Courtesy of Neptunus Lex, we find this video clip showing F/A-18 Hornet aircraft of the US Navy practicing their landings and take-offs. As the slow-motion sections show (see in particular from 1m.33s. to 2m.03s.), a carrier landing is much harder and rougher on the plane than a conventional one. Indeed, the former is more like a 'controlled crash', which is why naval carrier-based aircraft have much stronger undercarriages than land-based versions.
Neptunus Lex (a retired carrier pilot and US Navy officer) takes the opportunity to describe what's involved in landing the F/A-18 aboard a carrier. It's worth your while to click over to his place and read it for yourself.
Peter
1 comment:
Being able to fly, and do it for work, must be the biggest high. I think that's why there are wingsuiters, hang gliders, parachute jumpers and some of those ditzes that smoked pot or LSD and tried to find out if they could fly.
I love waking in the morning, looking out my window, and searching for vapor trails. McCarran Air Force Base is near us. :) When I see the trails, I know all is still well.
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