Skilled US F-18 Pilot Pulls Off Insane Catapult Takeoff on Aircraft Carrier

Welcome back to The Daily Aviation for a feature on the US Navy's premier fighter aircraft, the F/A-18 Super Hornet.
Voice, text and video editing belong to The Daily Aviation, any use of these content without permission is forbidden.
Don't forget to subscribe us on Facebook or Twitter.
/ dailyaviationarchive
/ dailymda
You have a question or you would like to send us footage. Send us a message.

[@garyjohns4711]

What was the insane catapult takeoff????

[@jackknifebarber396]

Went to high school with a Japanese guy. Dean is his name. Hadn't seen until our ten-year reunion. Turns out he was a carrier-based fighter pilot in his younger days. We got to talking about that and he quipped, "Sometimes when I was circling the carrier all I could think was, Tora Tora Tora."

[@michaeljgarforth1439]

I served on the last Fixed Wing Steam Catapult Carrier HMS Ark Royal as a Tractor Driver (Blue Coat ) pulling / pushing Phantoms / Buccaneers and it was Awesome 76/77.

[@evelynedeclercq-ny3kh]

decouragee je laisse tout tomber, pas drôle du tout et aucune envie d'avoir envie de revenir, basta !!!!!!

[@stevesilsby5288]

I thoroughly enjoyed this informative video. My only suggestion for improvement is: please leave the captions up on screen longer! It's not that I'm a slow reader, but your photography is so good that I find myself focusing attention sequentially on each of several different items in each scene for study, thus when a caption comes up I don't notice it immediately. When I do notice and begin reading, it's gone before I get through the first line! Pausing and going back is breaking the flow of an otherwise brilliant program!

[@CRAFT7445]

Change your "Playback Speed" to slower than "1.0"

[@voornaam3191]

These texts are stupid in the first place. Why trying to get people, who are watching a video and listening to a voice over and annoying music, to READ anything? Do you think your viewers are 140 IQ fighter pilots only? Get real.

[@user-bx2oi7yk1v]

I totally agree👍

[@MysticalDragon73]

very inaccurate video and not worth the time.

[@Tonetwisters]

Very well produced. Love this stuff. God bless these young men and women. KUDOS to the photography.

[@ltrillium1000]

Where was the insane catapult takeoff? The only insane part of this is the headline writer who just wants to keep making money.

[@chiefsnarlsnortz1610]

Thanks out immediately!

[@waltonwarrior7428]

I’ve noticed many times when posters make these kinds of comments usually means it’s a bullshit video.

[@sdean4816]

After reading your comment I turn the video off before watching. Thank you for helping me save 16 minutes of my life.

[@pnayeri]

Report his ass for misleading! I know I am!

[@texaswildcat2000]

I was thinking along the same lines.....

[@dingues3113]

what greats skills from deck crew !! i love your videos

[@douglasanderson153]

I can now understand why at all airports in the USA, they let the service men and woman board first. That is both respect and classy.

[@cynicalrabbit915]

They didn't look like insane catapult launches just very normal onnes. Did appreciate the information about the bubble, I'd always wondered who activated the catapult.

[@philchurch1115]

82 to 88 VS-41 and VS-33 AZ2 two west pacs and working the flight deck in the beginning was a RUSH and I will never forget it..keep that head going 360 all the time or you just might get blowen down like I did with a F-14 turning to fact and there went by big butt and stopped by the front landing gear of a A-7..

[@douglasanderson153]

Core, i’de give my left ear or right ear to have a flight off and on to a US carrier… I have to hand it to the USA - your armed forces are not only the best but spectacular..

[@sambuvca22]

Thats so Awesome.

[@timmurphy2731]

Miss watching airops from the 10 level of the USS HANCOCK CVA 19

[@user-cq4rq9ws9f]

空母からの発艦はいつ見てもシビレマスね！ シューターの皆さんもカッコイイ！

[@dmack1827]

You do know that those "insane catapult takeoffs" are hands off, right?

[@larrymcgill5508]

You do know that because of the thrust gravity in excess of 4 g’s will push the throttle and stick backwards, kicking the engines out of burner and nose to climb through the ninety at the end of launch if the pilot doesn’t have his hands holding them in place. With an excess of over 200 traps, I know what I’m talking about.

[@dmack1827]

@@larrymcgill5508 FlightSim is awesome.

[@giannilavezzi7026]

Wonderful pilot...One fable

[@anthropologybear2941]

Absolutely breathtaking and inspiring cooperative expertise on deck. High tech, high risk, and high competency. REAL MEN. America! Thank you.

[@lucilleelmore3039]

Insane takeoff!!! WHERE?????????????

[@pb68slab18]

Hey, I wore one of those red shirts! IYAOYAS!

[@larrymcgill5508]

Good on ya ordie.

