What does it take to become a jet fighter pilot on an aircraft carrier? Witness the good, the bad, and the ugly as pilots develop the skills necessary to keep them and their equipment from crashing into the sea.
This Challenge of Flight program, is a naval military aviation fan favorite. It’s a fact, that brute force lies at the heart of navy aircraft carrier operations. A six-ton catapult throws a 56,000-pound F14 in full afterburner off the edge of the flight deck in a matter of seconds. Aircraft operations off U.S. aircraft carriers are conducted on a scale unmatched by any military power on the face of the earth. Up to 50,000 sailors at sea supporting flight operations for as many as 700 aircraft. That’s not something done unless it is done right. Indeed, until people and equipment pass the tests they’ll stay on land.
One cold cat tells you better than a thousand words; nothing else matters until you pass the challenge of flight known simply as Carrier Quals.