Call the ball

**Mergie Master** · 05-31-2020, 11:33 AM

An explanation from a former Navy aviator on 8kun:

Saw Q’s post about “Call the ball” and I just had to opine

Not sure how much you fags know about carrier aviation, but lemme tell ya you can all forget that wikidicks shit about being lined up. It’s a fuckton more complicated than that.

First, the person who says, “Call the ball,” is the Landing Signal Officer, or LSO. You’ve seen ‘em, a bunch of pilots in white vests on the phone watching each approaching aircraft (a/c) as it comes in for a carrier arrested landing, or “trap.” These guys might not be the best fighter pilots, but LSO’s are known for their understanding of landing an a/c on a carrier flight deck. Other aviators say, “They can see the wind,” or “they can count the raindrops,” or “they can land blindfolded at night.” The LSO’s grade EVERYONE on EVERY PASS (that is either a “trap” or, if the a/c doesn’t land successfully, a “bolter”). Suffice it to say LSO’s are the Naval aviation version of the anon oldfag autists. Their only passing grade is OK. Fuck everything else.

LSO’s are also the only guys who can even ground their own boss. Fuck up an approach real bad and prove you’re blind, and you ain’t landing on a fucking carrier. Not even with your own LSO. They’re like Tijuana prostitutes. They all talk to each other, and they all grade your performance.

So, here’s how an approach to a “trap” works. At three-quarters of a mile away from landing, the LSO (in this case that’s Q) will say, “Call the ball.” The approaching aviator will respond with something like this:

“Hornet ball, 4-point-2”. What does that mean? Well, the first word identifies the a/c. That’s important because the guys listening in on that conversation matter. They’re enlisted guys down below who set the engines on the arresting gear cables to make sure that it is ready for the proper weight. If a cable is too loose, SNAP and you go swimming. If it’s too tight, you lose your tailhook – and you go swimming.

“Ball” means, “Yeah, I can see the Fresnel Optical Landing System lights”, also known as the “meatball” or “ball,” (you can read more about it here en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_landing_system) and I am on the correct glide slope and path.

“Wait!” you say, “Slope AND path???” Yep. Remember, a carrier isn’t a fixed field. It’s typically moving away from you at about 27 miles per hour (25 knots) to give some wind across the deck. That wind allows you to land relatively slowly to your actual jet’s approach speed of about 160 mph. Except it’s not that easy. The carrier is moving away from you, AND your runway is not right down the middle of the deck. It’s offset by 10 degrees. I’m sure you guys have all seen a carrier landing area and how it is a little diagonal to the centerline of the ship.

So the “meatball” gives you an optical reference (as well as an electronic reference) of both the 10 degree offset path to the ship and the typically 2 ½ degree glide slope down from your point, ¾ of a mile away, to the deck. So you’re actually aiming your jet for a point that will be moving ahead, and you’re trying to hit that point with a 10 degree angle away from it. All while dealing with a cross wind. (Land-based pilots can back me up on how a crosswind is a pain in the ass to fly an approach.)

And the “4-point-2” (or whatever other number is appropriate)? That is the weight of your remaining fuel in thousands of pounds. The guys running the arresting gear engines have to take that into account, too.

So, carrier jocks (Navy and some Marines) do this day, night, and bad weather. Back in the old days (‘70’s and ‘80’s), it’s the reason why carrier aviators smoked cigars in the ready room, banged every willing female in sight, shaved their balls to hide the prematurely gray hairs, and drank medicinal brandy after really bad traps.

To sum up: Q just asked whoever’s driving this bitch to announce that he’s lined up, got the gas, and just how much ass in gross tonnage he’s about to plant in a controlled crash on the flight deck. (And fuck calling it a landing, it’s a controlled fucking crash. That’s why it’s referred to as “trap”, because aviator wives would shit and scream if they knew what it really was.)

One last point: Please return the Stewardess to her original upright position. Carrier landings are a little bumpy and she wants to keep her kidney, which would be at risk if you don’t tuck it away, zip up and buckle your fucking harness.

