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Kitty Hawk under way for sea trials

7th Fleet Release

Release Date: 10/14/2003

By Journalist Seaman David Beyea, USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) public affairs

USS KITTY HAWK At Sea -- After five months in port undergoing an intensive dry dock period, USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) Sailors prepared for their fall underway period, departing for sea trials Oct. 13, coincidentally, the Navy's 228th birthday.

"The purpose of sea trials is to make sure the ship is ready to get under way, to do its mission," said Senior Chief Electronics Technician (SW) Kobi Ellis of combat systems' maintenance department, which will be testing radar equipment.

A big part of making sure that America's oldest active duty warship is ready for sea is ensuring the crew is reoriented to shipboard life, explained Master Chief Machinist's Mate (SW) Dave Watson, engineering department's leading chief petty officer. Sea trials will accomplish this task by running the crew through various drills and evolutions.

"The ship as a whole will be flexing the general quarters watch bill, sea and anchor detail, low visibility detail and all of the other trials and practice runs that we routinely do when we're under way," said Watson. "In other words, reorient the crew to these various evolutions that take place while at sea."

The sea trials also provide civilian contractors who worked on Kitty Hawk during the dry dock period an opportunity to verify that all the equipment installed operates properly, explained Ellis.

"We have to have some type of assurance that the equipment will operate when we get under way for extended periods of time," said Watson.

The engineering department will primarily test its propulsion machinery, explained Watson.

"We'll systematically test all the engines, all the boilers and test the automatic controls and responses for each component system," said Watson. "And lastly, we'll top that off with a full power demonstration."

As the engineers work to assure Kitty Hawk can go where needed, other parts of the Battle Cat will be making sure the 42-year-old carrier can do what it needs to do.

Air department will spend this time testing catapults, arresting gear and all of air department's equipment, explained Lt. Cmdr. Lou Evans, air department's administrative division officer.

"We're going to shake down all the equipment, to make sure it's up to snuff," said Evans. "Basically, were going to test all the stuff we use to launch and recover aircraft so we can be an aircraft carrier."