[KL7AA] Morse Code in Navy pilot training ...

[J D Delancy]

Another N9ACC Morse Code life experience story  ..

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Cook, Arnal USNCDR NAVRESFOR
Sent: Friday, 29, September, 2006 01:38
Subject: RE: Morse Code in Navy pilot training ...

During one "sortie," the measurement of flights/missions that
CO's strived to make 100%, we had no comms with the ship we were to work
with.  For whatever reason, we were on two different UHF channels.  The
thing about shipboard radios is that they often run multiple
transmitters combined to just a few antennas.  Frequency changes are a
BIG DEAL to a ship, because a change of a few MHz could make it
unsuitable to stay "in that stack."  And finding another combiner it CAN
go into may not be possible, or require a domino effect of changes to
accommodate.  Even a simple change of a less than a MHz could take an
hour to retune the combiner.  If unlucky, it could take many hours to
effect a change.   Aircraft, however, have a dedicated antenna for each
radio, and frequency changes take only seconds to effect.

I was a junior pilot, and as next in line to be an
aircraft/mission commander, I was flying with the CO (Commanding
Officer).  No comms with the ship meant we could not do our assigned
training mission, which would bust the sortie, and anything less than a
100% sortie completion rate reflects poorly on the CO.  Even so, after
30 to 45 minutes of no comms, the CO was ready to call it quits.

I said "Sir, fly up the starboard side and hover alongside the
Bridge."

"Why?.  What are you going to do?"

I reached up in the overhead and pulled out the Aldis signal
lamp.  He looked incredulous.  "Sir, do you want the sortie or not?" I
asked.

He flew up alongside the Bridge of the ship, putting it on my
side.  True to form, there was the OOD (Officer of the Deck), on the
Bridge in full daylight silhouette, looking at us only 100 yards off his
starboard beam, through binoculars!

I flashed a "QRF" ("What is your frequency") in Morse Code.
Doubting he would know what I was flashing, it still had the desired
effect.  We could see, in silhouette, as he dropped his glasses to make
a phone call.  Sure enough, out ran the Signalman from his little shack
above the Bridge to the ship's (big) signal light.  He flashed a "QRZ"
("Who is calling me?") to me, a general reply.  I repeated my "QRF" to
someone who would know what it meant.  Again, as planned, we could see
as he picked up his phone, got the information from the ship's
Facilities Control, and flashed the UHF frequency the ship was waiting
for us on back to me.

I dialed it into our UHF radio and said "Hello (ship)?"  They
immediately answered "Helo Red Lion, we've been waiting on you!"

The CO comments over the intercom "Only you Cook, only you" in a
slightly disparaging and unappreciative tone of voice.  My reply was
"Yes Sir.  Only me.  Now, do you want the sortie, or not?"  We got the
sortie, and my Navy Pilot callsign of "Marconi" stuck.  It was a LOT
better callsign than most Junior Officers get!

I could tell you about being off of Grenada in 1983, and there I
was, on the radio, listening to ....



CDR Arnal Cook
Assistant CAT Chief, Pentagon, 1D652
NOCCatAsstChf.fct at navy.mil
OPNAV CAT, Navy Crisis Action Team
703-571-2839
Arnal.Cook at navy.mil