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
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.
ReplyDeleteI 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.