U.S.S. Enterprise
 

Headed over to take some photos of the U.S.S. Enterprise on March 11th as she headed out for her final cruise after 50 years of service. Also passed the 600 mile mark on ""The Beast""......

I suppose we will see the barge with the old reactors , crossing the Bar here before long,
all the Submarine Nuclear reactors go up to the Snake river on barges ,
then trucked to Idaho for permanent storage,
hope they got a plan for the next couple thousand years. 'half life decay' X 10..

the Carrier has several to"dispose of" ..

If I am not mistaken that happens because the Subs are taken apart at Bremerton, Washington. The Enterprise will be dismantled here in Newport News. I have no idea what they will be doing with the fuel from her 8 nuclear reactors.

Fuel goes to Idaho.
Reactors go to Hanford.

Cool, loved seeing the 'E' when I was on CV-64, the Constellation, at that time the 'E' was the biggest ship in the water had the Connie by about 35 feet in length if I remember...an era gone by for sure...thanks for posting about her!!!

Enterprise by 53'6".
Unless one's been "soaking" in the sun longer.
http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/carriers/

I used to work as a Boilermaker at PSNS. Spent many an ugly hour down in the "bowels" of the Connie & Kitty Hawk.
Had the "privilege" of wire brushing every weld inside the catapult steam receivers on the Enterprise. I think that was close to 2 weeks work.

An era passes......so true.

I remember being a very little tyke when she made her first appearance at Pearl Harbor. At that time there were concerns that she wouldn't fit through the mouth of Pearl. We lived VERY close by so all of the kids rode their bikes over to watch this MONSTROUS ship enter. Amazing to watch and see all the sailors "manning the rails". We even got waved at from the flight deck.

She is due back here in October sometime and a rather large welcome is well in the works I imagine. Hopefully, by then, I'll have a much better zoom lens and a better vantage point.

I remember escorting her on her last WESTPAC deployment. ENTERPRISE, MIDWAY and 1 other carrier (KITTY HAWK or RANGER I believe) all pulled into Subic at the same time. It was something to see the three battle groups all together at one time.

Loved pulling in to Pearl on Connie & manning the rail...what a sight to look out over the base, the awe of the history of that place, goose bumps every time man.

Subic...now that is truly an era gone...Freaking locals all knew how long we would be in port for and when anchor was up before we did, it seemed. Good times, man..good times.