prez bush #1 donates his ww 2 naval wings

[tom d. friedman]

president george h.w. bush recently placed his ww 2 naval aviator wings under the new carrier of his name sake's island when the structure was mounted aboard the ship. tradition holds that a coin or object placed aboard brings good luck. that tradition goes back many years. pretty cool!!

[planenutti]

Tom,
The tradition was changed with the carriers when the shipyard changed their way of building carriers. Today, the boats are built in modules and then lifted into place by the crane that spans the width of the drydock #12 at Newport News. Since the island house is built ashore it is now "landed" on the flight deck, the setting of a set of Naval Aviator wings was started. The landing is the last major section to placed in the building process.
Just a bit of an update on Hull 660, soon to be the USS George H. W. Bush CVN-77, She has been Christened and floated out of the drydock and is now sitting in the James River. She will stay there for just over a year as the outfitting is completed. The Navy will take delivery in 2008.
Airdale turned Shipyard test electrician,
Bob