Compare news coverage from diverse sources around the world on a transparent platform driven by data. Try Ground News today and get 40% off your subscription: ground.news/DownieLive

My Dad served on the Hornet when they picked up Apollo 11. When it came to Alameda to be a floating museum, he was a part of the first group of volunteers to help with restoration and took us to where he worked/lived while onboard AND his name was still on his locker in the Machine Shop! He was very proud to have served on that ship as well as help get it repaired and cleaned up for the public. He didn't get to see its full restoration, but I know he took pride in his time doing what he could on CVS -12 both in Service and in Restoration... Thank you for the awesome video!

High school senior here! We JUST had our Senior prom on this ship literally like 2 weeks ago, so cool to see it more in depth !

I had a "sleepover" on the USS Hornet when I was about 10 years old and in Boy Scouts back in 1998-ish. 60 of us stayed on the ship and had to do things like night shifts and do "guard" at various locations of the boat. All fun and games until you learn that this boat is insanely haunted. The first 2 hours on the boat was a presentation by the 2 volunteers who painted 80% of the lower decks themselves. Their stories were something else... My friends and I had to do night watch about 4 decks down and in the middle of the boat. We literally just sat in a room by ourselves (bunch of 5th graders) with nothing but a notepad and flashlights. The sounds you hear is something else. Foot steps, voices, knocks... We thought our parents were messing with us, but you are in the middle of a metal city with zero people around you. We didn't sleep that night.

Makes me sad thinking about Hornet CV8 and her sister CV6. AKA USS Enterprise. Enterprise watched both her sisters die, and there was nothing she could do about it. In her anger, rage, and shear determination, she stared down the empire of Japan and won. After earning the most battle stars of any US carrier and serving her country even after enduring so much, we had audacity to scrap her. Rest in peace Yorktown, Hornet, and Enterprise. You fought the good fight, and the battle is won. You can now finally rest. Glory to the yorktowns and glory to my lady, the Grey Ghost.

Downie's dad lore is gonna be epic

I was also an Interior Communications Electrician first on a Guided Missile Destroyer (DDG2) Then on the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) until I retired. The unique thing is we were responsible for equipment in almost every compartment on board, So we had to learn are way around. This brought back some good memories, THANKS.

I live on the East Coast of America, and over here we have a very similar experience known as *BATTLESHIP COVE.* Battleship Cove, located in Fall River, Massachusetts, is a renowned maritime museum and war memorial. It boasts the world’s largest collection of World War II-era naval vessels, including the highly-decorated battleship USS Massachusetts. As a memorial, it honors all Bay Staters who perished in service during World War II. Battleship Cove serves as a historical tribute, preserving the military heritage of the New England region and the United States since 1965. It’s a place of education and reflection, offering visitors a chance to explore naval history and the sacrifices made for freedom. Many years ago, when my sons were young and in the Boy Scouts of America, my wife and I joined the troop ( _along with many other parents_ ) for a sleepover on the battleship *USS Massachusetts.* It was a truly wonderful, memorable experience! So whether you are on the West Coast or the East Coast, I highly recommend you bring your friends and family with you and spend a night or a weekend on board!

I got to sleep aboard the Hornet last week, as I'm going to be doing some work on one of the displays. I wandered the ship just before dawn.

Back when that naval air base was still operating, some friends and I helped a sailor repair his flat tire. He repaid us by giving us a tour of the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier. This was back in the early 1990s. The Carl Vinson is a modern aircraft carrier that is still in service to this day.

I live in Alameda and love the Hornet not to mention spirits alley down through the air base. Most of the volunteers on the carrier are people who worked on the ship so you get first hand stories from them. Don't know how much longer that will last but it's a great experience.

Gosh! I lived in Alameda for years! When my folks came to visit, my Dad always wanted to go out on the Hornet. It’s such an amazing piece of history and proud that she was restored.

The OG USS hornet and USS enterprise will always be my favorite aircraft carriers. Rest in peace Yorktown, Hornet, and Enterprise. The battle is won your memory, and sacrifice will never be forgotten. You can rest now.

Had to laugh when you said Tail fin on the stern, Fantail.

As a former sailor on the Hornet you guys did a great job, I was a IC man too, as well as a ships master at arms( ship police) I never saw a ghost. Greatest experience of my life. I was transferred before the decommissioning too. Greatest ship ever.

Fantastic tour of a REAL piece of military history!! As a volunteer at a WW2 museum, I was geeking out over this video! Thank you for the amazing tour!

This is so cool, Mike, surprising Andrew and Kyle with this sleepover! My father, James Oliver, was an Aviation Ordinance Man on the U.S.S. Bon Homme Richard- CVA 31 from 1962 to 1965. His ship was also an Essex Class aircraft carrier. Since I was a boy, I've always wanted to tour an aircraft carrier, and your video helped me realize my dream, kind of. Thank you so very much for this! What a treat! And thank you, Kyle and Andrew, for all of the excellent editing work you do on this channel.