[@Alex-dh2us]

Wo ist denn der Wahnsinnige Start ??????

[@bobmarlowe3390]

From what's called 'Vulture's Row', I've watched F-4 Phantoms and F-14 Tomcats being launched on the USS Saratoga and the USS John F. Kennedy. I used to love the smell of the burning jet fuel. It reminds of the line from 'Apocalypse Now'. "I love the smell of napalm in the morning. It smells like victory."

[@ronvera]

Our Old MAG-11 VMFA-314 Victor Whiskey Black Knights deployed several times with them.

[@howardkingston7794]

I wanted there but got MAG 31

[@aloberdorf4579]

witness to more than a thousand carrier launches.....and this is an example of professional competence....

[@disaszterful]

My old man worked on a carrier... If I had the eyes I was dying to be a fighter pilot...

[@BelfastBiker]

16minute video, I'm not watching this for 5-20 secs of "Insane Catapult Takeoff"

[@Twowheeltuesday]

Is there an F/A-18E mechanic or switch systems expert here? I found some parts that need identified and one looks like a switch panel label that reads “OPPENHEIMER”

[@johnstuartsmith]

"NOW I AM BECOME DEATH, THE DESTROYER OF WORLDS" and "PUSH HERE TO INITIATE ARMAGEDDON" were the prototype labels on those buttons, but after some religious communities objected, the Navy relabeled them "OPPENHEIMER", which pilots understood and which saved engraving costs. As a safety feature, some of the later model buttons have to be held in for three seconds.

[@johnstuartsmith]

@@Twowheeltuesday Look just above the spout for the ice dispenser, just to the left of the Sprite/Pepsi toggle switch.

[@ronhendricks1550]

Been there done that and have a Centurion patch earned an EKA-3B aboard USS AMERICA to prove it.

[@larrymcgill5508]

Half a dozen on the America (VS28), one on the Ike (VS24), and double Centurion on the Nimitz (VS24).

[@tedjones2134]

Not sure where the insane Catapult takeoff comes into this video.

[@michaelpass2176]

Crew of this bird from Spokane WA.❤❤❤😂

[@lostinthedesert-hp4bw]

Oh, you mean Fairchild AFB located in that shit hole town, Airway Heights. I’d rather have my nuts rot off from testicular cancer than live anywhere near that hole.

[@jelink22]

I'm an old guy who's led a damned interesting life. BUT---after watching this video I have to say that if I had to do it all over again I would have loved working on an American aircraft carrier. What professionalism! What gob-smacking technology! Wow.

[@MysticalDragon73]

you were better off not being on one. they dont show all the shit the greenshirts have to do and how hard and dangerous it is. Saw a video of a guy getting sucked into the inlet of an a-6. he was there then the next second vanished. thankfully he got stuck in the inlet and his crainial came off to fod out the engine otherwise he would have died. the sad thing is he went to captains mast for the mistake.

[@douglasanderson153]

Wow, the attention the stealth fighters get is immpressive

[@YFR888]

I dont get it, where in the video was an Insane laumch of an F-18Hornet, all catapilt launches are ify, but nothing out of the ordinary, I would syggest you use a tad bit of honesty when lableing your videos. Tom

[@hide-chin]

The poster probably doesn't know that the FA-18 takes off with the rudder facing inwards. I guess they mistook it for an air brake and wrote it as an insane launch

[@robertmcdonnold3038]

Every launch from a carrier is insane. I think it's 0 to 120 in 2 seconds.

[@jnbfrancisco]

What's the deal with both rudders in opposite directions?

[@anthonywilson4873]

UK developed the Steam catapult angled flight Decks landing light system and the Steam Turbines that drive them and now our Carriers do not use them Crazy.

[@bobmarlowe3390]

But those Harriers are impressive. And very LOUD. They used to fly into NAS Cecil Field in Jacksonville, FL when the British carriers were in town.

[@williamzee7748]

They are F-18As not F-18s made by Northrop….just like F-35B on carriers.

[@jackcaldwell485]

Do one about why the f22 can't land on a ship

[@dawg7915]

One, It's an USAF jet, Two, its landing gear is not made for it, Three, it doesn't have a launch bar to take off, three, its arresting gear is only made for field arrestments.

[@lostinthedesert-hp4bw]

@@dawg7915 You said three twice.

[@shanehumphrey4827]

They are made for it. ??

[@douglasanderson153]

Team diving is the only way to dive…

[@carnurse]

I made the 1st cruise with the F-18 hornstes

[@darylbaker7549]

I was there. CV-64 1985 Westpac. I was in VFA-113 Stingers.

[@TrevorSachko]

This is normal skill for carrier pilots...

[@markf3229]

What’s so insane Aren’t they trained for this every day occurrence

[@user-ii2vi5hw3d]

Thank to all the ladies and gentlemen that contributed to keeping America and its allies safe 👍🏽🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@n64uwls6a]

Not insane…just going to work like we all did.

