Pilot: Flying Bush was 'just awesome'

usatoday.com ^ | 2/05/03

[Jakarta ex-pat]

Navy pilot John "Skip" Lussier has made hundreds of aircraft carrier landings but none like his pressure-filled touchdown on the USS Abraham Lincoln with President Bush in the cockpit.

"The pressure was ratcheted up just a little bit, but I tried not to think about it," Lussier said Friday on ABC's Good Morning America. "I just wanted to focus on it as a mission and make sure I got the president aboard safely."

[NEWwoman]

Reminds me of the movie "Independence Day" when the President of the United State flew a fighter (I know Bush did not fly a fighter but a transprot). It was moving, none the less.

[george wythe]

The cables are numbered 4,3,2,1. The numbers start with 4 from the first cable at the approach end of the carrier and go down to 1.

Thank you for the clarification.

Maybe the NYT will post a correction later this week in very fine print

[N. Theknow]

You forgot to mention that he would have found a pile of stones on the flight deck to fashion in the shape of a cross for the KIA's in Iraq.

While shedding the requisite tear, of course.

....and biting his lip, of course.

[mass55th]

I've been told by those, who I guess are in the know, that apparently Fox's John Scott was not correct. You might want to read some of the other postings for clarification.

[TracyPA]

I heard yesterday that President Bush had to take some underwater survival training before his flight. Can you picture if Clinton did this? Stuffing tubbo into a cockpit simulator filled with water!!!LOL

[firewalk]

bttt

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

No, you are wrong, the three wire is preferred not the two wire and please point out the errors I made on a thread yesterday. Full power is applied as soon as the mains touch down not after the cable is snagged. If you wait to sense the tug of the cable before applying power you may end up in the drink.

[antaresequity]

On the landing, a tailhook on the back of the plane caught the last of four steel arresting cables stretched across the moving carrier. The cables stop the aircraft within 350 feet, subjecting passengers to twice the force of gravity, or two G's. Ideally planes are caught by the second cable.

The media never gets this right. The "Ideal" wire is the third wire. And I watched the replays...they hooked the third wire from what I could tell.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

I did. If you were paying attention to all my posts you would have known that, putz. You're on quite a roll Einstein, any other ignorant remarks you want to make?

To: kattracks

"He'll be coming down onto an area the size of a football field at 130 mph with the after-burners going," said Jim Buren, a 30-year Navy veteran with the Virginia-based Flight Safety Foundation. "That's quite an experience."

Another ignorant, retired, armchair, military expert. S-3s are not equipped with afterburners.

36 posted on 05/01/2003 6:53 AM PDT by SMEDLEYBUTLER
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[El Gato]

(I know Bush did not fly a fighter but a transprot).

The S-3 is not a transport. Only four seats and no cargo area. It was orginally designed as an anti-submarine aircraft, with some anti-surface ship capabilites. It's not a "fighter", but it is a fighting aircraft. Carried depth bombs and torpedoes. Think of it as an anti-submarine bomber. Now it also can carry aux "buddy" refueling tanks to allow it to refuel other aircraft (probe and drouge type system). It also can be armed with Maverick missles, giving it a anti-tank capability, although the Navy would more likely use it against smaller boats and patrol craft.

[NittanyLion]

They may have meant they power up after hooking the cable, which is what they do. And yes, the two wire is preferred. You also made some errors on a thread yesterday, but I didn't point it out then.

I think you're mistaken. The three wire is preferred. I believe there's even a company out there named "ThreeWire" for this very reason.

[Protagoras]

I gave him the stick and it was like he hadn't left the cockpit."

It's about time someone got the shaft other than me. :-)

[Wild Irish Rogue]

" You forgot to mention that he would have found a pile of stones on the flight deck to fashion in the shape of a cross for the KIA's in Iraq.

While shedding the requisite tear, of course. "

"....and biting his lip, of course. "


And then exposing himself .

[Starrgaizr]

I am sure that no one here will disagree that the #4 wire is discouraged on a three-wire carrier. Now, I'd like to make a no-wire landing using an Archer.

[NEWwoman]

Thanks for the information. I knew it was not a fighter and that it carried extra people and some "special cargo", such as you mentioned. It's always good to hear it straight from someone who really knows their stuff.

[Aric2000]

The President wanted to use a 2 seater fighter, but the Secret Service said no, that he would have to use a plane with at least 4 seats, so that 2 of his Secret Service personnel could be with him.

I hope they dirtied their shorts when the President took the stick and flew the plane.

I am so proud of this president, but I wish they would have let him fly a fighter instead, what better protection for the president? Come on, get real!!

And he had so many bodyguards on that ship that it was insane, around 5000 of them, they are NOT going to let ANYTHING happen to the CnC while he's on their ship. Besides the fact that they LOVE president Bush, adore him as a matter of fact.

Just like the marines, if the CnC is surrounded by thousands of marines, there is no safer place for him to be, I think the Secret Service is a little bit of an overkill in that situation. LOL

I was listening to Sean Hannity yesterday and his play by play of the landing was excellent, he was as excited as the president was I think. LOL

[TankerKC]

OK. I was looking for a clear shot of the wings and I guess this is as good as it gets. Is he wearing gold Navy wings? He earned a set of silver AF wings.

[Bill Davis FR]

Wrong. The approach end of the carrier is the stern of the ship. From the stern forward, the cables are numbered 1, 2, 3, 4...They snagged the last cable, number 4.

righton Buddy...don't you just love these armchair naval aviators...lol

[Ax]

While our president was mixing with the warriors I can only imagine what his predecessor was up to. I picture him having slithered into some hole, with jealousy and envy oozing from every scale.

[Magnum44]

When POTUS comes on board a Navy ship, Does he have to say, "Permission to come aboard sir" to the captain?

It would not be necessary. As is customary with dignitaries, as soon as his plane landed he would have been gonged aboard with honors "Commander-In-Chief, Arriving"