Thanks Mike for bringing back some great memories. My father served in the US Navy during World War Ii. Thank you.

I helped move the Hornet to Alameda when it was going to become a museum! Cool!

The USS Hornet and several other retired Navy Vessels have active Amateur radio clubs. I have talked to the Hornet several times over HF radio. The club gets permission from the Navy to use the Hornets original callsign from WW2 “NBGC”. I get chills down my spine each time.

Spent 12 years as a docent on board. Had a great time and met some great people. Heard some interesting stories from WWll veterans that aren't in history books. Too many experiences to pass on here.....

You got the fancy accommodations 😂 I was enlisted and they’re not the spacious nor nice lol

I love my WW2 history, and the Hornet has it in spades. What an awesome experience to witness Bar just keeps getting higher haha. Awesome video....as usual. We truly do NOT know where you're going next Downie. But I know well all be there with ya.

Thanks for another history lesson at an unusual experience. I couldn't do it, so it was fun to watch through your eyes. Many thanks to all the service men and women who served their time on the ship.

Great video, and your tour guides were awesome.

Another fantastic adventure. Thanks for providing such entertaining and educational content. Looking forward to the next adventure.

I just told your friend will on his channel about my two disabled adult sons how they love watching his show also because one of them has the real short attention span we've been watched his show and now yours keep up the great work❤

Awesome video . I would love to stay on her for a week. She was a icon to our military history.

My boys and I visited USS Hornet back in 2019. Areas were blocked off due to renovations. But I am pretty sure that Downie got a special treatment and he had access to areas that you normally would not get to. Good video.

I just started watching your channel and I want to say I enjoy it very well and I also subscribe to your other friends I might can't travel like you guys but I can enjoy pretending to be there with you guys keep up the great work 💯

Your videos never disappoint. Thanks!

Really great of you to share a trip with your team and for us to meet the editor team!

Breakfast of Champions, except that you're missing the warm beer. Then its really the Breakfast of Champions.

I spent four years on the USS Enterprise. I loved your mini documentary of the Hornet Museum. Also, I 100% support left over pizza for breakfast. Nothing better.

I used to live in Alameda in my childhood to adolescence years. Just watching you drive to the USS Hornet brought back so much memories especially the tube connecting Oakland and Alameda. I took some friends there and they were amazing how big navy ships are in person. 😊

you said it Mike, awesome!

Wonderful video, love the tour of the ship!

Great vid, Mike. My grandfather was a machinist who helped refit Hornet in the Brooklyn Navy Yard during all of 1952. He was given a piece of the flight deck commemorating a complete year of solid production. I believe Hornet was the last of the wooden decked carriers. Happy to share a photo if you're interested..

"MAKE A HOLE!!" going down the ladder.

It’s nice to see the uss hornet get more recognition on KZfaq from bigger creators I’m from alameda where it’s docked and it’s as amazing as it is in the video

My kids and I got to do a sleepover when they were in scouts on the Hornet! Best overnight trip EVER!! The coolest!

I live in Alameda and seeing this in my subscriptions tab made my jaw drop, so cool to see you in town! I’ve gone out to the hornet to fish dozens of times, and love it

i absolutely love everything aviation so i am super jealous of yall getting to stay on the ship!

Dude, you have the best job! Love this. Thanks for sharing.

Awesome video, have always been a fan of your channel, cool to show off to your audience an important and historic museum ship!

Nice to see Andrew and Kyle in the video! Seems like an epic experience even though Andrew got a little scared on that ghost tour :D

I've been watching since your California Zephyr video, which inspired me to take the trip with my dad. Two 6ft+ men in that tiny roomette was cramped but it was definitely an unforgettable experience (We almost got left behind in Winnemucca at midnight while it was snowing). You've been on some crazy adventures but never would I have thought you'd make a video in my hometown.

Pretty epic! Those torpedo monorail tracks are fascinating! So much history on that ship.

This is very cool. I am going to keep this in mind.

OH BOY HES BACK AT THE SEA ONCE AGAIN!! LESSS GOOO

I'm a docent aboard the USS Hornet Museum and you did a GREAT job of both story telling and photography. There are quite a few places aboard that you missed, but that can be corrected the next time you come on board. Great video.

Great tour. Thanks!

I did this same experience with my Cub scout troop when I was younger. Such a fun experience to explore the whole place after normal hours.

What an adventure for you and your friends! The most poignant moment for me watching this was the history record at 3.15. Seems that the USS Hornet was one of two US aircraft carriers that worked in cooperation with the Australian Navy/Army/Air Force during the liberation of the Philippines in which my late father played a part. He served as a sapper on the HMAS Manoora, one of three merchant navy vessels that were equipped as armed light cruisers with landing ship infantry during the liberation campaign from March until November 1944. Amongst other memorabilia, I have Dad's service medals from that era, including the Filipino Liberation Medal that was awarded many years later in 1994 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the liberation. Thanks for re-awakening my late father's history. Cheers from Michael in Melbourne.🙂

What a cool experience Mike!

