involves the surveillance of a thousand miles of the coast from the seventeenth parallel to the gulf of siamtough duty, but it's drying up an arterial lifeline from north vietnam. well offshore, in the deep blue of the china sea, is the backbone of our navy sea services the aircraft carrier. it's a floating mobile airbase complex. over four thousand men live and work on his sea-going city. to keep the ship in operation and its pilots in the air requires the effort of a community of freeman, engineers, clerks, doctors, mechanic, pipe fitters , radar men, cooks and bakers their working day averages twelve hours. it can be eighteen or even longer when air operations are underway, and planes are being sent aloft. at thirty second intervals. about half of all combat sorties over north vietnam have been flown by navy and marine pilots. it's a dangerous job. sometimes not all the planes come safely back. a search and rescue helicopter hurries on its way when that radio distress call, "mayday" signals. a pilot in trouble. he could be down in the open sea, or deep in the jungle. their job is to find