military aviation

Reader Mail : Why Do Air Force Jets Have Tailhooks?

Tailhooks on military aircraft are a common sight … although we tend to only think of them as being part of aircraft landing on aircraft carriers, not those landing on runways.   This Reader Mail comes from Damian Willis in the Great White North (aka: Canada) who asks, “I recently spent some time watching US Air…

Navy Carrier Operations On Board CVN-70 … in HD

I am a commercial aviation guy, I can watch airport operations all day long, but there is not much more exciting to watch than U.S. Navy carrier operations.  From aircraft being launched off steam driven catapults to aircraft recovery by a hook catching a thin wire, everything is high intensity and spectacular.   If you’re…

Reader Mail : What Does V Stand For In VMFA?

Normally I only write about civilian aircraft and airline topics, but this week’s question delves into US Naval & Marine Corps aviation.  Since one of my favourite TV shows as a kid was the Black Sheep Squadron, based on VMA-214 during World War II, I figured venture into military aircraft this week. This week’s reader…