Yes...I got my helmet turned around sideways on my head the first time I had the opportunity to stand in the catwalk next to the waist cat during a launch cycle during my Plane Captain rotation.
One of our planes (an A-7) took off, and nobody really ducked or anything. So when a Prowler came up and wound up, I was so astonished at the noise level (Prowlers and the A-6) have unusual noise frequencies in there that other planes don’t seem to have, and they are nearly painful to the ear, even through the ear protection.
I was so zoned in on the noise (probably standing there erect with my mouth wide open) that when the signal to launch was given and everyone ducked, I was the only head sticking straight up, looking for all the world like a groundhog sticking its head out of its hole in the ground on a cloudy day.
When the plane shot off, I got a full face of exhaust, ripped my goggles off and turned my headgear sideways on my face. There were many knowing and grinning faces of ridicule as I sheepishly put my head back together trying to look like it was no big deal, but it was.
I didn’t even think that was possible to have the helmet ripped around like that, I thought I had it strapped down snugly and everything. I learned that lesson that day, for sure.
If the deck was wet, you’d get a nice, cool spritzing of JP-5 , oil , etc./ s
Another EA-6B incident. Where there were ladders and /or light lockers, a big heavy piece of channel iron was bolted to the scupper to allow a solid surface to make the transistion from the flight deck to the ladder/light locker. Someone had failed to bolt one of those down. EA-6B launched, the jet blast picked up this channel iron, aprox 3 feet long, and chucked it up and over # 4 JBD , it sailed clear over the LSO platform into the sea.
A bit of chatter over the radio about that, lol.