26 Mar 2019 - USS Midway Tour

26 Mar 2019

This morning we drove down to the Navy Pier and toured the USS Midway aircraft carrier. 

The USS Midway was built just after World War II and was named after the Battle of Midway where the USS Yorktown was sunk by the Japanese.  The USS Midway served around the world, including the sub-Arctic, the NATO European waters and  Vietnam.  It was also the flag ship of the Persian Gulf operations during Desert Storm, and finally was integral in the evacuation of personnel from Clark AB Philippines.  The USS Midway was decommissioned in San Diego in 1992 and remained in storage in Bremerton WA until 2003 when it was donated back to San Diego for a museum.

In 2012 the USS Midway was the first Naval ship to host over 1 million visitors annually.  This was very evident as we arrived before 10:00 a.m. when it opens this morning and the parking lot was almost completely full.  We found a tight spot and made our way to the entrance.  Luckily we had purchased our tickets in advance yesterday at the MWR Office as the line to buy tickets was very long.

All of those on the ship side of the railing were in line to buy tickets.

Since we already had tickets we were near the front of the line.

After a quick check at security we headed into ship entrance and it reminded me of the USS Lexington we toured in Corpus Christi, only much larger. 

The entrance brought us into the Hangar (Main) Deck.  We made our way to the Battle of Midway theater to watch the movie.  The entrance to the theater looks like you are climbing through a hole, that had been created by a torpedo or bomb.

The movie did not last too long and we continued around the Hangar Deck.  At the opposite end was the cafe and gift shop.   

Looking down the massive hangar deck

SNJ Pilot Trainer

F4U-4 Corsair Fighter

TBM Avenger Torpedo Bomber

Display of ejection seats

Bulk Stores Access Hatch.  Overhead crane raised and lowered items from the hangar deck to lower decks

The USS Gerald R, Ford (left), the Navy's next generation aircraft carrier and USS Langey (right), the Navy's first aircraft carrier

A clear mock-up of the USS Midway, so you can see between decks

 In between was some aircraft displays, some cockpits the kids could climb in, and some full motion simulators you could experience for a price.

SBD Dauntless Dive Bomber, outside the movie theater

A pilot and his life support equipment

The hangar was very busy

We then made our way up to the flight deck.  It was a much warmer and calmer day today than it was when we were on the deck of the Lexington!  The USS Midway is much larger and they have many more static display aircraft on the flight deck here.  

On the flight deck they had a munitions display including this MK-51 cluster bomb.  You can see the bomblets inside

A-1 Skyraider attack aircraft

C-1 Trader cargo transport

A display of the colored attire of the crew who work on the flight deck. 
Each color represents a specific job.

Looking at the bridge

E-2 Hawkeye airborne early warning.  The disc on top is a huge look-down antenna

F-4 Phantom fighter.  The USS Midway aircraft score the first and last air victories in Vietman. 
1965 and 1973

EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare jamming aircraft

Catapult officer responsible for launching the aircraft

A-6 Intruder attack aircraft

 

A look down the 'runway'!

The bridge

H-60 Seahawk multi-purpose helicopter

UH-1 Huey gunship assault helicopter

The machine gun on the Huey

CH-46 Sea Knight vertical replentishment helicopter

SH-3 Sea King anti-submarine helicopter

SH-2 Seasprite utility helicopter

H-34 Seabat anti-submarine helicopter

HUP Retreiver utility helicopter

HO3S utility helicopter

S-3 Viking anti-submarine warfare aircraft, being restored and prepared for display

Volunteers working on the aircraft

Unconditional Surrender statue

F-8 Crusader fighter being prepared for display

A-4 Skyhawk attack aircraft

T-2 Buckeye pilot trainer with many visitors

F-14 Tomcat fighter (Top Gun movie)

F/A-18 Hornet strike fighter

F-4 Phantom II fighter

The downtown San Diego skyline from the USS Midway flight deck

EKA-3 Skywarrior

F9F Panther fighter

F9F-8P Cougar photo reconnaissance 

FJ-3 Fury fighter

RA-5 Vigilante reconnaissance

A-1 Skyraider attack aircraft

One of the aircraft elevators used to brink aircraft from the hangar deck to the flight deck

Seagull standing guard

Lots to explore here

We did not go below the hangar deck to the mess deck as we had seen this on the USS Lexington.  The areas displayed here include laundry, galley, sick bay and engine room.  

After touring the USS Midway we headed back to the RV park and relaxed the rest of the day.  Not sure where we are headed tomorrow.  Maybe a beach.