This is very unnerving, especially if you know what you are watching…
Landing with deck pitching 30 feet, at night, low on fuel. You will never forget viewing this. These two videos below are undoubtedly the best. Turn on your sound. I guarantee this will definitely hold your attention.
These videos show the difference between Naval Aviation and any other kind. These are two outstanding videos about F-18 carrier operations aboard the USS Nimitz during weather that causes a severely pitching deck, which you can see in the videos. It’s more dangerous than most combat missions and the tension in the pilots and crew is very apparent.
Landing videos from the San Diego PBS station…
Carrier – Landing on a Pitching Deck PART 1- HERE
Carrier – Landing on a Pitching Deck PART 2- HERE
I loved the documentary series. I watched this previously. Yes, Naval Aviation presents many more challenges as opposed to the wing wipers.
U.S. Naval Aviators are simply superb!
I’ve seen blue water come over the flight deck. Flight ops were suspended because you couldn’t put the bow into the wind without having some trouble launching and recovering. And if a shooting war were to start at that moment, it would be ugly.
The old round bottom carriers of the Iwo Jima Class were the very worst because they pitched and rolled a LOT more than the Nimitz Class- though as helicopter carriers (as an LPH) they were far more user friendly than they were as CV’s.
The brown shoes have my respect.
Amazing!
Thanks for posting! My three and a half year old son loved it too!
Bad enough to do it with a Huey…during the day….in fairly calm water….and the stupid boat keeps trying to out-run you….and nearly does.
Skul
No way. Not in a million years. No chance in hell. Not happening. Never. No.
Wow. I’m impressed. But all you Navy guys can keep it.
I had to clean my pants out just watching the video.
Bob Perrow
Keads- Just a ‘bit’ 🙂
drjim- Yep 🙂
LL- My one cruise was on Coral Sea CV-43 (Midway Class), she rolled AND pitched pretty good too, and she was a straight deck… watching Phantoms come aboard at 160kts plus was a ‘thrill’ in more ways than one…
WSF- Yep, they are…
CY- Hopefully he gets over it before he grows up 🙂
Skul- Helos are ALWAYS fun… 🙂
Vine- It’s ‘fun’…
Bob- It does get your attention doesn’t it???
That really captured it.
Got all “puckered up”, again, just watching the night traps! I used to just close my eyes and “feel” for the deck. NO! I wasn’t driving!
ASM- it does, doesn’t it??? 🙂 I posted one last year I took from an S-3 on a dead calm day, quite a difference
EV- Oh yeah… 🙂
We had an A6 Intruder come in with failing hydraulics due to both main tires blowing while tucked in the wings; no chance for a wave off. I had never seen an aircraft crab like that without a crosswind. He started sliding starboard towards the island after hooking. It was…interesting. The holes in the wings over the tires were big enough to crawl through.