Got an email from a high-school surfer buddy of mine (surf related) who's a fighter pilot on an aircraft carrier. Here's his email below. Catch a wave for him if you can.
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Yoooooo Brian,
Greetings from the aircraft carrier ------. We are quickly pressing to somewhere warm and where combat is now a certainty. This was after a four day respite in Waikiki. I paddled out at "Pops" on the south shore on a 9.0, and humbly tried to catch a few lefts amongst the locals. It was great and made me wish I was out in the line up with you all.
I just got back from a 3.5 hour night SSC (surface search and control) and recovery tanker hop. Strong starboard winds were pulling alot of guys into "the ace" (the one wire- that's bad) or they were overreacting to the winds and boltering (missing all the wires) when landing. A couple of F-18s were low state (very low on fuel) so we had to hawk them (fly a race track pattern and time it such that I'm at their two o clock position if they
bolter and tank 'em if necessary). Not so hard in the day, but at night with T-storm clouds all around made it a bit of a challenge. I was a little beat prior to the night recovery, but my pass (landing) wasn't too bad. Thank God for a moon and a discernable horizon. The boat is now on a mad dash for bad guy country.
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Yoooooo Brian,
Greetings from the aircraft carrier ------. We are quickly pressing to somewhere warm and where combat is now a certainty. This was after a four day respite in Waikiki. I paddled out at "Pops" on the south shore on a 9.0, and humbly tried to catch a few lefts amongst the locals. It was great and made me wish I was out in the line up with you all.
I just got back from a 3.5 hour night SSC (surface search and control) and recovery tanker hop. Strong starboard winds were pulling alot of guys into "the ace" (the one wire- that's bad) or they were overreacting to the winds and boltering (missing all the wires) when landing. A couple of F-18s were low state (very low on fuel) so we had to hawk them (fly a race track pattern and time it such that I'm at their two o clock position if they
bolter and tank 'em if necessary). Not so hard in the day, but at night with T-storm clouds all around made it a bit of a challenge. I was a little beat prior to the night recovery, but my pass (landing) wasn't too bad. Thank God for a moon and a discernable horizon. The boat is now on a mad dash for bad guy country.
