Naval Flight Officer

The crews never saw the ship once! USS Midway Sailor recalls when during a typhoon 35 planes (a mix of F-4s, A-6s and A-7s) successfully landed at night on the carrier.

The crews never saw the ship once! USS Midway Sailor recalls when during a typhoon 35 planes (a mix of F-4s, A-6s and A-7s) successfully landed at night on the carrier.

Each plane repeated this deadly drama. A few missed the wire and had to go around for a second attempt.… Read More

3 months ago

Naval Flight Officer explains why despite their robustness (and cost) aircraft carriers can’t be kept in service longer than their programmed life

‘Some components simply can’t be replaced, while others it would be cost-prohibitive and inefficient,’ Andy Burns, Naval Flight Officer. American… Read More

9 months ago

Tomcat RIO Recalls when He and His Pilot had to Eject from their F-14 because the Arresting Gear Failed when They Landed Aboard the Aircraft Carrier

It was later determined that the mishap was caused by one of the four cables was not set to the… Read More

10 months ago

‘We routinely shut down #1 Engine during long range patrols but once a ship thought we were in distress and alerted the USCG.’ P-3 Orion NFO tells an unusual sea story.

‘WE SHUT DOWN OUR #1 ENGINE TO CONSERVE FUEL. This is a standard practice with the P-3. We always shut… Read More

2 years ago

U.S. NAVAL AVIATORS COMPLETE THEIR 1000TH TRAP FLYING TOGETHER

Since naval aviation began in 1911, only less than 360 pilots and 120 NFOs have achieved the milestone of 1,000… Read More

6 years ago

AND HERE’S THE “SPECIAL” (AND ALREADY SOLD OUT)  EA-18G GROWLER SKY “ART” CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT

The U.S Navy EA-18G crew that made penis "skydrawing" last month has been given administrative punishment by Vice Adm. Mike… Read More

6 years ago

REMEMBERING JIM HUSTON, THE NAVAL FLIGHT OFFICER WHO FILMED THE AERIAL SEQUENCES OF “THE FINAL COUNTDOWN” CULT MOVIE

While in the Jolly Rogers, Jim Huston participated in making the movie “The Final Countdown,” filming several scenes with a… Read More

6 years ago

BOOK TELLS THE INSIDE STORY OF “TOP GUN” AND THE F-14 TOMCAT

Do you remember the Top Gun movie scene where Maverick and Goose’s F-14 flies inverted above the black two-seat F-5F… Read More

7 years ago

THIS UNKNOWN STORY OF 35 U.S. NAVY COMBAT PLANES PERFORMING CARRIER NIGHT LANDINGS DURING A TYPHOON MAKES CLEAR WHY U.S. NAVAL AVIATORS ARE THE GOLD STANDARD

In the end, all 35 planes landed safely. When I talked to several pilots afterwards, they reported that they never saw… Read More

7 years ago