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Stern of the USS Midway

Can anyone explain the purpose of these three ramps on either side of the stern on the aircraft carrier the USS Midway?

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  • $\begingroup$ FWIW, they aren't used by pilots for anything... $\endgroup$
    – Michael Hall
    Feb 21, 2022 at 2:40
  • $\begingroup$ Figured as much… thought it might be worth asking anyway. Know any other community that might have the answer? $\endgroup$
    – asb1230
    Feb 21, 2022 at 6:09
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    $\begingroup$ as a guess, they might have been put in as a means to dump munitions in case of emergencies. The curved edge of the deck may have been deemed to drop things too close to the stern of the ship for safety. $\endgroup$
    – jwenting
    Feb 21, 2022 at 9:33
  • $\begingroup$ Actually, that triggers a flicker of memory…. I think @jwenting might have it there. $\endgroup$
    – Michael Hall
    Feb 21, 2022 at 15:53
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    $\begingroup$ You've never been on the slide at your local swimming pool? $\endgroup$
    – FreeMan
    Feb 21, 2022 at 19:22

2 Answers 2

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Those are EOD jettison ramps. (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) They are in many locations around the flight deck. A bomb/missile could be "cooking off", it may have been exposed to prolonged jet exhaust, fire, or any number of factors, any of which lead to the urgent need to get it overboard (jettison it) with the quickness. Barry Healan, former ABH3 flight deck crew member aboard USS Coral Sea CV-43 and USS America CV-66

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  • $\begingroup$ Nice, essentially the same as another answer, but citing your experience gives an indication as to why it should be considered credible. $\endgroup$
    – quiet flyer
    Nov 15, 2022 at 21:10
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In the event of an aircraft fire, ordnance (bombs and missiles) could be pushed over board down those ramps to prevent exploding and causing more damage.

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    $\begingroup$ Welcome to aviation.stackexchange, good first answer. However, could you please improve it by stating your source? E.g. a book, or article or perhaps you worked on these ships? $\endgroup$
    – U_flow
    Sep 22, 2022 at 13:19
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    $\begingroup$ Your answer could be improved with additional supporting information. Please edit to add further details, such as citations or documentation, so that others can confirm that your answer is correct. You can find more information on how to write good answers in the help center. $\endgroup$
    – Jamiec ♦
    Sep 23, 2022 at 7:51

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