USS Kitty Hawk

[SoCalDave]

From FB...Bound to the scrap yard...

Former aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk, drifting through the fog like a ghost ship, departing Bremerton for the last time today.
Launched in 1960, she served for 49 years before being decommissioned and joining the reserve fleet of inactive vessels at Puget Sound Naval Yard.
The last carrier of her class to be decommissioned, her fate is to be towed to Brownsville, Texas by Foss Maritime Company for scrapping. She became the sole responsibility of the scrapping company as soon as she left the naval yard. As her beam is too wide for the Panama Canal, Foss has the duty of taking her clear down to the tip of South America, through the Strait of Magellan, and back up to the Gulf Coast.
This trip will take at least 129 days, cover more than 16,000 miles, and take three separate crews, changed out in Valparaiso and Trinidad. Her towed speed will be somewhere between 5 and 8 knots, depending on weather.
If you look closely in a few of the photos you will see her four propellers have been removed and are sitting at the rear end of the flight deck.

 

[mbrown2]

Heck...towing 16K miles....people won't even respond to help 3 miles north of Windsor for a tow...

 

[Sleek-Jet]

Is/was Kitty Hawk oil fired or was she a nuclear carrier?

 

[foxfam312]

Wow,, that's pretty incredible, quite the distance for a scrap yard

 

[Desert Whaler]

Damn . . . How much is the scrap even worth after dragging that thing 16,000 miles and paying all the expenses / crew for a 129 days?

 

[WYRD]

Damn . . . How much is the scrap even worth after dragging that thing 16,000 miles and paying all the expenses / crew for a 129 days?

Considering it's all probably subsidized by the taxpayer dollar, probably quite a bit

 

[OLDRAAT]

I believe it was an oil burner with steam turbines.

 

[bowtiejunkie]

Is/was Kitty Hawk oil fired or was she a nuclear carrier?

Last oil fired aircraft carrier at time of decommissioning in 2009.

Long service life! I guess it’s fitting it gets a long tow to the scrapyard.

 

[NorCalRiverRat]

just one of those propellers would make a cool lawn decoration...

..

 

[Gramps]

just one of those propellers would make a cool lawn decoration...

..

you're gonna need a big lawn

 

[wallnutz]

Floating history. Imagine if that thing could write a book.

 

[Sleek-Jet]

Damn . . . How much is the scrap even worth after dragging that thing 16,000 miles and paying all the expenses / crew for a 129 days?

Have you priced razor blades recently?

 

[Bpracing1127]

they have mega tankers and what not go through the panama canal. this doesnt fit?

 

[Bpracing1127]

i did some research its 20 ft too wide for the canal.

 

[mbrown2]

they have mega tankers and what not go through the panama canal. this doesnt fit?

They are real boaters...they like to avoid the channel!

 

[WYRD]

They are real boaters...they like to avoid the channel!

That would be more comical to watch than the houseboat in the Channel video

 

[Flatsix66]

I guess they tried a few different props....then gave up.

 

[Mike K]

I remember looking out my bedroom window and I could see the Kitty Hawk #63 … it was 1963 …
obviously I lived in Coronado and my dad was stationed in San Diego.
I remember the Enterprise #65 too … it showed up in 1964.
I remember my Dad was picked up by a “gig” every morning and was taken to the Naval Shipyard.
I was able to hang out at the docks and ride ferries and do ship stuff.
I remember all the ships going through San Diego bay … so bad ass.
Seeing the ships there and hanging out definetly was the seed that started my love of boats.
Now that the Kitty Hawk is being scrapped … jeez … sure makes me realize time has flown by.

 

[mbrown2]

Have to say that must be a crazy towing something that size through storms..

 

[mothershipper]

I did 2 Westpac cruises on the Kitty Hawk along with multiple 2 to 4 week detachments. Yes she was fuel oil fired, we called her one of last dinosaur slayers as many of the other fuel oil fired carriers were being phased out. She is too big to fit through the Panama canal. Sure is a shame that she's being scrapped. Had hopes of taking my kid to show her what i did if she became a museum ship somewhere. There will most likely never be another aircraft carrier museum ship because to get the reactor cores and radioactive parts out of a nuclear powered carrier they have to destroy major part of the ship.

 

[timstoy]

Wish we could save more of these engineering monuments. We cruise my sons boat by the USS Iowa in San Pedro often and Im still in awe of those 16 inch guns.

