I've not been on a carrier, so I won't speak for them.
However, on a small ship, you can go topside pretty much any time you want. Of course that would depend if there are any special evolutions going on such as sea and anchor, GQ, flight quarters, live fire exercises, unrep, rough weather, etc.
On a carrier people can go on the flight deck anytime the ship is not on flit-ops. There are other weather decks you can go out on unless they are secured.
The real question isn't can you go topside, but rather why would you want to go topside? I have found that sunlight is a highly overrated "advantage" of serving on a surface ship. You'll soon find you could care less if it's night or day, cloudy or sunny. If you don't serve in a billet requiring you to go topside daily, all the sun will be to you is that awfully bright thing in the sky that gives your eyes a terrible pain when you occasionally transit exposed areas.
On a CVN there is always "vultures row" to watch flight ops from and us twidgets can always walk around the top of the island and you know that there is alway plenty of gear that I need to check up on, on the bridge and flag bridge and prifly and anyplace else that just happens to have a nice view!
The real question isn't can you go topside, but rather why would you want to go topside? I have found that sunlight is a highly overrated "advantage" of serving on a surface ship. You'll soon find you could care less if it's night or day, cloudy or sunny. If you don't serve in a billet requiring you to go topside daily, all the sun will be to you is that awfully bright thing in the sky that gives your eyes a terrible pain when you occasionally transit exposed areas.
Originally posted by AoiSonlee: The real question isn't can you go topside, but rather why would you want to go topside? I have found that sunlight is a highly overrated "advantage" of serving on a surface ship. You'll soon find you could care less if it's night or day, cloudy or sunny. If you don't serve in a billet requiring you to go topside daily, all the sun will be to you is that awfully bright thing in the sky that gives your eyes a terrible pain when you occasionally transit exposed areas.
For myself(I was on a Ticon), I tried to make a habit of seeing the sun once every couple days or so just to break up routine and remind myself I was not a vampire. Something to pay attention to though when going topside is conditions. Be aware of announcements over the 1MC and know what the ship is doing. You don't want to be outside when weather is bad, or especially when the ship is firing it's weapons. (Flight quarters is also a bit dangerous)
Walking up onto the port catwalk of a carrier during flight ops will most certainly cause you to lose a body part. Either a plane will take one off, or the Air Boss or CO will see you and then you'll lose your arse...
from a carrier perspective....Favorite place to PT was in the hanger bay next to one of the elevators not running ops. Just make sure you always keep one ear bud out of the ear and your head continuously on a swivel. You dont want to stand up from doing pushups and see an f-18 up close and personal. Sunset from the same spot was always cool. Fantail isnt to busy a place as long as its not the day before pulling in or day after pulling out of a port so you can spend time there. I was lucky enough to have the weather deck with one of the RHIB boats just above my shop. gave for a close spot for a "fresh air break."
ALL On the Kitty Hawk and Indy, there is a neat place to watch the dolphins, Forward, Flight Deck catwalk, by the ships bell on the Port side. You get there by going as far forward on the Port side, past the Crypto spaces, inboard to the Forcastle, forward past and out the port side of the eyes IE the Anchor chain locker and controls. This is a small access and leads directly to the flight deck. The forward catwalk ends here, at the ships bell. On the Starborad side is the ships device that shows the track of the ship. Beware of the Air Boss, as he has a speaker right there that will blast you off the walk. LOUD.... This space is in full view of anyone on the flight deck, not a place to be during flight ops. After flight ops, and into the evening watch, this is a good space to clear the sinuses. end Semper Fi
On a carrier you can go on the flight deck when there's no flight ops, you can chill on the weather decks, hangar deck (as long as you stay out of the El Well), and Vultures Row, on top the Island
I was on both a carrier (CVN)and a small boy (DDG). On the carrier, as long as there wasn't flight ops you could jog around the flight deck which I did every other day to break up the monotony. You just have to watch out for padeyes so you don't trip. And there is vultures row for us twidgets so we can watch the purty shiny planes take off and land! On the DDG I would jog around topside but again you have to be careful. On the carrier we had a gym so you can lift weights and use the exercise equipment. My berthing was aft just below the flight deck where they would park the planes and turn on the engines all the time. But we had a little catwalk outside the skin of the ship near our berthing where I would go out and have some sun once in awhile. Now also, if the ship has a steel beach picnic, you can go up topside on the flight deck and get some rays too. Hope this helps. Oh and on the carriers don't forget about the movie theatres and the bowling alleys. Nahh, just kidding.
Jer_Pil, You managed to dislodge a memory from the fogbank. I remember a marine down in sickbay that had found a padeye the hard way. He left the tow of his boot and lots of arm and knee meat on the deck. Not a good place to fall down.
Nahh, just kidding.
