The Scale Of Aircraft Carrier Maintenance Is Ridiculous

[rangerrebew]

The Scale Of Aircraft Carrier Maintenance Is Ridiculous
Andrew P Collins
Thursday 4:35pmFiled to: Aircraft Carriers
70.4K
95
11
Person, for scale, on the stairs. (Photo Credits: Daily Documentary/YouTube)

The Nimitz, deployed in 1975, is the oldest U.S. Navy aircraft carrier in service today. Just keeping a small boat alive in salt water that long takes some work, but when the ship is over 1,000 feet long the scale of maintained projects is just incredible.

This clip from the show Dry Dock takes us through just a few elements of a year-long maintenance regiment that the U.S.S. Nimitz was put through a few years ago before returning to duty. When it is active, the ship is home to over 3,000 servicemen and women and some 60 aircraft.

With a 134 foot beam, that’s the ship’s widest point at the waterline, the Nimitz pushes about 97,000 tons of water out of its way with propellors the size of suburban houses.

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/the-scale-of-aircraft-carrier-maintenance-is-ridiculous-1787764141

[rangerrebew]

This was, and maybe still is, called SFOMS (Ship's Force Overhaul Maintenance System) though the crew knew it as (Someone's F*cking Over My Ship).  As a rule of thumb we figured when the weight of the paperwork equaled they weight of the ship, the yard period was finished.

[EC]

Ha! Sounds familiar.

I still straight up can't get my mind around just how BIG your babies are. 

[rangerrebew]

Ha! Sounds familiar.

I still straight up can't get my mind around just how BIG your babies are. 

The ship I was on, the USS Ranger, had 4  twenty four foot screws, drew 32 feet at the bow and 36 feet on the stern, 73,000 tons, and still go over 40 knots.  Unfortunately, it is on razor blade duty now.

[Major Confusion]

The ship I was on, the USS Ranger, had 4  twenty four foot screws, drew 32 feet at the bow and 36 feet on the stern, 73,000 tons, and still go over 40 knots.  Unfortunately, it is on razor blade duty now.

That's a lot of razor blades.  Thank you for your service!

[skeeter]

The Scale Of Aircraft Carrier Maintenance Is Ridiculous
Andrew P Collins
Thursday 4:35pmFiled to: Aircraft Carriers
70.4K
95
11
Person, for scale, on the stairs. (Photo Credits: Daily Documentary/YouTube)

The Nimitz, deployed in 1975, is the oldest U.S. Navy aircraft carrier in service today. Just keeping a small boat alive in salt water that long takes some work, but when the ship is over 1,000 feet long the scale of maintained projects is just incredible.

This clip from the show Dry Dock takes us through just a few elements of a year-long maintenance regiment that the U.S.S. Nimitz was put through a few years ago before returning to duty. When it is active, the ship is home to over 3,000 servicemen and women and some 60 aircraft.

With a 134 foot beam, that’s the ship’s widest point at the waterline, the Nimitz pushes about 97,000 tons of water out of its way with propellors the size of suburban houses.

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/the-scale-of-aircraft-carrier-maintenance-is-ridiculous-1787764141

Watched the whole thing. These hundred thousand ton machines are amazing.