 

[Sparky]

Got to spend a week on the Kitty Hawk doing a Tiger cruise from Hawaii to San Diego. Once in a lifetime trip, the things we got to see and do. Not to many people get to see a 2K pound bomb dropped from a plane in the middle of the ocean while standing on the flight deck. Thanks for your service Mothershipper!

 

[Wolskis]

Sailed with her on several westpacs

 

[spectras only]

I think dismantling the tower and remove the deck sides near it, it could fit through the Panama Canal, instead of the lengthy tow and risking extreme weather?! Should have sailed it to the scrap yard location at the time of decommission.

 

[j21black]

I can't believe they aren't using an F150 to tow it! Idiots!!!!

 

[spectras only]

 

[Wedgy]

Thank you! To all who served. I had a neighbor in 1973, Sailor Frank, and his wife Linda, from South Carolina mebe. Super nice people to us. He served aboard the Kitty Hawk. He affectionally refered to Her as the, hitty Kitty, with a capital S, and spoke of jet fuel in the water. I once had the task of helping take a tour of KIds aboard the Kitty Hawk, whie She was berthed in San Diego, Troop 649 Escondido. Lots of passageways, the hangar deck is huge. Amazing. The pictures posted are awesome.

I met a Sailor who served in WW2, Korea, and many years beyond. Can't remember if he also served in Viet Nam, but, He served aboard the first ship to get washing machines, and the last ship to get washing machines. "I may have given your Dad a ride to Korea."

 

[mothershipper]

Got to spend a week on the Kitty Hawk doing a Tiger cruise from Hawaii to San Diego. Once in a lifetime trip, the things we got to see and do. Not to many people get to see a 2K pound bomb dropped from a plane in the middle of the ocean while standing on the flight deck. Thanks for your service Mothershipper!

What year did you do the Tiger cruise?

 

[Sleek Chode]

I spent four weeks on that beautiful ship as a young Marine in 1995. I got flown from the beach out to the boat because I had carrier experience and gathered the parts I needed to fix our airplane. We tied up in the bay outside Patiya beach Thailand and I got off that boat and never looked back. VFA-195 the Dam Busters was our host squadron, what a bunch of cool dudes… they wanted me to ride that boat all the way back to Yakuska Japan, lol I was good…… thank you shitty kitty!

 

[stephenkatsea]

they have mega tankers and what not go through the panama canal. this doesnt fit?

No.

 

[stephenkatsea]

We once tied next to the Kitty Hawk in Yokosuka Japan. Beautiful, enormous boat.

 

[rrrr]

Considering it's all probably subsidized by the taxpayer dollar, probably quite a bit

In 2016, ex-Kitty Hawk and ex-John F Kennedy (ships lose their US Navy designation when released for salvage) were sold to International Ship Breakers Limited, Brownsville, TX, for 1¢ each. ISL is responsible for towing charges and asbestos remediation during scrapping.

The government was responsible for emptying and steam cleaning fuel oil, diesel fuel, lubricating oil, hydraulic fluid, grease, and JP-5 aviation jet fuel storage tanks prior to turnover of the ship to the salvage contractor.

 

[CarolynandBob]

Damn I can't believe I miss that old girl.

Did 1 West-pac and 1 World cruise on her. West-pac was 85 and world was 87. I was in the F-14 squadron VF-24.

 

[rrrr]

Damn I can't believe I miss that old girl.

Did 1 West-pac and 1 World cruise on her. West-pac was 85 and world was 87. I was in the F-14 squadron VF-24.

Wasn't it assigned to the 5th Fleet?

 

[CarolynandBob]

Wasn't it assigned to the 5th Fleet?

Pacific Fleet, although in 87 when we took her around the world, was so she could go in for a retrofit. Not sure where she went after that. May have been the 5th.

 

[Sleek-Jet]

No.

Even after a couple bottles if wine and maybe a smaller ship to just get used to it?

 

[Singleton]

Sister 1st husband spent some years on her. I was scheduled for the Tiger Cruise (Hawaii to SD) in 93 (I think), but they ended up staying in the Middle East and it was cancelled.

 

[Sparky]

What year did you do the Tiger cruise?

94 or 95

 

[mothershipper]

After SLEP ( Service Life Extension Program ) in the Philadelphia shipyard the Kitty Hawk was brought around the Horn of South America in 91. We left for Westpac in Dec 92 and then again in June of 94'. So I was a troubleshooter on the flight deck when you did the Tiger Cruise Sparky. Another note, we did not stay in the Gulf for 8 months in 93, thank god. It was only a 6 month Westpac. We did however not visit alot of the ports that we were supposed to because of the situation in Somalia and the Gulf. We were supposed to make stops in Sydney, Hobart Tasmania, and Perth. Was super bummed we didn't.

