 2017, 05:14:14 PM
I am!

Still miss it terribly but I got a shot of the hometown in 2015 for a mad dash to my 40th reunion..great friends, the greatest people, my big brother, Founders beer, not much more can top that!

One of my fav teachers married Ford's niece back in the 60's.  That guy is still teaching today after 54 years!
Title: Re: Fair Winds & Following Seas!
Post by: Rastus on July 22, 2017, 06:03:08 PM
Be fair you guys!

They also launched the USS Obama.


You know...fair and balanced and all that stuff too......


(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ge-CoTjB448/TZAtZiwQzfI/AAAAAAAAGzA/FKlhUHulY2g/s1600/USS+Barack+Obama.jpg)
Title: Re: Fair Winds & Following Seas!
Post by: Timothy on July 22, 2017, 06:12:35 PM
Funny!

The USS GR Ford contract was awarded before the ass was elected!  Glad he did not cancel the contract!  Newport News builds the finest carriers on the planet just as Groton builds the best submarines!

Go Navy!
Title: Re: Fair Winds & Following Seas!
Post by: Rastus on July 23, 2017, 06:50:45 AM
I'm glad it was completed also.  I worry, however, about survivability.  I'm liking the robot ships that DARPA is testing right now.  I would not be surprised if in the future a fleet of those went in first to take out threats for the main battle fleet.  I also like the charged energy weapons...something like that will be needed to keep the nukes from detonating too close.
Title: Re: Fair Winds & Following Seas!
Post by: MikeBjerum on July 23, 2017, 08:59:14 AM
Be fair you guys!

They also launched the USS Obama.


You know...fair and balanced and all that stuff too......


(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ge-CoTjB448/TZAtZiwQzfI/AAAAAAAAGzA/FKlhUHulY2g/s1600/USS+Barack+Obama.jpg)

I saw that!  Wasn't it nice of the Coast Guard to loan them that old outboard to get out of harbor until the Solindra batteries charged and the winds got the turbine spinning?
Title: Re: Fair Winds & Following Seas!
Post by: les snyder on July 23, 2017, 11:45:30 AM
I occasionally needed to work with the USS Oriskany and USS Constellation when they were operational in the Gulf of Tonkin... the USS Enterprise, on the other hand, would come into Sasebo, Japan, and you swabbies would strip the shelves off the Base Exchange like a plague of locust...not to mention driving up the cost of a beer  at Olongopo and Hong Kong and other ports of call... it is hard to comprehend the size and number of sailors on one of those things....
Title: Re: Fair Winds & Following Seas!
Post by: Rastus on July 23, 2017, 11:52:23 AM
I understand the Gerald Ford will have 600 fewer sailors than previous Nimitz class.
Title: Re: Fair Winds & Following Seas!
Post by: Jim Kennedy-ar154me on July 24, 2017, 08:27:47 AM
I understand the Gerald Ford will have 600 fewer sailors than previous Nimitz class.

I heard the total ships compliment was around 4600.
Title: Re: Fair Winds & Following Seas!
Post by: tombogan03884 on July 24, 2017, 12:50:45 PM
I think you are seeing the last generation of manned combat aircraft.
Current engineering can build aircraft that could kill the pilot simply by the violence of their radical maneuvering.
Drone technology and computer guidance are making it more feasible to remove the weak human link in the system Within 20 years or less our "Naval aviators" will never leave Norfork, or San Diego.