USS Ronald Reagan Pics

[whynott]

I am surprised no-one has posted any pics yet of this little old warship.
It would be good to see some.
Cheers,
Graham.

[craig308]

that would be good to see.there has not even been a report
about the visit on the tv news down here in victoira.
would not have know about it if not for the reports here.
cheers craig

[Freeeedom]

I drove down to Myrtletown for a shore based look yesterday about 9.30am. Couldn't believe it! On this dirt track down by the river were about 10 police, including mounted police, with a tent and barriers and there was even a Mr Whippy van. They were stopping traffic and making spectators walk the last hundred metres or so for a decent look. There must have been several hundred people at least and there was an endless stream of cars coming and going. Here's a composite pic I took from across the river. If the forecast's OK I'll go out tomorrow and watch it leave from the boat. Does anyone know its sailing time?
Cheers Freeeedom

[CHRIS_aka_GWH]

its impressive - where's the live bait tank though?



... and there was even a Mr Whippy van. ...

i'm surprised a known biological weapon was allowed that close !

[DICER]

is that the tangalooma flyer in the foreground?

nice picture!

[Navi]

is that the tangalooma flyer in the foreground?

nice picture!


thats the queensland police boat .

cheers Chris 8-)

[Navi]

heres a site that has pics of it ...none from here but...
http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/76.htm

and here is some statt's from the page
Class: NIMITZ

As built: Displacement: 77,600+ tons (98,235+ fl) — Dimensions: 1,040' wl (1,092' oa) x 134' (252' fd) x 37' / 317 wl (332.8 oa) x 40.8 (76.8 fd) x 11.3 meters — Armor: unknown — Power plant: 2 A4W nuclear reactors, 4 steam turbines, 4 screws; 260,000+ shp (*) — Speed: 30+ knots — Endurance: 1.5 million nm @ 20 knots (*) — Armament: Two Mk.29 8-cell NATO Sea Sparrow launchers; two 21-cell RAM launchers — Radar: SPS-48E 3D air search; SPS-49A(V)1 2D air search; SPS-67(V) surface search; Mk.23 target acquisition; SPN-43B and 2 SPN-46 air traffic control; SPN-44A landing aid — Fire control: 3 Mk.91 NSSM systems with Mk.95 radars — EW: SLQ-32(V)4 active jamming/deception; WLR-1H ESM; Mk.36 SRBOC decoy; SLQ-25A Nixie decoy — Aircraft: 80+ — Aviation facilities: 4 elevators; 4 steam catapults — Crew: 5,700-5,900


cheers Chris 8-)

[Freeeedom]

I was interested to see a platform behind the stern of the carrier on which were mounted four water cannon, that were constantly spraying jets of water into the river. At least two of these are visible in the picture. In this detail from another picture you can see all four, plus another two from a tugboat moored behind the carrier. These were not static but were sweeping backwards and forwards across the water. Whether they were there as a warning to any protestors or had some other purpose I'm not sure
Cheers Freeeedom

[nonibbles]

Didn't Brisbane declare itself a nuclear free zone last century? Isn't that valued anymore. Still, a VERY impressive ship.

[HarryO]

... and there was even a Mr Whippy van. ...

i'm surprised a known biological weapon was allowed that close ![/quote]

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

THANKS...

Adds a new perspective to germ warfare, hey..

Shout 'em an icecream, that'll get 'em on the run!

[BENJI]

This is just a tinny

[Dug]

Interesting to think that there are waves out there that could potentially sink this!

I believe one of the Nimitz class has actually come close in the Atlantic with a wave breaking onto the flight deck.


I am not particularly happy about having a load of Nukes parked in Brisbane. She would be nuclear armed or the naming of her Ronald Reagan there are so many presidents with far better records who remain unhonored.

[Dug]

PS did anyone watch Submariners on SBS last night ?

The Rim-pac war-games, last one the Australian Collins class sub sank a US carrier.

This has happened quite often in Aust v US war-games in the past, so the Yanks changed the rules so we could not get close to the fleet flagship.

It would be too embarrassing to have it sunk again.

[wetnwild11]

Hey Wunda wat sort of fishfinder they use :-?

[Poseidon]

Awesome ship.....headed down to have a look today at around 11am, big mistake, the traffic was at a crawl from Meandah , took about 40 minutes to get the end of the road.

