Navy Vessel - Red Deck and FOD Inspection

[lajim]

This was recorded Thursday evening on 316.4 of what appears to be a Navy amphibious assualt ship off the coast of Sourthern California supporting some type of helicpoper operation (possibly at Camp Pendleton).  At the start of air operations, a broken halliard (I believe this is a rope line) damages the radar.  This results in a "red deck" condition and a FOD (foreign object debris) inspection.  The vessel IDs as "Raider Tower" with various helicopters including Dragon 13 and 16, Scarface 20, and Wolfpack 03,   Best line:  "If you need a head call, make it now."

[Fred_Garvin]

Does he say "we're doing a combat FOD walk down"?
I am imagining them using bounding overwatch or low crawling
down the deck

[alltheway]

I heard him say to turn the ship into the wind, can't they turn the helo's into the wind?

[Lost around KLAW]

I could have sworn the one pilot said "Hide your snacks..." as well.  It was not too long after the "head call" comment was made.

[Deskpilot]

The Military deciphering:
RED Deck - aircrafft flight operation are suspended. Engine and rotors OFF Deck crew may respot acft.

Wait for NVD Time - Allow enough time for environmental condition to get to Night Vision Device darkness. Twr advises airccrews to disembark to use the head. Ship is repostiioning to get closer to land as a safety buffer.

"99" - All aircraft assigned this unit
Combat FOD Walkdon - Immediate assembly of all flight deck personnel to start at a predetermined point from where a Foreign Object may have originated from. In this case, TWR indicates a failed halyard AFT which damaged a radar. Since this is a know location, that is the starting point. No need to work the forward area of the flightdeck.

"Secure your smacks" - turn off anti-collision lights.

RTB - Return to (LAND) Base.

Green Deck. Flight Operations now authorized.

Launch on LSE Signal - LSE Landing Signalman Enlisted. 1 LSE per helo.

Launch in sequence. helos may lift and depart in order from bow to stern. This is used so that helos can gain forward airspped in the most efficient manner. Wiht PAX aboard, it is safer than lifting, sliding left in a highpower hover.

OPS Normal. THe aircraft is operating correctly, and crew expects to complete mission as assigned.

LEFT OUT. Once established at speed, initiate a LEFT turn to depart the pattern of the ship. Only the rescue helicopter, if airborne, operates exclusively in the RH taffic pattern, reffered to as Starboard DELTA.

Switch SILVER. direction to switch to another controlling agent on a pre-programmed frequency.

[Deskpilot]

I heard him say to turn the ship into the wind, can't they turn the helo's into the wind?

This puts the winds over the deck for lower power demands from the aircraft on Takeoff. The plan is to launch all aircraft straight down the deck. With pax aboard, this is added safety margin.
All flight ops on LHD are conducted bow to stern. An LHD's flight deck, unlike an aircrafft carrier, is straight on. A carrier is 10- 11.5 deg LEFT of the ships heading.