Steve - I was aboard the USS America CVA66 for 2 1/2 years and one of my duties as lead ET on the SPS-30 long range radar system was to periodically climb the tower aft of the island to maintain/repair the antenna. As I recall the base of the antenna was 80’ off the deck and the top of the dish was another 20’. It was particularly unnerving in dry-dock because you were another 50’- 60’ above the ground. That was 45 years ago, today, you couldn’t get me up there no matter how many courts martial you threatened me with.
Tony - I understand your comment about claustrophobia. If I were forced to choose (under penalty of some terrible punishment) to either climb that tower or to spend an hour locked in a stalled elevator between the 1st and 2nd floor with the roof access hatch welded shut, I just might opt to try that climb.
Walt