Going to the Boat - First Time

[COLOR=black][FONT=Arial]USN and USMC pilots making their first carrier landing.

[B]Going to the Boat - First Time
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Here is a good birds eye view of what pilots see when they are landing on the deck of a carrier. Marine pilots are required to do carrier quals, as all Navy pilots are required to do. They begin with a touch and go then proceed to catch an arresting gear wire on the ship’s deck. Take note of the pilot’s description of the moving angle deck they have to land on. Bottom line:

”It doesn’t matter how well you fly in the air. What matters is how well you land on the boat.”


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The rush has to be the ultimate I can imagine experiencing. You've got to be a dedicated seeker of thrill and excitement to be one of those pilots. Salute!

[I]As a member of the catapult and arresting gear crew, we knew them as 'controlled crashes'. I still have 2 thumbs, 8 fingers and 10 toes ~ my feet still want to move before my head has a chance to see what the noise was about! Mandatory reaction development!![/I]

Many of the pilots I had the pleasure of serving with, called their landings "controlled crashes" too:clapping: