34.47° N 81.21° W, U.S.S. George Washington, Atlantic Ocean

On an aircraft carrier, you need a tailhook to land and a catapult (actually four of them) to take off. The catapult launch makes it feel like you are in a sandwich press. I boarded the U.S.S. George Washington on its way to Japan. Six years later, the mission is ending, the GW's place in the Pacific to be taken by the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan. [2008]

29.48° N 79.33° W, U.S.S. George Washington, Atlantic Ocean

The runways on an aircraft carrier aren't long enough to land a jet, so a tailhook is used to force an arrested landing. As with all things in life: practice makes perfect. [2008]

29.48° N 79.33° W, U.S.S. George Washington, Atlantic Ocean

On this day, six years ago, I joined a party of civilians who flew out of Norfolk and experienced a tail-hook landing on the deck of the U.S.S. George Washington, an aircraft carrier on its way to a new home port in Japan. These sailors reflect the average age of the crew: 20. The man in the middle is the helmsman; he's driving the ship. [2007]