Warship Cruise Ply The Waters Of Puget Sound On The Deck Of An Aircraft Carrier

Very few civilians are able to travel on a giant aircraft carrier, yet there we were aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, cruising along Puget Sound from Everett to Seattle.

Standing on the bow of this 1,092-foot-long ship was more than I expected; it was the thrill of a lifetime. And a similar experience is available again this year for anyone willing to plan ahead and buy a ticket.

My adventure started last August at Seattle’s annual Seafair celebration. My wife and I joined other visitors at 7 a.m. one morning near the Kingdome. Greeted by smiling teenagers - Seafair ambassadors from the Seattle Visitors Bureau - we checked in, received a brown-bag breakfast, then climbed aboard buses for a 45-minute drive to the Everett naval base.

We had a few minutes to wait before boarding the Abraham Lincoln, giving us time to absorb something of its enormity. From keel to mast, the nuclear-powered, $3 billion vessel is 24 stories tall, with the flight deck 60 feet above the water. The longer we strained our necks to take it all in, the smaller we seemed to become.

On board, we entered a cavernous hangar deck, which can hold 37 assorted aircraft including several helicopters, but which had been partially emptied of aircraft so breakfast could be served (paid for with our $52 tickets, not by taxpayers).

Anxious to explore the ship, we joined a group of eight visitors on an escorted tour. Any thoughts about roaming freely by ourselves were quickly forgotten as we traveled through a seemingly endless maze of cubicles, passageways and stairs. We scurried to keep up with our guide, fearing that once lost we might never be seen again.

As a pilot of a small airplane, I was particularly interested in the belowdeck traffic control centers that help the Navy pilots approach and land. Helping to bring those heavy flighters down a guide slope to a landing, night or day in virtually all weather conditions, is a complex responsibility, and the crew relished explaining to us how they did it. Oh to be 24 and winging onto a carrier deck at 150 knots!

We next toured the Combat Direction Center. As we seated ourselves, I asked if we could be told when the ship was preparing to leave dock, since I wanted to be topside. With a smile, our guide told us that the ship had departed 20 minutes earlier. None of us had detected any movement - no rolling, shuddering or throbbing of engines; no signs at all.

In the Combat Direction Center, radar plays a critical role. With the flip of a switch, the operator can track ships in the vicinity as well as communicate with other combat units around the world. And every aircraft that is launched from the carrier is painstakingly tracked throughout its mission.

We must have toured 30 different sections of the ship (there are 3,200 spaces and compartments), from sick bay to wardroom to kitchen.

Along the way, we glimpsed one of the giant 365-pound links on a chain that holds one of two 30-ton anchors.

At this point we understood why tour organizers suggest that anyone taking the tour should be at least 8 years old and in reasonable physical shape. The gangways are narrow, the steps are steep and the distance is significant.

Flight operations were suspended for the day, for obvious reasons - the deck of an aircraft carrier has been described as the most dangerous place to work in the world - but there were still fascinating things to see.

The ship normally runs into the wind at 20 knots when aircraft are launched. When one of the four 306-foot-long steam catapults launches a plane, the operator must know what type of aircraft and its weight so the exact propulsion can be pre-set. The objective is to have the aircraft attain a minimum air speed of 150 knots, (135 knots flying speed with a 15-knot cushion). Maximum launch capability is 59,000 pounds, and the ship can launch a plane ever 30 seconds.

Just as important is the correct setting of the arresting gear for the type and weight of each plane as it lands at up to 130 knots, with the arresting cables bringing it to a full stop in less than 400 feet. Just as the plane touches down, the pilot applies full power so that if the arresting hook - on one of four cables, each 1.375 inches thick - misses, the plane can resume flying.

After our two-hour tour, we had lunch in the hangar deck, then went topside to the four-acre flight deck. As we looked at the F-14 Tomcats, A-6E Intruders and EA-68 Prowlers tightly chained to the deck, sailors readily answered our questions. They also proudly explained that many of the aircraft we were inspecting had been a part of the Abraham Lincoln’s missions in Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Somalia.

With its 100,000-ton displacement, up to 90 aircraft and a complement of 5,500 sailors and Marines, plus four million gallons of jet fuel, the ship is said to be capable of better than 40 knots (46 miles per hour) and can to operate independently for 90 days with its two nuclear engines.

With the wind in our faces, we watched the ship maneuver into the port of Seattle. A tiny (by comparison) tugboat came alongside, then moved in front of the Abe Lincoln and disappeared. We thought it must have been swallowed and sent to a watery grave, but by standing on the very front edge of the deck and looking straight down, we could barely see its bow.

The tug was one of three assisting the behemoth. Welcoming the carrier was a fire boat spraying huge plumes of water into the sunny blue sky.

Watching a carrier approach port is impressive indeed. Sailors dressed in white stand straight, proud and tall, outlining the rails of the ship.

How the Navy manages to pull together all those people, all that hardware and all that complex machinery to work so effectively is awesome to behold.

If you have an opportunity to visit Seattle this summer during the annual Seafair festival, you would be well rewarded with one of these carrier tours (though the deadline for reservations is July 17, so act fast). Similar tours are available on other ships, but for us, touring one of the largest warships in the world was something we will long remember.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: IF YOU GO Six ships will offer tours and cruises this year on Aug. 2: the USS Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier; the Aegis cruiser USS Cowpens; the Navy destroyers USS David R. Ray and USS Oldendorf, accompanied by the Coast Guard high endurance cutter Chase; and the NOAA research vessel Surveyor. Depending on the cruise selected, prices range from $27.50 to $52 per person for adults and $20 to $40 for students 8 to 18 (none of the money goes to the government). The minimum age is 8. Embarkation points for the Navy and Coast Guard ships are Everett or Indian Island (just southeast of Port Townsend). The NOAA ship departing from Lake Union in Seattle. Applications for the cruise may be obtained by phoning the Seafair office at (206) 728-0123, extension 213. The application deadline is July 17. Seafair dates this year are July 14 through August 6. Other events during the festival include an air show, hydroplane race, torchlight parade, torchlight run and a grand balloon parade. FOR MORE INFORMATION: For general information about Seafair, call (206) 728-0123. For information on sights and events in the Seattle area, phone the Seattle-King County Visitors and Convention Bureau, (206) 461-5840. For hotel reservation service, call (800) 535-7071.