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Guiding home Kitty Hawk
By LCDR Antony Underwood
Volume 50, No. 12, July 12, 2007 |
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PILOT: Master Attendant CMDR Heath Robertson brought the ship in.
Photo: LSPH Nina Nikolin |
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BIG BIRD: USS Kitty Hawk arriving at Fleet Base East, Garden Island.
Photo: ABPH Andrew Dakin |
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BIG BIRD: Prime Minister John Howard visiting the ship.
Photo: David Karonidis |
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BIG BIRD: Another view of Kitty Hawk against the city skyline.
Photo: ABPH Andrew Dakin |
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What’s it take to bring an 81,000 tonne aircraft carrier into Sydney Harbour?
Navy’s Master Attendant CMDR Heath Robertson knows – he had the honour and responsibility of bringing CV 63, USS Kitty Hawk, into Fleet Base East on July 5.
And he was looking forward to doing the whole process in reverse as this edition of Navy News goes to press.
After 20 years in the RAN, PWO navigator CMDR Robertson has commanded the Fremantle class patrol boat, HMAS Cessnock and he decommissioned HMAS Westralia and commissioned her replacement, HMAS Sirius, as Executive Officer.
As MA, he has a staff of three and normally manages the Port Services teams around the country and the Navy’s contractors, Defence Maritime Services.
The Kitty Hawk carrier battle group were scheduled to track south after participation in Exercise Talisman Saber 07 off the Queensland coast.
“I did my first runs in preparation for the job of piloting Kitty Hawk into Sydney in the generic simulator at [HMAS] Watson in May and did more training at Port Ash [Newcastle] later in the month,” said CMDR Robertson.
“But I did the final runs in the simulator at Watson just a few days ago – and fed in weather conditions as difficult as we thought it would be possible to handle: strong westerly winds were forecast.
“The main thing is to assess in good time varying environmental conditions that affect the ship and respond in a timely and appropriate manner.”
CMDR Robertson was a passenger on a COD (carrier onboard delivery) to Kitty Hawk on July 4 and met and briefed with the CO, CAPT Todd A. Zecchin, as well as witnessing a convincing demonstration of the awe-inspiring airpower of the 323 metre long carrier.
The Kitty Hawk bristles with fighting, surveillance and utility aircraft. Her ‘organic’ air wing consists of seven squadrons and two detachments – a total of 75 aircraft including Super Hornet and Hornets strike and attack aircraft, EA-6B Prowlers electronic warfare support aircraft, two C-2A Greyhound carrier onboard delivery aircraft, E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft, and Seahawk helicopters.
As pilot for the transit into Sydney, CMDR Robertson was helicoptered to Kitty Hawk about 20 nautical miles east-north-east of Sydney to begin the very careful trip to the fleet base.
The passage was not easy.
The wind was blowing.
“We were right at the limit with the wind,” CMDR Robertson said. “It was from the north-west at 22 knots, gusting to 30. It ended up being close to the limit but safe.”
The evolution, conducted with the aid of tugs was slow and methodical, particularly where the ship needed to be turned, bow astern, into the fleet base berth.
“She was drawing about 11.8 metres and there a 12 metres patch of water near Port Denison, so the evolution was tide dependent.
“It was a good opportunity to demonstrate the navigation training the RAN prides itself on and works hard to maintain.
“It’s the biggest ship I’ve ever piloted and it went well – everybody was happy. We worked hard to achieve it and it was very satisfying. Definitely a career highlight.” |
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