# Question about aircraft carriers **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 15, 2012, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-aircraft-carriers/625238 "2012-06-15T14:10:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2017, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-aircraft-carriers/625238/21 "2017-05-13T00:57:57Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Thanks for adding that. I was going to ask if that’s where his name came from. At least that’s what he told us once. He was some manner of deck crewman or aircraft maintenance guy. Not a flyer. But a cool dude who lived through some seriously interesting history. And some serious shit. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2017, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-aircraft-carriers/625238/22 "2017-05-13T12:39:40Z")
You’d need to have tiedowns of some sort on deck, because otherwise the aircraft could be knocked off during rough seas even without doing the windmilling thing. **Elendil’s Heir** , there’s no such thing as “too massive to be moved”. F = ma, so a very massive carrier would only get a very small acceleration from the force of the plane engines, but a small acceleration can be enough, for low-speed maneuvers like docking. On land, friction would probably dominate, but friction works differently in the water, and in a way that depends on speed, so again, low speeds are doable. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2017, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-aircraft-carriers/625238/23 "2017-05-15T18:06:07Z")
> [@Snnipe\_70E](#): > > In a high sea state this does not sound like a good idea. I remember a Victory At Sea where a task force was going through a storm at sea. There was water breaking over the flight deck of the carriers in the task force. If there had been planes on the flight deck with engines running the damage to the planess would have been total. I am not sure but I think this was jusst before Midway. It was only six months between the Pearl Harbor attack and the Battle of Midway; I don’t recall any significant weather incidents during the period. More likely it was [Halsey’s Typhoon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Cobra) (December 1944) that was depicted, or his second weather gaffe, typhoon [Connie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1940%E2%80%9349_Pacific_typhoon_seasons#Typhoon_Connie) (June 1945). ---
**Author:** ![mako88sb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@mako88sb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mako88sb)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2018, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-aircraft-carriers/625238/24 "2018-09-17T12:06:34Z")
Its been a few decades since I last saw this movie and finally got a chance to view it again. Some scenes I had completely forgotten about such as the docking aided by the Skyraiders. Anyway, I found this link that goes into some detail about the actual mission that inspired Michener to write his book: > **[NON BENNINGTON STORY - THE BRIDGES AT TOKO-RI: -The Real Story by CAPT Paul...](http://www.uss-bennington.org/non-benn-bridges_at_toko_ri.html)** > > USS BENNINGTON CV/CVA/CVS 20 Her History and her Crew 1944 - 1994 ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2018, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-aircraft-carriers/625238/25 "2018-09-17T21:16:15Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > I don’t think it’d be any harder on the engines, but I am not sure I am prepared to discuss prop slip and other dynamics right now. It’s hard on the engines in that they are running. They only have a limited number of hours before the engine has to be removed and rebuilt. (And they are using up their limited run time without bombing enemies.) Also, this use would tend to be a bit harder on the engines, in that they wer probably running constantly at full speed, with limited airflow for cooling, and at a higher temperature than when thousands of feet up in the air. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2018, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-aircraft-carriers/625238/26 "2018-09-17T21:33:05Z")
It also makes things tricky for the shirtless bald guy with the handlebar moustache who’s tasked with fist-fighting any potential aircraft thieves. ---
**Author:** ![Sloe\_Moe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Sloe\_Moe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sloe_Moe)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2018, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-aircraft-carriers/625238/27 "2018-09-17T23:07:40Z")
I didn’t think this was possible, or that someone would even try. ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2018, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-aircraft-carriers/625238/28 "2018-09-18T03:01:32Z")
What would happen if the airplanes were on treadmills? ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2018, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-aircraft-carriers/625238/29 "2018-09-18T12:13:30Z")
> [@gunnergoz](#): > > This scene was depicted in the movie “The Bridges at Toko-Ri” as well. The only thing I remember from that movie was Mickey Rooney’s stupid hat. ---
**Author:** ![EdelweissPirate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8491ac/32.png) [@EdelweissPirate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdelweissPirate)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2018, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-aircraft-carriers/625238/30 "2018-09-18T13:22:25Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > It also makes things tricky for the shirtless bald guy with the handlebar moustache who’s tasked with fist-fighting any potential aircraft thieves. The US never used shirtless bald mustachioed fistfighting aircraft mechanics/guards. You’re thinking of the Nazis, and they retired theirs after an unfortunate incident in North Africa. I believe Steven Spielberg made a documentary about that event. ---
**Author:** ![dba\_Fred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c37758/32.png) [@dba\_Fred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dba_Fred)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-aircraft-carriers/625238/31 "2018-09-20T22:57:58Z")
People! I’d been aboard Enterprise about 3 months at the time but in the immortal (immoral?) words of sailors when stuff hits the fan: _It didn’t happen on my watch!_ Per the article, the ship was at the conclusion of its deployment and the air wing had flow off (save for a helicopter) so there were no heavy aircraft to reposition. As is custom when entering port, the crew was on the flight deck “manning the rail” and were available to move to the port side in an attempt to free the ship (it didn’t work). We had to wait for the rising tide to lift the ship. I recall the investigation said that heavy spring rains washed excessive silt into the channel. Rather than being a career-ender, Captain Kelly eventually rose to four-star admiral and Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet. Coincidently, I was still assigned to but not aboard Enterprise when she scraped Bishop’s Rock in the fall of 1985 during flight operations. Seeing an aircraft carrier up on blocks in dry dock for repairs is quite a sight. I left active duty shortly thereafter (obviously not connected) but I see that the Captain was relieved and don’t believe his career continued. (Go Navy Beat Army) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-aircraft-carriers/625238.md?page=1)