Flying an aircraft is not the simplest task but landing on the flight deck of a carrier is one of the most difficult tasks a naval pilot ever has to do. Most decks are only around 150 meters long and pretty narrow. For traditional landings, this is far shorter than what would normally be needed. Especially for high-speed jet fighters. So how do pilots land on aircraft carriers?
Pilot skill is an important factor but what technology is employed to help them? Most planes come equipped with tailhooks that snag arresting wires on the flight deck. Sounds simple enough, but how exactly do these work? Let's take a quick look.
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