Fighters sent inland, ships on 48-hour notice

[unhappycamper]

Fighters sent inland, ships on 48-hour notice
By Andrew Scutro - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Sep 5, 2008 16:08:24 EDT

NORFOLK, Va. — Dozens of ships that had prepared to push out to sea Friday to avoid Tropical Storm Hanna are still in port.

As of midday Friday, the ships of the U.S. 2nd Fleet were pulled back from an urgent notice to be ready to get to sea in 24 hours. The order is now to prepare to cast off within 48 hours in the wake of the storm, expected to arrive in Hampton Roads on Saturday.

However, about 150 aircraft, mostly F/A-18 models, have been departing Naval Air Station Oceana all morning and into the afternoon, headed for safe haven on Navy and Air Force bases, mostly in the eastern United States. With high winds and rain expected, the evasion is meant to protect the aircraft from flying debris and other possible damage.

“This is just something precautionary,” said Lt. Cmdr. Mark Burgess, base aviation safety officer. “This is pretty common to go and get the planes out of harm’s way.”

Aircraft from Strike Fighter Squadrons 213, 31, 15 and 87 stayed behind at Oceana for the storm as they are scheduled to deploy as part of Carrier Air Wing 8 with the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group on the morning of Sept. 8.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/09/navy_hanna_090508w/%2e

[Captain Hilts]

1. It used to take about three days to empty NOB, now the navy is much smaller...

and it doesn't take nearly as much time.

Dad was in a sub that didn't need tugs, so they just headed out and went down a couple of hundred feet to play cards. A hurricane's a good time to be in a sub.

NARWAL in Charleston during Hugo was at the pier and the duty officer had them light off the diesel and the motored to the middle of the harbor and dove to get away from the pier. You could still see the top couple of feet of the conning tower above water.