In the highest level of the superstructure aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), sits a team of Sailors who track the movement of every aircraft both on the flight deck and in the air.

Primary Flight Control (Pri-Fly) is a small room towering seven stories above the 1,092 ft. long flight deck and provides a panoramic view of all operations below. The primary mission of the Sailors assigned to Pri-Fly is to ensure that all aircraft take off and land safely aboard Abraham Lincoln.

Currently, Abraham Lincoln hosts seven different squadrons featuring different variants of the F/A 18 Hornet and the Navy's newest stealth fighter, the F-35 C Lightning IIs, all performing carrier qualifications.

"Without these Sailors doing their job, Abraham Lincoln would not be able to qualify these pilots to land aboard an aircraft carrier," said Cmdr. Michael Ferarra, air department's principal assistant. "Qualifying these pilots adds to our fleet and makes us a stronger Navy. So these Sailors play a vital role in our mission.

Sailors in the Pri-Fly division man their work stations one hour before flight operations begin and don't finish working until flight operations secure. They are the eyes and ears of Cmdr. David Burmeister, the head of department (HOD) for Air and commonly referred to as the Air Boss. The Air Boss relies on the many watch standers in the tower that ensure the accuracy of information passed to him.

"It's a privilege to work so closely with our HODs," said Aviation Boatswains Mate (Handling) 3rd Class Leanne Lieberman, the tower supervisor for Abraham Lincoln's Pri-Fly division. "There is a lot of pressure on us, but it is very rewarding when the day is done."

Pri-Fly typically monitors six aircraft in a pattern at one time, and the typical pattern can last anywhere from six to seven minutes per aircraft. However, they fly in these patterns all day, so Sailors will have their eyes on more than 100 aircraft a day during flight operations.

"Seeing the aircraft take off and land safely makes all of the hard work worth it," said Lieberman. "Just knowing that we are such a large part of the overall mission of Abe is very fulfilling."

Sailors assigned to the Pri-Fly team are selected from the five divisions that make up Abraham Lincoln's Air Department, something Lieberman takes pride in.

"You have to be on point to be selected to work the tower," said Lieberman. "Every day is a test."

There are six different stations for Sailors assigned to Pri-Fly. Overall, the tower operator is responsible for the supervision of all Pri-Fly members with the help of an assistant. The forward and aft watchstanders are responsible for monitoring all activity on their respective ends of the flight deck. One member is responsible for monitoring, via computer, all aircraft on and off the flight deck at all times. The landing signals officers (LSO) man the LSO platform and keep continuous communications to help pilots land safely.

"Lives are in our hands," said Aviation Boatswains Mate (Handling) Airman Heather Huss, a Sailor assigned Pri-Fly. "If you miss something and input the wrong weight setting for the arresting gear, catastrophe can happen. We have to pay extreme attention to detail when we are working up here."

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