A 10 minute walk and there she was. amazing looking vessel.

Just goes to show peoples curiosity with these ships, half of Brisbane seemed to be there today having a look.

On the way out the police had closed access to traffic from around Meandah, too many cars all idling in the midday sun.

Its well worth a look if you have the chance.

[theoldlegend]

Actually went on a tour of it this morning. Didn't know anything about it until I showed up for my volunteer stuff and was asked if I wanted to go, so I had no camera, no nothing.

Was a bit disappointed at the size of it until we got inside it and boy, it's big !! Once your escort gets you past the 2 marines with side arms and shotguns, you enter the hangar under the flight deck where you are directed to the merchandise area, so I bought a baseball cap. The caps have all different levels of gold braid on them, so I got a cap with the most braid on it for $23. There are T shirts, badges, all sorts of stuff.

After a tour of the hangar that has planes, fuel tanks, bomb racks, rocket rails, mobile cranes, even a gatling gun was on display,we went up to the flight deck via a huge lift that gets the planes from the hangar to the flight deck. Talk about your guts hitting your bum when that lift goes up !! It's about 60 feet up to the flight deck and we went on a tour up there and saw various FA 18's and all sorts of other stuff. There were machine guns set up on all four corners of the flight deck, plus another one about midships on the wharf side.

Don't know where the crew are housed, but can only guess they stay under the hangar. We were told there are Mcdonalds, Hungry Jack's and KFC franchises on board.

We were shown the catapults and the arresting wires and just generally walked around, looking inside the cockpits of the different planes up there and talking to pilots. We couldn't get into the bridge area where the captain and all that mob are, because the groups in front of us were so slow, so we went down on the lift, only this time your guts come out your throat when it drops.

When you leave, you have to go via tents where there's a pizza mob, a Mr Whippy ice cream van, a money changing area and a beer tent. The ship's company just seem to have to flash an identity card at the marines when they board the ship.

All in all, not a bad tour, but I wouldn't have minded seeing inside the bridge area, and all I've got to show for it is a baseball cap. My fishing mate's going to be really pissed when he sees it.

TOL

[bushbeachboy]

That looks like a nice fishing boat. I wonder if the Boating & Fisheries would do a spot check on your safety kit?

[redspeckle]

From bushbeachboy
That looks like a nice fishing boat. I wonder if the Boating & Fisheries would do a spot check on your safety kit?

Yeah I can't see those's Boat regos numbers ::) in the first photo that's
police boat back in to me last month
Good onya getting a chance to go aboard there theoldlegend checking it out I am green with envy now [smiley=cry.gif]
Mitch

[theoldlegend]

Hi Mitch,

The Wynnum Police station traditionally looks after all visiting US warships; protocol and all that stuff. The senior sergeant at Wynnum was airlifted onto the carrier when it was around Caloundra on the way in.

The ship's captain then presents the station with a plaque of the ship. The senior sergeant's office walls are covered with them.

I'm really disappointed that I didn't have a camera with me though. Next time I'll be prepared.

TOL

[craig308]

thank for the photos guys
looks impressive.
cheers craig

[whynott]

It leaves around 8 am this morning and will pass Caloundra around 10.30/11.
Cheers ,
Graham.

[Bream_Reaper01]

Food for thought,there's more planes on that 1 ship than we have in our entire airforce,I also beleive there's more people on that ship than we have actual frontline(reg army) soldiers.Very worrying.

[DICER]

its an atomic burley muncher with burley canons out the back....

when did brisbane city have two nuclear reactors?

[thumps]

Food for thought,there's more planes on that 1 ship than we have in our entire airforce,I also beleive there's more people on that ship than we have actual frontline(reg army) soldiers.Very worrying.




RUBBISH

[stingermuz]

It leaves around 8 am this morning and will pass Caloundra around 10.30/11.
Cheers ,
Graham.

OUt off my local beach sometime the day after next then?

What a sight - nice piccies guys, thanks.

Muz.

[Bosunsmate]

Flamin septic tank....over paid, over dressed, over sexed and over friggin here.....send em back never to return..!!!!!