[@neisenhardt89]

i like how they called it the "gulf of Tonkin incident"...they mean lie not incident. Unless they are calling a blatant lie an incident which it was not an unpleasant or unusual event. Flase flag would be a more apt term.

[@lostinthedesert-hp4bw]

Nobody cares about your political beliefs.

[@neisenhardt89]

@lostinthedesert-hp4bw not "political beliefs" young child, it's known fact. 🤡

[@BIGGGESTAL]

I've just realised how old I am watching children at war. 😂

[@tracynichols7206]

Tone music down 5 points

[@bastiaanstapelberg9018]

Een ongeschoolde

[@usatravler1]

Don't see many people playing with their cell phones do you?

[@lostinthedesert-hp4bw]

Yes

[@jeffstrom164]

Got to love U.S. carriers...... Engineer: ...and thus we save on size while increasing flight deck capabilities. Admiral: Then how to do we get the aircraft airborne? Engineer: Simple, sir. We hurl them with catapults. Admiral: Excelle...wait, What? Edit; Imagine joining the military just to be made into a car wash and detail guy for jets. How do you explain that to family, they'll never let you live it down.

[@lostinthedesert-hp4bw]

Believe it or not, most military jobs are thankless, mundane, boring and tedious jobs performed in some dank, dark moldy rathole. It’s not the movies.

[@jeffstrom164]

@@lostinthedesert-hp4bw Yeah, but being an engineer on a destroyer or a loader in a tank just sound so much better, heh.

[@etubrutus3501]

The English have an Enterprise?

[@lostinthedesert-hp4bw]

No, they gave the Nina, Pinta and the Santa Maria 🇬🇧.

[@Designarchi1]

We are so more advanced that the Chinese navel. They still have not worked out a quick functioning takeoff system

[@moimeme________4130]

Vidéo qui ne montre rien juste pour ce la pèter . . .

[@MahmoudMahmoud-ee4uf]

تركيب فيديوهات رديء جدا ❤❤❤its very bad❤❤❤

[@KalatSaar]

first .. really nice and informative Video .. great work for that .. !!!! but Your Titel ... nothing for this Type of Video ..

[@diggernator]

So ... by the headline/tag does this mean there are unskilled F-18 pilots .. another BS poster to go on the list to scroll past......

[@andreamarano2143]

❤

[@kristaphipps6932]

The headline was a cheat! The interest I would have had now goes to a different provider. Bad juju, guys.

[@bobsullivan5714]

Can ANY MILITARY, ANYWHERE, EQUAL the professionalism and efficiency of ours in the USA???

[@andyfield6854]

British forces used to but now im not so sure

[@lostinthedesert-hp4bw]

Yes.

[@davidstewart1943]

Nothing insane about it.

[@user-st9tk9gk7k]

全然普通じゃん‼️

[@voornaam3191]

You'd be insane NOT catapulting from that deck. You'd drown, no questions about that. Please skip stupid words like insane, next time.

[@mikepatterson3124]

Remember not to watch “ daily avaition” vids. Any more. Bs head lines

[@kborak]

We are so screwed. Half of them cant pass the PE test.

[@calvinhobbes7504]

Um, they're not SEALS ... and every one of them DOES take a Physical Fitness test (if that's what you're referring to) semi-annually. Every quarter if they are instructors or work in the field, last time I read about it. If I'm wrong, I'll apologize. We're not "screwed" at all. If you're an American, these vids should give you hope. These folks know what they're doing.

[@dawg7915]

The US Navy didn't even start annual "PE" tests till the mid 80's 84 ish and we did just fine before that. We dont need to run in the event of war, we need to Swim.....

[@MH5XXXX]

IM NOT IMPRESSED WITH THIS VIDEO AT ALL. NO SPECIAL OR UNISUAL F-18TAKE OFFS. THIS SITE /OWNERS LIED..!!!

[@fritz1990]

Actually the 18 is hands off stick at landing. The computer lands the bird. Their tail hooks knock the nonskid off the deck in a three foot circle. That's how accurate the computer is.

[@psaffer3035]

Maybe in the Sim world, these are flown to the deck by skilled aviators, I know as I flew in the Navy!!!

[@michaelshean2167]

They are flown off the deck with your hands on the towel racks. They are flown onto the deck by Naval Aviators

[@waltergraves3273]

It is the opposite of your description. Hands on controls for landing, hands off controls for take off.

[@JimmieBrown-sg8fq]

With the magic carpet system they use for landing it is pretty much hands off we actually have to make adjustments so the deck isn't beaten up they hit within about 3 feet unless mechanical or computer problems

[@fritz1990]

@@JimmieBrown-sg8fq yep, sounds like you were aircrew?