Oh, and the ejection handle is between your legs. Get your dick out of the way and remember that.

**Mergie Master** · 05-31-2020, 11:37 AM

Most people get their panties in a wad over Posse Comitatus. Although the Yankee's beloved president Abe Lincun suspended Posse Comitatus on his country which didn't have anything to do with us, the CSA was another country so unaffected by his stupidity, there is a law around it. It's the Insurrection Act, 1807:

Insurrection Act of 1807, ch. 39, 2 Stat. 443, 443

In all cases of insurrection, or obstruction to the laws, either of the United States, or of any individual state or territory, where it is lawful for the President of the United States to call forth the militia for the purpose of suppressing such insurrection, or of causing the laws to be duly executed, it shall be lawful for him to employ, for the same purposes, such part of the land or naval force of the United States, as shall be judged necessary, having first observed all the pre-requisites of the law in that respect.
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On September 30, 2006, the Congress modified the Insurrection Act as part of the 2007 Defense Authorization Bill (repealed as of 2008). Section 1076 of the law changed Sec. 333 of the "Insurrection Act," and widened the President's ability to deploy troops within the United States to enforce the laws. Under this act, the President may also deploy troops as a police force during a natural disaster, epidemic, serious public health emergency, terrorist attack, or other condition, when the President determines that the authorities of the state are incapable of maintaining public order. The bill also modified Sec. 334 of the Insurrection Act, giving the President authority to order the dispersal of either insurgents or "those obstructing the enforcement of the laws." The law changed the name of the chapter from "Insurrection" to "Enforcement of the Laws to Restore Public Order."

The 2007 Defense Authorization Bill, with over $500 billion allocated to the military, and which also contained the changes to the Insurrection Act of 1807, was passed by a bipartisan majority of both houses of Congress: 398-23 in the House and by unanimous consent in the Senate. For military forces to be used under the provisions of the revised Insurrection Act, the following conditions must be met:

(1) The President may employ the armed forces, including the National Guard in Federal service, to–

(A) restore public order and enforce the laws of the United States when, as a result of a natural disaster, epidemic, or other serious public health emergency, terrorist attack or incident, or other condition in any State or possession of the United States, the President determines that–

(i) domestic violence has occurred to such an extent that the constituted authorities of the State or possession are incapable of maintaining public order; and

(ii) such violence results in a condition described in paragraph (2); or

(B) suppress, in a State, any insurrection, domestic violence, unlawful combination, or conspiracy if such insurrection, violation, combination, or conspiracy results in a condition described in paragraph (2).

(2) A condition described in this paragraph is a condition that–

(A) so hinders the execution of the laws of a State or possession, as applicable, and of the United States within that State or possession, that any part or class of its people is deprived of a right, privilege, immunity, or protection named in the Constitution and secured by law, and the constituted authorities of that State or possession are unable, fail, or refuse to protect that right, privilege, or immunity, or to give that protection; or

(B) opposes or obstructs the execution of the laws of the United States or impedes the course of justice under those laws.
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For those of you with short attention spans here's a visual aid:

**Bigtimber2** · 05-31-2020, 11:38 AM

80k arrest?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**Mergie Master** · 05-31-2020, 11:41 AM

Word is out that Fort Bragg and Fort Drum are on 4 hour ready. Fort Carson and Fort Riley on 24 hour ready.
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Pentagon puts military police on alert to go to Minneapolis

FROM YAHOO NEWS: Soldiers from Fort Bragg in North Carolina and Fort Drum in New York have been ordered to be ready to deploy within four hours if called, according to three people with direct knowledge of the orders. Soldiers in Fort Carson, in Colorado, and Fort Riley in Kansas have been told to be ready within 24 hours. The people did not want their names used because they were not authorized to discuss the preparations.

The get-ready orders were sent verbally on Friday, after President Donald Trump asked Defense Secretary Mark Esper for military options to help quell the unrest in Minneapolis after protests descended into looting and arson in some parts of the city.