Gawd I hate yanks.......... Aushfishers excepted of course

[Seamus]

Navi,

SOme awesome pics on that link you provided - esp. liked the heavy sea pic with the bow being shoved hard, and the high speed run. Anyone like to give a top speed guess? I reckon ball park 30 knots.

Wonder how many cars you could make with the steel in it?

Seamus

[raefpud]

god please forbid they ever let a boat called the USS George bush into our waters >:(

[fisher28]

something that i dont get is the exclusion zone,we have had warships and subs in the past and we were always allowed up to the yellow bouys for a look.those bouys were supposed to mark the start of the exclusion zone whereas if you go anywhere remotely near them you get hunted away,and also isnt it illegal to tie to beacons and bouys,or does that rule not go for fishos and police?very jelouse about the cap!!!

[Hoges]

Navi,

SOme awesome pics on that link you provided - esp. liked the heavy sea pic with the bow being shoved hard, and the high speed run. Anyone like to give a top speed guess? I reckon ball park 30 knots.
Seamus

A couple of years ago I was visiting an Aussie mate in San Diego, California and viewed a model of a Aircraft carrier in a museum. (Can't remember the name of either)
Anyway later that day whilst have a beer in the local bar (Nunus, can remember that. lol) I was telling an ex navy officer how amazed I was that this massive machine could do 35 knots. He said that is what they tell us but unofficially it could and has done 52 knots given the right conditions. Bloody hell guys breakout the water skis. LOL
::)
Don't know if he was serious or not but maybe some ex navy people here might have some idea.

Could have been this one...

Enterprise

CVA(N)-65


Displacement: 85,600 t. (full load)
Length: 1,101'
Beam: 133'
Extreme Width: 252'
Draft: 35'
Speed: 30+ k.
Complement: 4,600
Class: Enterprise

The eighth Enterprise (CVA(N)-65), the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, was launched 24 September 1960 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, Va., sponsored by Mrs. W. B. Franke, wife of the Secretary of the Navy; and commissioned 26 November 1961, Captain V. P. de Poix, in command.

After commissioning, Enterprise began a lengthy series of tests and training exercises, designed to determine the full capabilities of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Immediately her superlative characteristics and performance became obviou s. She began flight operations on 17 January 1962, when an F8U "Crusader" became the first airplane to land on board her giant flight deck. The same aircraft later became the first plane to be catapulted from Enterprise. One month later, on 20 F ebruary 1962, the nuclear-powered carrier played a role in the space age when Enterprise acted as a tracking and measuring station for the epochal flight of Friendship 7, the "Project Mercury" space capsule in which Lieutenant Colonel John H. Glenn , Jr, USMC made the United States' first orbital space flight. The career of the eighth Enterprise had started well.
http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/carriers/

[theoldlegend]

Just a bit more about the tour of the USS Ronald Reagan. Ran into an acquaintance this morning who told me he and a mate were shown through a restricted area yesterday and they started taking photos.

He said that suddenly two marines with shotguns and sidearms appeared and politely requested that they hand over their cameras forthwith and were also politely requested to leave the restricted area immediately and to wait outside until their cameras were returned to them.

Apparently there was no drama, they were very polite, yes Sir, no Sir, three bags full Sir, but just leave your cameras with us if you please Sir.

Fisher28:

Mate, the only evidence I have that I was there is the cap. Being a bit of mug lair, as I said, I went for the one with the most gold braid on the visor. I look like a friggin Rear Admiral !! Or should I say, Rear Admiral (Ret). Wont improve the catch at Iluka, but by Christ I'll look impressive !!

TOL

[thumps]

stop braggin ya ole fart :P

i did three tours of the Enterprise when she was in Tassie

never got a bloody hat either...so stink ya self lucky ;) ;) ;) ;)

[nonibbles]

And now for something real funny (from courier mail)...

Jellyfish take on nuclear warship
From: #By Jason Gregory
January 27, 2006

THE USS Ronald Reagan can single-handedly take on a nation's armed forces but met its match in Moreton Bay's jellyfish.

The slimy invertebrates were being sucked into the 97,000 tonne ship at such a rate generators were constantly switched over and local fire crews placed on stand-by as the creatures disabled full on-board capacities.
In June 2004 a P&O cruise liner was stranded in Brisbane after a school of jellyfish also blocked the engines' water intake vent.

The world's largest aircraft carrier was due to leave Brisbane at 8am today after the 6000 crew enjoyed five days of shore leave.

