Circa 1961: A HMAS MELBOURNE [II] 'bolter'- Collection of Kim Dunstan.

2861: This Sea Venom FAW 53 has failed to hook the arrestor wire and is heading over the side - a moment, Kim Dunstan says, that is 'pregnant with possibilities.'

 

The plane is now what is known in Fleet Air Arm parlance as a 'bolter.'

 

Here's Kim Dunstan's descriptive notes that tells the tale:

 

''...this Sea Venom, photographed on the aircraft carrier HMAS MELBOURNE, circa 1960, is performing what was called ‘doing a bolter’. That is, the aircraft had attempted to land, but the arrestor hook had failed to pick-up an arrestor wire. Here, the aircraft with hook down has continued to fly down the length of the angle deck and over the edge - into the void beyond. For a moment, this Sea Venom will disappear from view, then after a collective gulp from everybody on the flight deck, it will reappear to gain height and reposition for another attempt at landing.

 

A carrier landing was always a tense moment for the crew of a Sea Venom as, in a rough sea, there was always the possibility of the ship pitching at the very moment of touch-down, resulting in a failure to connect with an arrestor wires. When that happened the pilot would open the throttle to power the engine, gain airspeed and clear the flight deck. The problem with a jet, however, is that it takes a moment or two for the engine to spool-up. Sometimes that meant the aircraft would reach the end of the flight deck before full power was available – and nothing but air and sea beyond.

 

Yet, invariably, the aircraft would recover and fly away. However, there were occasions you’d call a ‘close shave’. Immediately under the port wing of the Venom (LHS out of view) was a sponson. This position gave an excellent view of what happened once an aircraft went over the edge. On most occasions the aircraft would, with the aid of a stiff breeze and plenty of power, quickly gain height. But sometimes aircraft would dip, within a few feet of the water, sending up a plume of spray as the jet blast whipped the wave tops....'

 

MELBOURNE used to pitch and roll like you wouldn’t believe in rough weather. It was pretty hair-raising at times especially during night flying. One time I saw a pilot in a Gannet gun his engine thinking he had missed the wires only for the ship to buck enough for the aircraft to pick-up the last wire [sometimes called the Jesus Christ wire)]. The Gannet lifted into the air dragging the wire out full length. It was about 15 ft in the air when it came to a stop and the Gannet slammed back onto the deck [luckily the Gannets could take that]. I asked the pilot his reaction he said ‘It was like a big hand grabbed me!’.

 

'Even the big American carriers move around to an alarming extent. I saw a video clip recently with the big ‘Tomcats’ doing bolters – it was forwarded to me with the comment that ‘they need some of our boys to show them how to do it.’

 

Photo: Cameraman unknown, it is from the collection of Kimberley Dunstan, RAN 1958-1967, and kindly sent if for the Unofficial RAN Centenary 1911-2011 photostream.

 

A COMPENDIUM of links to some 350 images of HMAS MELBOURNE [II] on this Photostream begins at Pic 5444 and extends over seven entries. It starts here:

 

www.flickr.com/photos/41311545@N05/6707592179/in/photostream

 

 

Done