Cool video! I used to live in Everett Wa. and I could see the Lincoln from my bedroom window (2000-2002)…I worked on boats at the Port of Everett! I could also hear the sea lions at night when it was quiet!
I think the F-18 failed to hook the 3rd cable. 1:13 it looked like the hook hit the 3rd cable but wasn’t able connect properly, but why did the hook fail to connect with the 4th cable as well?
The flight deck is one of the most dangerous, deadly, and well-orchestrated ballet of controlled chaos in the Nav. These Sailors were taking their sweet, leisurely time practicing launching aircraft - IRL and during war or war-game ops the pace is sped up to 100. I was a Marine on the USS Wasp amphib assault ship and we'd launch Harriers 5 at a time back to back. Five AV8-B's would line up on the flight deck at the same time, one after the other - the lead Harrier's thrust would be used by the Harrier behind it as extra headwind - so on and so forth. One Harrier would reach the one-third to half-way point of the flight deck markings and then the next would start to taxi at full thrust. We'd put 5 birds in the air within 30 - 45 seconds. Practice makes perfect. Controlled chaos.
