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In the following frames, you can see a guy in green showing a panel-like device with numbers on it to the pilot of the Super-Hornet that is about to launch from the carrier USS John C. Stennis.

  • What is this panel for?
  • What information is the pilot given?
  • Why just before takeoff and not while boarding/briefing?

enter image description here
(YouTube)

Edit: I won't accept this question as a duplicate. It may contain the answer

Taxiing up to the catapult, a green shirt will hold up the weight board. If the weight on the board matches the weight on the weight chit, acknowledge ...

but the question isn't really about that part and quite "hidden".

jklingler
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1 Answers1

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That's a weight check. The sign has the weight of the aircraft in pounds. The catapult crew guy first shows the presumed weight to the PIC who must give a thumbs up, agreeing, "Yes, that is the weight I believe my aircraft to have."

The crew guy must then show the same exact set of numbers to the catapult chief operator, who must also approve it: "Yes, the catapult is set to launch that weight.

You can actually see both verifications happening in the two photographs above, the first one is to the PIC, the second to the catapult operator. Only when both verifications have occurred will a launch be permitted.

Tyler Durden
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    I have no reason to doubt you, I'm just curious what your source is for that? – FreeMan Mar 29 '16 at 17:07
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    @FreeMan I am a civilian, but I do a lot of advanced research for the navy so I know exactly how CVN systems work, including their flight operations. – Tyler Durden Mar 29 '16 at 17:10
  • Sounds like fun! – FreeMan Mar 29 '16 at 17:11
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    Whats the units of that number? – David says Reinstate Monica Mar 29 '16 at 17:38
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    @DavidGrinberg Pounds. At 44k that would suggest just a patrol flight or training flight with no ordnance. When an F-18 is loaded up with bombs it can be well over 50,000 lbs. – Tyler Durden Mar 29 '16 at 17:43
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    Is that number rounded? Seems hard to believe the aircraft would weigh 44k on the dot. – DasBeasto Mar 30 '16 at 13:10
  • @DasBeasto yes - by the time you factor in safety margins and margin for error, there's no point worrying about being entirely precise. I believe they always round up, though. – Jon Story Mar 30 '16 at 15:24
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    @DasBeasto The CV NATOPS says Weight board will be changed in 500- or 1,000-pound increments in accordance with applicable aircraft launch bulletins CV NATOPS pages 4-4 and 4-5. (There's an old copy on line in pdf form circa 1997). This particular practice hasn't changed. – KorvinStarmast Sep 26 '17 at 13:59
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    By the number spacing on the board, it looks like the final two zeros are closed up, so I'd guess they're permanently painted on and cannot be changed. The leading three figures presumably rotate or flip. Perhaps the 3rd figure only has 0 and 5 options. – CCTO Nov 20 '18 at 15:49
  • I have to ask, why don't they have digital scales built into the deck for exactly this purpose? This appears to be a very crude, time consuming, and error prone approach. – AlphaCentauri Sep 01 '23 at 21:00