John

I'll add to your post and cover some prior.

Air Force Pilots on 'exchange' with the Navy, in tail hook Squadrons,
'trap' at night just like the Navy jocks do. EVERYONE cuts a lot of
donuts making night 'traps', especially in bad/marginal Wx.

The Navy Squadron I was with (VF-23) had 13 pilots and we killed 4 in
a year (peace time). None in a 'trap'.

In fact, there were no fatalities or accidents coming aboard.

Flying is a dangerous game and units deployed have a higher
probability of accidents than operating on shore even though we killed
3 of the four during work up.

I'm not belittling Navy Jocks (made a lot of friends the year I was
with them) , just not putting them on so high a pedestal. They put
their pants on one leg at a time just like Air Force Jocks )

On 'follow me' trucks. Navy uses deck handlers to guide the aircraft
after trapping, to their parking spot on the deck. Different system,
same results.

Big John
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On Sun, 10 Jul 2005 22:10:11 -0400, John wrote:

Big John wrote:

Bob

Only because they fly aircraft painted Blue.

Spent a year on Navy Exchange and found the average Navy Pilot could
not hold a candle to USAF Pilots.

The Navy does have a better PR organization then the USAF though, so
you may be brain washed )

Big John
AAC, USAF (Ret)

Gotta disagree with you Big John. Can't say any remarks about PR types, but, I've known plenty of fine
Air Force pilots, and they certainly have a lot of excellent pilots. But the Navy/Marine guys who land
on moving carriers at night are a special breed and a notch above. A carrier qualified naval aviator
who earns his living coming home to his ship in blue water doesn't play second chair to anyone in my
book. It's always fun to look at a Naval Air Station runway (getting harder and harder to find a pure
naval base these days as multibranch installations are becoming the norm.) and see all of the rubber is
on the same spot on the runway.

(And the Navy boys don't need a follow-me truck in front of them after they turn off the runway :-)