HMS Queen Elizabeth is now alongside in Palma, Mallorca.
The aircraft carrier’s crew are on the Spanish party island for some rest and relaxation on the home leg of their deployment to the Pacific and back.
@HMSQNLZ has arrived in Palma🏝 🇪🇸 Time for some rest and relaxation for the Ship’s Company.#CSG21@RoyalNavy pic.twitter.com/8gwcgctMm9
— HMS Queen Elizabeth (@HMSQNLZ) November 26, 2021
After six months and sailing over 40,000 nautical miles to the Pacific and back, the Carrier Strike Group and its large number of people, ships (and a submarine) and aircraft are now heading back to Britain.
Earlier in the deployment Russian jets were being intercepted almost every day and now that the Strike Group is back in the Mediterranean Sea it’s happening again.
In fact, it was reported that F-35 jets from HMS Queen Elizabeth intercepted Russian jets in the eastern Mediterranean more than 30 times as part of the Carrier Strike Group. Now that the vessels have returned to the region after sailing to the Pacific and back it appears Russian interest has been renewed. You can read more about this here.
Local authorities and the ship’s company have deployed FOCING (Forklift-operated creeky, insane & nauseating gangways) to allow the crew to depart the ship:
https://twitter.com/sebh1981/status/1464241286169481229
Iiiiiits Friday!
😉
Oh no:
https://twitter.com/sebh1981/status/1464281513860775936
😀
I’d say the container gig was marginally safer.
The could have used a few ratchet straps to secure the pallets and a couple of thick bits of plywood on top of the stack so the wheels would run as intended as the tide moves. That way you have a solution you could probably justify.
It looks like a waste skip of some sort, presumably with a closed top to allow for the stacking of pallets.
It still wouldn’t pass muster with me – I wouldn’t have let anyone on that contraption. Gangway collapses are nasty!
I can see that forklift going walkabout overnight.
It’ll be gifted to the pilot of the crashed F35 as his new ride. 😂
And how do you get them back?
You don’t wanna know.
Last leg on a party, home in time for Christmas. Hope they’ve had a great time.
I wonder if the water still doesn’t taste like it oughta ! Showing my age lol.
I’m really surprised anyone signed that off as safe.
I mean this forklift is supporting the gangway + load in cantilever.
Assuming the lift has an SWL of 1000kg that is the weight of 12 men.
Then add the deadweight of the gangways.
Then add the live load of the actual walking on the gangway.
I’m not seeing any sensible operating margins. I’m not seeing any operating margin at all.
In fact I’m not seeing any sane or sensible planning here at all. I run a construction business, these days, and I’d fire anyone trying to do anything like that.
And that’s before you even factor in the tide going out… or in!
Absolutley.
Its an accident about to happen.
It would never happen in my yard… Safety Dept wouldn’t allow It, people would be suspended from their job for negligence.
I bet Fleet Safety Team is going ape sh*t at that picture.
Don’t the carriers have their own gangways or was the reach down to the wharf at Palma too far?
I take it she will stop over in gibralter, after all, if she can stop in spanish teritory, she can stop over in gibralter,
just my opinion.
If it’s on the planned deployment schedule to stop in Gib they will. If it’s not planned, they won’t.
Be good to see F35’s parked on Gib runway…… show the Spanish what they haven’t got……
Spain may well join the F35B club if it wants to maintain carrier fixed wing capability. It’s Harriers are tired, and any new 6th gen is a very long way off.
There’s no way they’ll stop in ‘Gibralter’ anyway – it simply doesn’t exist!
Gibraltar, sure. 😂
😄🤣
I stopped in Palma on the way back from a Far East deployment its not a bad run in Summer but this time of year not so much. Still MegaLaff is just a taxi ride away and it can get very very messy there.
Had the same run ashore on the Ark back in 03 after Op Telic. Very messy run ashore. I’ve hardly touched vodka since 😆
BZ guys and girls on a successful deployment and safe journey home in time for Xmas, hope to be gosport side to see you all home safe and sound
Wishing the crew of HMS Queen Elizabeth a very happy Christmas so proud of our navy x
The Task Group seems to have been dissolved in practice, if not formally. A final(?) run ashore for the crew of Lizzie, and a chance to buy some pressies although far less exotic than was expected 6 months ago! Note the almost empty flight deck after months of very prominent deck parking. Half the airgroup has already disembarked, most of the rest are presumably in the hanger and being assessed for base maintenance and repair work. Any news if there will be a brief stopover at Gib, or is a grand homecoming to Pompey (4 Dec?) the next and last… Read more »
Given that it’s 1600 plus Nm back to U.K. from Palma and if Sat 4th is to be the return date there is no time for a stop in Gib without a very expensive full speed blast home.
It should be a fantastic homecoming! Bloody brilliant planning the whole CSG trip. Well done to all involved! Britain can still do it! 🇬🇧 I would have loved to seen the CSG come into Sydney harbour, next time. Maybe 🇦🇺 will look at getting a medium sized aircraft carrier or adapting their LPHDs.
QNLZ is currently unloading the USMC’s equipment at US Naval Station Rota in Spain. Then just two day’s sailing to Portsmouth. Home coming Monday morning?