A U.S. Navy F-18 jet fighter is launched by catapult off the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier on patrol in the Arabian Gulf October 18, 2001.

Plumes of gray smoke rise from the Taliban-controlled village Nov. 9, 2001,
after two U.S. Navy aircraft strikes.

After bombing the enemy, there is no margin for fatigue, because for every pilot the most dangerous part of these missions is the landing.

Threading a Needle — in the Dark

Sitting around the officers' mess, a group of F-14 pilots trade stories of their missions.  I ask one what goes through his mind as he approaches the ship's runway for a landing. Without pausing he says, "I say to myself, 'Please God, don't let me screw this up.'" The others laugh and nod in an agreement.

The fear is easy to understand. A landing plane descends from the sky like a lumbering pterodactyl. As its landing gear drops, so does a tailhook. Ahead on the runway are four heavy cable wires, each set back 40 feet from the next. The object is simple: the hook has to catch one of the wires.

A S-3B Viking returns safely to the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise in the Arabian Sea, Tuesday, Oct.16, 2001.

Many things don't change in the US Navy. 
Even with the computers on board, the board is still done by hand.  From Flight Deck Control, Lieutenant Junior Grade Craig M. Hartsock (L) watches as Aviation Boatswain's Mate Handler 1st Class Douglas D. Uminn updates the flight deck position of an F-14 "Tomcat" on a plotting board, November 14, 2001.

A U.S. Navy F/18A lines up to land Saturday, Oct. 20, 2001, aboard the American aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Arabian Sea during dawn flight operations.

The margin of error on the plane's approach is just 18 inches. When the hook catches, the plane pulls the cable like an elastic band while giant motors below deck pull the cable back. The plane jerks to a stop in just 200 feet. Just in case the hook misses the wires, the pilot operates at full throttle at the last minute so that he or she can take off again if needed.

A U.S. Navy F/A-18C Hornet flies in front of the sun as the pilot prepares to land on the deck of the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Arabian Sea on Nov. 9, 2001. The aircraft was returning from a strike mission against Taliban targets in Afghanistan.

Picture trying to thread a needle while running across a room in the dark. That's what landing on a carrier is like.

An S-3B Viking catches an arresting wire upon its return to the flight deck of the USS Enterprise Friday, Oct. 19, 2001, following a mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the military campaign against targets in Afghanistan. (U.S. Navy Photo/Lance H. Mayhew Jr.)

US Navy Aviation Ordanceman directs an F-18 into position after landing on the flight deck of the American aircraft carrier USS Enterprise in the Arabian Sea, Sunday, Oct.14, 2001.

A Proud Crew

Brian, an E3 ordnance technician who helps build the bombs the pilots drop over Afghanistan, oozes pride as he talks about his role in the war against terrorism.

"I come from a family where two generations before me was in the United States Navy," he says, "and they passed down a lot of stories. I'll be proud to say for my grandkids when I get older what I've done today for the American public."

With new food supplies and a little rest for the pilots and flight deck crews, the Vinson will be ready to fight on. As some point soon there will be no more bombing targets in Afghanistan, and the war will require different military muscle. But those aboard the Vinson this October week will always be able to say that they were at the tip of the sword when the battle began.
 

US Navy Photograph
SH-60 "Seahawk" helicopter from Anti-Submarine Squadron Fourteen, part of Carrier Air Wing 5, lands on the flight deck aboard USS Kitty Hawk at an undisclosed location at sea Monday, Nov. 12, 2001

At sea aboard USS Carl Vinson, Jan. 5, 2002 — USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) launches a Sea Sparrow during a missile launch exercise while the ship was sailing toward Hawaii. Sea Sparrow is a surface-to-air anti-missile defense system. The Bremerton, Wash.,-based Carl Vinson and her battle group are returning home after completing a regularly-scheduled deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Martin S. Fuentes. [020105-N-5555F-001] Jan. 5, 2002

USS Nimitz CV 68  "Heel to Port...Heel to Starboard"

USS Nimitz makes a very HARD turn.  Click onto picture to make larger.

Glory picture of USS Nimitz in the lead with guided missile cruises
firing their weapons.  Click onto picture to make larger.

The USS Yorktown
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