# How many times are aircraft carrier arrestor cables used? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 28, 2007, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-are-aircraft-carrier-arrestor-cables-used/409833 "2007-06-28T21:56:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-are-aircraft-carrier-arrestor-cables-used/409833/21 "2007-06-29T17:14:16Z")
[QUOTE=Sean Factotum] So you never got your Air Warfare pin after senior-in-rate, SW and your PPWS quals? Sissy. 😉 How else could you pass the time on a long boring deployment? [/QUOTE] Well, I dont know when **minor7flat5** served, but during my time (the 80’s) the Air Warfare/Surface Warfare pins were not mandatory like they are now. (I think Sub Warfare pins were, however…) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-are-aircraft-carrier-arrestor-cables-used/409833/22 "2007-06-29T17:34:53Z")
> [@](#): > > from Mr.Goob - _When I was on Kitty Hawk I heard rumors that there was this mythic place called the flight deck where people could sometimes see the sun and sky. Strange people them, us snipes didn’t trust that tribe known as the “air wing.”_ Wasn’t the flight deck between the Starbucks and the Hooters? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-are-aircraft-carrier-arrestor-cables-used/409833/23 "2007-06-29T17:38:23Z")
[QUOTE=mlees] I was part of ships company, _USS Ranger_, from 1986-1989. Unfortunately, I was a computer tech, and not an airdale. [/QUOTE] Report to the thread on the double, **What Exit?** (He also served aboard USS _Ranger_). ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-are-aircraft-carrier-arrestor-cables-used/409833/24 "2007-07-01T00:51:25Z")
Any dopers besides myself _not_ been in the military? Seems like its all submariners, tankers and carrier crew around here 😛 ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2007, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-are-aircraft-carrier-arrestor-cables-used/409833/25 "2007-07-01T03:10:15Z")
[QUOTE=Sean Factotum] So you never got your Air Warfare pin after senior-in-rate, SW and your PPWS quals? Sissy. 😉 How else could you pass the time on a long boring deployment? [/QUOTE] The nuclear power stuff was quite enough to keep my dance card full. Anyway, she was in the yards for most of my time on her, we were only at sea for a month or so before I got out of the Nav. ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-are-aircraft-carrier-arrestor-cables-used/409833/26 "2007-07-02T14:18:08Z")
The replacement number is 100 traps, without doubt. Needless to say, if there are cracks, etc, they remove the wire, and just go with three, or two or even one. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-are-aircraft-carrier-arrestor-cables-used/409833/27 "2007-07-02T15:29:41Z")
[QUOTE=minor7flat5] The nuclear power stuff was quite enough to keep my dance card full. Anyway, she was in the yards for most of my time on her, we were only at sea for a month or so before I got out of the Nav. [/QUOTE] That makes sense. While I spent about three years in the yards on my two carriers, that left five years to go a-sailing. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Dave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@Great\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Dave)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-are-aircraft-carrier-arrestor-cables-used/409833/28 "2007-07-02T18:17:42Z")
What I never understood was why aim for the third cable? So that you only snag the third and fourth? ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-are-aircraft-carrier-arrestor-cables-used/409833/29 "2007-07-02T18:29:14Z")
I asked my brother about this. He served on three bird farms during VN. He was w/ ComCarDiv. (admiral’s staff) and not involved w/ flight ops., but he remembers watching traps. He doesn’t remember any set number, but does remember them inspecting the cables after each use and the impressive speed which they were changed when necessary. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-are-aircraft-carrier-arrestor-cables-used/409833/30 "2007-07-02T18:31:26Z")
[QUOTE=Great Dave] What I never understood was why aim for the third cable? So that you only snag the third and fourth? [/QUOTE] No, it’s also possible to aim for the third cable, land a bit short and get the second cable, or even more short and get the first. The reason you don’t aim for the first cable is because if you land short in that instance, you could possibly fly into the stern of the carrier. :eek: This is bad. It’s better to land long than short. If you land too long, you miss all the cables and have to go around again. If you land too short, you die. Simple as that. Basically, you aim for the middle of the cables. If successfully done, the tailhook slides forward to catch the third cable. The wiki article linked to above says the same thing: > [@](#): > > In a “perfect” carrier landing, the tailhook contacts the deck of the ship exactly in the middle of the arrestor cable area, and then slides forward to catch Wire 3. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-are-aircraft-carrier-arrestor-cables-used/409833/31 "2007-07-02T21:25:43Z")
[QUOTE=Great Dave] What I never understood was why aim for the third cable? So that you only snag the third and fourth? [/QUOTE] What **robby** said. The tailhook must be able to reach the cable when the aircraft is on it’s wheels (and cant get any lower). This is really noticable here: [http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/1999/photorelease/photo\_release\_990317n4.htm](http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/1999/photorelease/photo_release_990317n4.htm) When a tailhook catches a cable and pulls taut (rather quickly, as the cable is under many pounds of tension), the hook/cable lift up slightly, and will clear over the top of the cables forward of the hooked cable: > **[File:051029-N-7359L-001.jpg](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:F-A-18F_Super_Hornet_landing_on_carrier.jpg)** (Looks like this guy caught the #1 wire!) ---
**Author:** ![Digger1955](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ba8739/32.png) [@Digger1955](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digger1955)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2016, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-are-aircraft-carrier-arrestor-cables-used/409833/32 "2016-05-26T00:31:06Z")
The cross deck pendant (the replaceable cable topside) is good for 100 arrestments, provided certain restrictions are met, including number of broken wires, and distance off center the arrestment is. A 15 foot off center arrestment requires the CDP to be replaced even if it is the first arrestment. The cable on the arresting engine is replaced every 1500 to 2000 arrestments, depending on sheave size (that may have changed, I’ve been retired for quite a few years now) and that is also dependent on factors, such a measured cable wear, distance off center the arrestment and other conditions. Re-reeve an arresting engine is a tedious task and very greasy. There are actually 2 cables on an arresting gear engine and after a re-reeve, zinc terminals need to be poured, which is another tedious process in itself. Although other sailors, not associated with the fight deck, tend to think the arresting gear crew is made up of grubby, uncooth layabouts, it’s far from the truth. They are a bunch of highly trained, skilled professionals, who the Navy trusts with recovering multi-million dollar aircraft and Navy pilots trust with their lives. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2016, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-are-aircraft-carrier-arrestor-cables-used/409833/33 "2016-05-26T03:01:22Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > I remember from my time on the Nimitz that folks said 100. > > Of course, I was in the engine room and not on the flight deck, so that number wasn’t nearly as important to me as, say, the flow rate of the reactor coolant pumps. What WAS the ideal flow rate of the reactor coolant pumps? ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2016, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-are-aircraft-carrier-arrestor-cables-used/409833/34 "2016-05-26T17:51:28Z")
More than you ever wanted to know about arresting gear, including inspection, replacement rates, and replacement criteria of arrestor cables (called pendants). Note this manual is specific to the Shore-based system, but I don’t think there is much difference compared the sea-based ones. [http://navybmr.com/study%20material/14353a/14353A\_ch9.pdf](http://navybmr.com/study%20material/14353a/14353A_ch9.pdf) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-are-aircraft-carrier-arrestor-cables-used/409833.md?page=1)