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Why do aircraft carrier crews touch the flight deck before launching a plane?

If you've ever seen a movie like "Top Gun," where fighter jets take off and land on an aircraft carrier, you likely noticed all the personnel on the flight deck directing things. They often make large ...
Julius Perdana on MSN

23 foot USS Nimitz RC aircraft carrier flight operations

Watch full-scale flight operations on a 23-foot RC USS Nimitz, featuring takeoffs, landings, and carrier deck action. A ...
The National Interest

How Do Aircraft Carrier Flight Decks Actually Work?

Landing a plane on a small flight deck is far harder than on a large runway—and requires a much larger support crew. Aircraft carrier flight decks are arguably the most complex operational environment ...

Here's why it's an aircraft carrier tradition to catapult a pair of boots

Catapult officers, known as shooters, launch their boots off the flight deck in a final sendoff to mark the end of their tour ...
SlashGear

What Happens When A Fire Breaks Out On A US Aircraft Carrier's Flight Deck?

The dangers of fire on the flight deck were tragically highlighted in 1981 aboard the USS Nimitz. In this instance, an EA-6B Prowler was attempting to land and crashed into several F-14s. The ...
AOL

What Was The First Aircraft Carrier With The Game-Changing Full Flat Landing Deck?

Although his name would be overshadowed by the success of the Wright Brothers, Eugene B. Ely performed the first aircraft launch off a seafaring vessel in November 1910. Ely used a wooden platform ...