The jellyfish have exposed the giant ship's weakness, a humble button, screw or piece of litter can bring the 332-metre behemoth to a standstill.

Under the FOD, or foreign object damage protocol, any alien object can ruin the ship's intricate workings or endanger the take-off or landing of one of the ship's 80 fighter planes.

So a general alert is activated for an all-hands-on-deck search, in the form of an emu parade, to ensure safety.
"It is really dangerous and everything is taken very seriously. If something is lost we call the whole crew up and make sure the ship is super clean," Photographic Mate Second Class (Air Warfare) Christopher Brown, 29, said.

PM2 Brown said the culture of the US Navy was for everything to be "clean and squared away".

Once a day the entire crew stop for an hour to scrub the already bleached white decks and bulkheads of the ship.

Every available space on board is used, the Reagan is huge but it is also home to about 6000 people.

"New sailors get lost, it is a city on the water after all. It takes a little bit to get used to and it is overwhelming for the new sailors when they come on board but we all help each other," PM2 Brown said.

Colour-coded maps are displayed on the walls in an effort to help people find their way.

Private space is at a premium and given the cramped conditions of the sleeping dorm, friendliness is a must.

The tiny rooms sleep 21 and bunks are slightly over 2m long and have only about 90cm between the mattresses.

"When you have only a little bit of space you cherish it. We pretty much live without any privacy. You get to know hundreds of people here.

"Even though it is a big place, when it is out to sea it can get pretty small," PM2 Brown said.

The ship is a fully-functional city with its own currency designed to be used at vending machines selling peanut butter crackers and US confectionery, a post office and mini-supermarket.

There is also a medical operating theatre and a television and radio station.

Most on board work a 12-hour shift and have short breaks for dinner and lunch.

Most meals feature various meats, potato chips, cold salads and fruit.

A special kitchen in the bow of the ship serves only pizza, hamburgers and hot dogs.

In their spare time sailors hit the gym or the rack (bed), play cards or chess or watch a movie, many of which have only just been released in US cinemas.

In some ways it is a tale of two cities. While the non-commissioned sailors eat and play en masse, the commissioned sailors, or "khakis and anchors" squad, eat succulent meals in a diner and have separate, larger living quarters.

But the coffee is a shared passion. "Starbucks, it's all over the ship, we love it."

PM2 Brown has spent three years on the USS Ronald Reagan but he says he is "still in awe sometimes, like a kid watching Top Gun".

It is set to be at sea for seven months after leaving Brisbane.

And, just like in the movies, the pilots with nicknames such as Spill, Pyle, Animal, Bone Dry and Hole, are the most revered residents of the floating metropolis.

[Bosunsmate]

[quote author=Seamus link=1138217354/15#26 date=1138329295]Navi,

I was that this massive machine could do 35 knots. He said that is what they tell us but unofficially it could and has done 52 knots given the right conditions. Bloody hell guys breakout the water skis. LOL
::)
Don't know if he was serious or not but maybe some ex navy people here might have some idea.



Had an ex navy buddy who had pics of his water skiing behind several aussie warships.....he also had a cat skin that was the ships cat for many years...... Would not have believed him without the pics, which were pre digital....polaroid I believe from memory.

[dynamicspot]

Isn,t it nice to know they dumped there rubbish in our waters of moreton island lovely people MAKES YOU WONDER

Cheers

Greg

THE LINK :http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/

[Sportfish_5]

Wow - if it is in the Sunshine Coast Daily it MUST be true ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[dynamicspot]

read it

Cheers


Greg

[dynamicspot]

bump

[Dug]

US navy policy used to be Chuck your garbage into the sea it's OK no one will notice.

I don't know what it is now but it looks like it has not changed.

I hope they throw the book at them [smiley=angryfire.gif] a $1.3 million dollar fine would be a nice start.



Aircraft carrier in hot water over garbage


28.01.2006
By REBECCA MARSHALL THE USS Ronald Reagan may have departed Australian waters, but it has left a sea of controversy in its wake.
The US Navy aircraft carrier has landed in hot water after a Sunshine Coast fisherman hauled in a sack of garbage which appears to have come from the giant ship.

Ironically, the rubbish includes a piece of paper outlining the US Navy’s rubbish-dumping policy.