That was amazing thanks so much. Your posts are incredible Downie Live

glad to see your buds tag along!

I've always wanted to see inside of a naval aircraft carrier ship, you've made my day. Superb one.

I've stayed overnight on the hornet for a few days once. I used to be a sea scout, and in my last year (2006/7?) one of the big Regattas was held there. Old Salts or Ancient Mariners, I don't recall specifically - but it was a lot of fun. We basically had the run of the ship, and I absolutely snuck off to do some of my own exploration without delving into the lower (more unsafe) decks.

That looks so cool! Would be really neat to stay on an aircraft carrier! If you are ever in Ontario, you should visit Smiths Falls and spend the night in a train caboose at the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario! You'd love that Mike! I did it twice and it was so much fun!

Should do more space history type videos! This was awesome!

POV: the boys are having a sleepover

Its fascinating. What a great experience

Buddy....you can use "boat" all day. Ive helped design these and many of US vessels as well as Canadian ones. We use "boat" almost exclusively. This was AWESOME!!! I wanna go soooooooo bad!

My father-in-law was a plank holder on this ship . He was a plane captain during the war. It's an interesting tour and a very historic ship. Thank you.

This was so interesting...really enjoyed it..♥

Very cool! There are some other fun ships like this on the east coast too

This is so fun! Thank you❤🎉

So Epic, love it !!!!

I was lucky enough to spend the night on the USS Yorktown in Charleston SC back in my Boy Scout days. Still one of my favorite camping trips I ever took!

This is awesome, I've already had plenty of sleepovers on carriers 😂.

I was stationed there in the mid 90's. I was on the USS Samuel Gompers AD 37. Nice base. Enjoyed your video.

That tour was hot. Thanks!

I did a sleepover on this exact aircraft carrier when I was a kid in boy scouts! What an interesting night it was! Probably in that exact bunk the tour guide mentioned they give the scouts!

Thing of beauty! Gotta love the Navy at times

I love the historic sites you visit

10:26 That "Oh yeah" was SO canadian hahaha

I've slept on the USS Midway in San Diego, I slept in the crew quarters, which are very compact. The USS Midway is a museum as well.

Welcome to Alameda! Damn wish I knew you were in town!

That amazing and cool out there more vlogs about aircraft carrier

Another WoW! I'm speechless. That is incredible! Thanks.

I remember doing something on the USS Yorktown in Charleston SC (the replacement for the one sunk in WWII). The sleeping accommodations were in the stern and face several other museum ships in the area.

I’m surprised the flight deck is so empty! Other carrier museums like the Midway and intrepid have tons of planes on their flight decks!

Going down the ladder well backwards is so funny

Visited the Hornet a couple years ago, amazing experience!

Another cool video! 👍

Ok, what a fun sleepover! I had no idea this ship even existed and was available for such a thing. 😊👍

They did a great job of restoring it and you were lucky to spend the night on it. At the beginnin g I misunderstood and thought they had turned it into a hotel like the Queen Mary in Long Beach.

Get to do that as a kid in the boy scouts with USS Yorktown. Wish I could have explored the ship a bit more.

Was on this wirh my partner. Had a Lincoln Car Show. Tours, they let you go free to explore. Did not have all the aircrafts on. Made it to Bridge, down to Engine Room, Down more levels... Did not know about light switches, so did not go into Darkness. We did not have knees, muscles left from all those stair ladders. Just Wow you can sleep on it now!

I spent four years on the USS Forrestal, although my job was on the flight deck I had fire watch when we were in the yards. I went down to the engine rooms and never saw the bottom of the ship because of the water and sludge that was floating there.

🤯 me and my son were just there!!!! I would have loved to meet you. That ship is so awesome 👏

Hahaha mountain Mike's on an aircraft carrier!! Love it

8:31 "I don't know how you know where you are on the ship" as he pans past a Bullseye that tells him exactly where he is. We changed the nomenclature on them so that they were easier to read. I don't know where he is other than in a space between frames 44-50 as I can't fully read the old ones. 11:11 Points to a Sound Powered Phone Handset. The Navy still uses those...in fact that same model.

Your videos constantly check the majority of my boxes. TRANSPORTATION!!!!

i never knew you could do that. When I was in Navy ROTC in college we would get to do summer cruises for a month or so and we would be billeted with the officers. We learned all operations of a ship. Once I was stationed on a nuclear carrier. Now that was an experience.

What a great video. My family and I spent 4th of July in 2002 on the Hornet.

That's the coolest sleepover EVER! it would be amazing to get about 20 or 30 people and sleep in the bunks where they put the scouts groups now. And then run drills at night 😂 I toured an aircraft carrier that is/was docked in Wilmington NC way back...gosh it might be almost 20 years ago. I can't remember the name of the ship now. It is HUGE! The one I toured was from WWII era, I think. We didn't get a sleepover though. *sigh*

I had a lot of sleepovers on aircraft carriers, they were called a WestPac & Med cruise respectfully... aboard the USS Coral Sea & the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (both gone now)

Your little joke was well crafted