# Are carrier crewmen allowed on deck?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-carrier-crewmen-allowed-on-deck/167641>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 9, 2003, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-carrier-crewmen-allowed-on-deck/167641 "2003-04-09T20:38:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-carrier-crewmen-allowed-on-deck/167641/21 "2003-04-11T03:26:14Z")

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I am going to guess that those were something to do with cat shots. Pre 70’s era naval aircraft had a different hook up for the catapult, those things were meant to catch them i believe.

Declan

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**Author:** ![spinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-carrier-crewmen-allowed-on-deck/167641/22 "2003-04-11T04:09:34Z")

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That may be true, but it should be pointed out that they were still there circa 1985.

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**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-carrier-crewmen-allowed-on-deck/167641/23 "2003-04-11T05:58:26Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by ntucker \*  
> \*\ ***Padeye** , I know I’ve been told the answer to this before, but what are the two dinguses sticking out on the front of the Connie?

This was answered in another thread, not by me. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=155625&highlight=aircraft+carrier](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=155625&highlight=aircraft+carrier)

Short answer it they were used with a system that captured the launch bridles from older type aircraft to keep from tossing the things away on each launch. The '81 cruise on the Connie was the last time I saw planes that used the bridle system, A3 whales. Aside from the ancient, piston engine C1 traders these were the only planes not setup for the modern launch bar system that I saw on carriers.

IIRC the ship had the projections from the deck but not the gear to capture the bridles but I was working on different things and didn’t give it much though at the time.

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