Prawn trawler operator Aaron Pringle scooped up the hessian sack, which was one of six he saw floating in the ocean, about one nautical mile off Moreton Island on Thursday morning.

He said he was convinced the sack, which weighed about 5kg, was the property of the nuclear-powered ship, because among the plastics he discovered inside was a piece of paper that stated: “Underway trash disposal, per Navy policy and (the) USS Ronald Reagan commitment to protecting the environment.




”
“I’ve found some funny things at sea over the years but this one takes the cake,” Mr Pringle said.

“They reckon it costs millions per day to run it (the ship), but they should spend a bit more and do it properly.

The laws are that strict for us in the commercial fishing industry and we try and abide by them as best we can; so should they. It’s a joke.”

Mr Pringle, who has 18 years experience on a prawn trawler, said the hessian sack was wired shut and marked “Product of El Salvador”.

“We pulled it up on board and opened it up and there were all these plastics inside,” he said.

“There’s drink bottles, knives, forks, plastic wrappers and coffee cups, as well as some papers.”

He was shocked when he saw mention of the USS Ronald Reagan on papers in the sack.

“I’d say it’s been packed in a big brown bag to be disposed of onboard but it’s gone over the side instead. Some things can be washed overboard when the weather gets rough, but that’s on my boat, not on an aircraft carrier of this size,” he said.

A Queensland Transport spokesperson said Australian maritime laws were in place to stop the dumping of any materials into waterways.

“Whether your boat is large or small, it is an offence to deliberately discharge garbage into Queensland’s coastal waters,” the spokesperson said.

Maximum penalties include $262,500 for an individual or $1.3 million for a corporation.

US Navy personnel on board the ship were unable to respond to repeated requests for an interview yesterday.

[longtail]

Food for thought,there's more planes on that 1 ship than we have in our entire airforce,I also beleive there's more people on that #ship than we have actual frontline(reg army) soldiers.Very worrying.




RUBBISH


thumps , he's not far from the truth , when you consider how many troops we have ready for short notice deployment. almost half of our spec forces are already on deployment. and to add to this johnny took all our guns off us >:(

if we get attacked , we are in trouble.

jason

[-Henno-]

In 1988 I was serving in the RAN and got to do some pretty cool stuff with big warships. I landed in a navy Wessex chopper on the aft flight deck of the USS Missouri and as we did so staired straight down the barrels of those bloody big guns. Remember the ones that Cher was sitting on in that music clip?

They had just done a big broadside firing for the cameras out to sea for all the aussie media cameras so all the red caps were still off the ends. I missed that but landed on it about 45 mins later. The rifling on the barrels you could put your fist into. Capable of slinging a bullet that weighed as much as a VW beetle over the horizon with a small nuke in it.

The next week my squadron visited the USS Midway. Which was decomissioned and then shaved with. It's full compliment was less than a thousand people less than the total of the RAN at that time. I kinda took a wrong turn while they were walking us around and lost my squadron. You know you are on a big boat when you can lose a squadron of 60 of ya mates! I went up a few decks of the tower and found the coolest binoculars you could imagine. I whacked off the dust covers at both ends and had a little peep. From the middle of the harbour I could read number plates on cars crossing the sydney harbour bridge.

Oh yeah the other thing of note was an African American maintenance sailor on the fwd flight deck trying to sell me and some mates, when i found em again, this chewing drug like beetlenut. Their skippers kind of turned a blind eye to it as all their ships are dry, whereas the adage in the RAN always used to be 2 cans per man per day per haps.

[-Henno-]

Oops, no I tell a lie. It was the Nimitz class carriers that had a full compliment of just under our entire navy. The Midway was a smaller carrier than that class but still bloody big.

[inspired]

see they lost a air craft 400k off the coast tonight on the news

[subzero]

Inspired, the plane probably had a flat battery... those yanks will throw anything away once they think it's broken
;) ;D ;D

[Bream_Reaper01]

Thumps,i was close in what i said,although i can't find the link now as to how many of the 71 F/A18's are actually operational.From mates in the forces it's no where near the 71 we have.

http://www.defence.gov.au/raaf/organisation/technology/aircraft/f111.htm
http://www.defence.gov.au/raaf/organisation/technology/aircraft/hornet.htm