 

[cheezpanel]

Got to spend a week on the Kitty Hawk doing a Tiger cruise from Hawaii to San Diego. Once in a lifetime trip, the things we got to see and do. Not to many people get to see a 2K pound bomb dropped from a plane in the middle of the ocean while standing on the flight deck. Thanks for your service Mothershipper!

Me too. My dad was the XOADMIN for a few years. What year were you on the cruise? My brother and I did this in 84 or 85...

 

[JDKRXW]

Awesome ship.
Those tugs look to be massive too.

 

[Mcob25rg]

This is a reminder of the greatest generation. USA did things, built things, and controled things no other country could even dream of - that's what makes the surrender to Afghanistan ( couple 1,000 idiots with handguns ans swords ) so humiliating to EVERYONE who ever served anywhere, anytime. I'm betting that there are countries that would have bought " as is " because this would still be a step up for them - just sayin

 

[mothershipper]

Got to spend a week on the Kitty Hawk doing a Tiger cruise from Hawaii to San Diego. Once in a lifetime trip, the things we got to see and do. Not to many people get to see a 2K pound bomb dropped from a plane in the middle of the ocean while standing on the flight deck. Thanks for your service Mothershipper!

Check out this, my buddies dad still had this from way back.

 

[rrrr]

Thanks to all for your service in the Armed Forces of the United States of America.

When I worked for Brown & Root in Houston, my boss was a retired Navy Master Chief. A foreman on a project we did at the Medical Center was formerly an Airedale on the USS Constellation.

Almost every day at work there were brown shoe and black shoe jokes and insults. It was always funny stuff.

 

[nameisbond]

My house growing up is on a beach. In summer, sometimes we'd get US Navy ships out of Bremerton passing by. Destroyers and Aircraft Carriers. The BC Ferry terminal was basically in front of my house. They have Ferries that carry 460 cars, they are big. Next to an aircraft carrier, not so much. We did go out in either our Boston Whaler or Sea Ray to get a better look. But since Greenpeace often sent out boats to harass them in Canadian waters. The RCMP escorted them with patrol boats and made us keep a distance. Was still an awesome occurrence when aircraft carriers passed by.

 

[mothershipper]

Something else kind of interesting for some of you maybe. As a troubleshooter on F-18s I was tasked with changing tail hooks when they wore out. Normally we just chuck them overboard because they were no good anymore. But I did manage to save a few. This one’s a doorstop at my house. Scratch marks on the bottom are from the flight deck of the Kitty Hawk.

 

[tostark]

Check out this, my buddies dad still had this from way back.

Aircraft carriers are unbelievable. I have a “Tailhook” certificate for being part of a Distinguished Visitor (DV) program on the Nimitz. Flew out on a C2 and did a catch landing for a 24 hour tour. Catapulted off the next day. Def a once in a lifetime opportunity.

 

[spectra3279]

Thanks to all for your service in the Armed Forces of the United States of America.

When I worked for Brown & Root in Houston, my boss was a retired Navy Master Chief. A foreman on a project we did at the Medical Center was formerly an Airedale on the USS Constellation.

Almost every day at work there were brown shoe and black shoe jokes and insults. It was always funny stuff.

I always loved working with marines. And then when they would start in on the navy. I would just ask them what the 13 button flap on the navy dress blues was for

 

[spectra3279]

Something else kind of interesting for some of you maybe. As a troubleshooter on F-18s I was tasked with changing tail hooks when they wore out. Normally we just chuck them overboard because they were no good anymore. But I did manage to save a few. This one’s a doorstop at my house. Scratch marks on the bottom are from the flight deck of the Kitty Hawk. View attachment 1081508 View attachment 1081509

I forget what ship it was, think it was the sorry Sarah, but they forced all the pilots to use the acls(automated carrier landing system) for a deployment. Every landing was done by it. The tail hooks gouged a 2 inch deep trench in the flightdeck. Every plane landed in the same place.

 

[rrrr]

Something else kind of interesting for some of you maybe. As a troubleshooter on F-18s I was tasked with changing tail hooks when they wore out. Normally we just chuck them overboard because they were no good anymore. But I did manage to save a few. This one’s a doorstop at my house. Scratch marks on the bottom are from the flight deck of the Kitty Hawk. View attachment 1081508 View attachment 1081509

I didn't realize how big the tailhook head is on carrier aircraft. That thing is huge!