Factual error: During the approach on the aircraft carrier, they had to put out the gear manually. The copilot shouts that she has three greens (meaning that all gears are down and locked), then she puts the gear lever up. If that is done, the gear would raise again or be in an unsafe position for the landing.
Continuity mistake: After Harm's cockpit canopy is smashed, he and Ayers continue to fly with their masks off - one would have thought that wearing oxygen masks would have made things easier in that situation.
Continuity mistake: The death of the astronaut occurring while practicing the escape in the bucket would never happen in real life. That is because when NASA conducts them in real life before a shuttle launch, the crew practices everything up to entering the bucket. NASA does not want to run the risk of their astronauts being injured during a simple practice.
Continuity mistake: Bud tells Harm that he was 11 years old when he took his first 'Tiger' cruise on the USS Arleigh Burke. However, the Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) was commissioned in 1991, which means Bud would only be 18 years old at the time of this episode.
Factual error: The caps worn by sailors on ships, always have the name of the ship, along with the hull number. However, the caps worn by the crew of the USS Reprisal was "CVN-35", where the hull number of the ship they used "69"
Revealing mistake: When the plane approaches the aircraft carrier, they have to dump fuel, and the fuel comes out through the back. However it should be coming out on the wing tips. So they had a tank of water or something similar that they sprayed out through the back. (Confirmed by a Staff Seargent with the USMC who flew 8 years on a C130.)
Continuity mistake: When the Cubans prepare to fire the Harpoon missile there is a shot of the Mk13 launcher preparing the missile for firing. However, later in the episode when they fire, the shot shows the missile coming out of the vertical launch cells forward of the Mk 13 launcher.
Deliberate mistake: Because the series changed networks after the end of season one, this episode completely ignores that season's cliffhanger about Harm being arrested as a suspect in the murder of Lt. Schonke.
Factual error: Throughout the series the captains of ships are generally portrayed as holding the rank of captain, regardless of the class and size of the ship they command. In reality the rank of the CO of a frigate would most likely be a Lt.Cmdr or Cmdr whereas the CO of a amphibious ship or a carrier would be a Captain. On these larger ships the XO usually holds the same rank as the CO, but obeys all orders given by him. However unlike in JAG the CAG takes most orders from the carrier group commander (2 star), not the CO.
Character mistake: In the board game of Go, players should place the stones on an empty intersection of the board's lines. Harm and Estruga are supposed to be avid Go players, but they place the stones inside the squares on the board.
Factual error: In the intro before the title, the bridge of the Cayuga is shown, intercut with photos of another ship supposedly about to run into her. We see the starboard side of a vessel and later a blurry long-shot of a ship approaching. In both shots, the running lights are the wrong way around. The starboard light should be green and the port light red but the first shot shows the starboard light as red and both left and right wrong in the shot of the oncoming ship. (00:00:52 - 00:01:50)
Visible crew/equipment: When Mac and Lt. Vukovic question Anwar about why he killed the crew of the Pulau, a red "T" of actor's tape is visible beneath Vukovic's feet. (00:16:15)
Audio problem: When Gunny's sister shows up at JAG, Gunny's mouth doesn't move when he greets her. (00:08:45)
Factual error: NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building is located at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida - not Vandenberg AFB, CA.
Factual error: This episode begins with a luxury cruiser being pursued by a USN Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate. In order to convince the vessel to heave to, the skipper of the USN ship orders two warning shots to be fired from the frigates forward gun. Oliver Hazard Perry class frigates do not have a forward gun. They have a launcher, which is visible in the ships external shots. The shot of the 5" gun firing is archive footage of a completely different (and much larger) vessel.
Blind Side - S3-E4
Continuity mistake: In the bar the camera pans down to Harm's boots. He's wearing black jeans. In the jeep, when he jumps out to stand next to Mac, he has on light blue jeans.
Factual error: The coast guard officer on the bridge in the opening scenes is wearing the gold oak leaves of a LCDR but the gold trim on his hat indicates he is a full commander. Later in the episode he is identified as a full commander but is not called Sir by Harm or Mac. In reality, as a senior member of a US uniformed service, he would be called Sir.
Revealing mistake: As Harm & Mac are returning to the US, we are told they are flying out of London Heathrow. But the stock footage of an airport used is actually London Gatwick, identified by its distinctive control tower, and not Heathrow.
Continuity mistake: When Rabb & Kate arrive on the Seahawk, they are not wearing the proper life-vests, etc.
Revealing mistake: The municipal court-room used for the Chief's arraignment hearing looks amazingly similar to the military court-room at JAG. Or maybe, the same architect of the Navy's court-room was retained by the District as well.
Chosen answer: When landing on an aircraft carrier, a pilot "calls the ball" by confirming to the landing signal officer (LSO) that they have the carrier, and more specifically its landing guidance systems in sight. Carriers use a Fresnel lens system which is a light only visible at a certain angle, so if a pilot sees the "ball" they are at the correct altitude and glide slope for landing.
Sierra1 ★