[@user-gf3lw5pi4t]

Why does it take ten years to build a carrier?

[@lostinthedesert-hp4bw]

They have to use special “space metal” brought here 👽👽👽🛸.

[@user-gf3lw5pi4t]

@@lostinthedesert-hp4bw that’s what I thought

[@user-gf3lw5pi4t]

@@lostinthedesert-hp4bw they do have a big lobby on k street

[@CousinSteve]

One time I launched from a carrier drunk and as soon as I attracted to gear I accidentally fired aim 54 Phoenix but luckily didn't have lock on anyone so no one was hurt.

[@jerrywilliford6840]

Bovine excrement!

[@MomolosZtips]

@@jerrywilliford6840 Steve was high when he typed that -- VERY high.

[@raeadrianarevalo8739]

F35a and c are better than b

[@LiPo5000]

skilled US F-18 Pilot pulls off insane catapult takeoff on aircraft carrier

[@davidnorris1093]

Idiot drivel. If they do not know the hornet and super hornet are different airplanes.. (not an upgrade)… they do not know squat about carrier ops…

[@olsuhvlad]

13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. (Jn.3:13-21)

[@kenc3288]

Plenty of diversity hires here. 😏😏

[@allenpriest8567]

I can’t watch this anymore. Masks. I was in naval,aviation onboard Kittyhawk and enterprise flight decks. The mask is idiocy

[@user-mz4do7fw9m]

We are doomed! Just look at those pathetic low IQ creatures in our beloved Navy .... and chewing gum on the Bridge?!?!?!

[@CML_666]

World murderers Inc Lol

[@ronvera]

Yes , They called us "teufelhunden" Thank you, kindly.

[@corey4059]

skilled HOW exactly??? They put their hands on handles while the cat launches them. Watch a video inside the cockpit. Their HANDS are not even on the controls when it launches.. lol Giving full military power and then they pull up. lol. The launch is the easiest part for the pilot, with a majority of the important work done by the crew. Cat launch, cat adjustments for bird weight, all the movement on the deck. The pilot only follows the crew instruction and hangs on.... but all that skill... to launch by the pilot... lol ( i served on the USS George Washington )

[@jayhershey7525]

Good for you, sailor! You said everything I wanted to say, only you said it better. By the way, I was in A-1 Division on the Constellation. Until reading your comment, I didn't know that the cat guys adjusted for the aircraft's weight. Thanks for that.

[@richardcorcoran6582]

This guy knows what he's talking about... They will not launch the "CAT" until they verify the pilot is HANDS OFF THE CONTROLS!!! Learn your subject matter before you post. STOP WASTING OTHER PEOPLE'S TIME WITH YOUR B.S.!!😮

[@larrymcgill5508]

Yup. You served down in the laundry room and don’t know the first about the flight deck. You’ve obviously have no respect for the shirts setting up the cat nor the pilots who have to continually monitor every thing around his bird from the moment they strap in until they climb out at the end of the mission. Go back to washing your sheets in the laundry room boy.

[@larrymcgill5508]

@@jayhershey7525And do you know how they find out that weight? The pilot writes it on the nose wheel door. The pilot calculates the weight of the aircraft, its fuel, ordinance, and auxiliary equipment before he gets to the aircraft. He also uses this information in determining what trim settings to use for the cat shot in lieu of weather conditions. Don’t pay attention to the yahoo says he was on the Washington as he obviously wasn’t part of the air wing.

[@larrymcgill5508]

@@richardcorcoran6582Rather easy to figure out you’ve never been part of an air wing. The ONLY time a pilots hands aren’t on part of the flight controls is when the “ordies” are pulling the armament pins or a “shirt” is doing a safety check under the aircraft. The pilot very definitely has his hands on the flight controls and throttle during the cat shot to prevent thrust G’s from pushing the throttle out of detention or the stick back to high nose up attitude when he/she leaves the deck. Know your subject before you sound off feather merchant.

[@tedjones2134]

What is the connection between pulling a torpedo through a hole in the ice and an f-18 carrier launch?

[@MomolosZtips]

It gets the video past the 10-minute line. Otherwise - the liar doesn't get paid.

[@ronniemaynor4434]

Need i say "IMPRESSIVE".

[@jayhershey7525]

Yeahhh, uhhh, the thing is, the pilots don't have anything to do with the launch . . . other than indicating their readiness.

[@larrymcgill5508]

I guess you’ve never seen a Tomcat FOD an engine during a cat shot. There’s no stopping that steam trolley once it’s initiated. On an aircraft carrier flight deck there’s never a moment the pilot is not “flying” his bird from the moment he/she steps out of the ready room and straps it on until their back in the ready room or CIC doing the mission debrief.

[@jayhershey7525]

@@larrymcgill5508 Okey.