email from the CVN ABRAHAM LINCOLN, True?
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"Navy One" was on final approach for trap aboard CVN ABRAHAM LINCOLN... the President making the radio call said, "Lincoln, Navy One, 12,500 lbs, I have the balls," brought down the house in wild cheers. The aid used for your glide slope in a carrier landing comes from a series of lights on the port side of the flight deck, refereed to as the "mirror". A yellow "ball" inside this vertical mirror is your visual aid for your correct height above the flight deck. When you see it's location, because it can go up or down, you "call the ball" with your side number [Navy 1], so they know your aircraft type, and fuel state [12,500 lbs], so the arresting gear people can set the proper tension on the machinery that controls the cable or wire the you catch with your tailhook. You only see a single yellow light, "the ball", at a time!
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have a great weekend
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