Landing a 4 engine STOL onto a super carrier was a huge achievement. But I don’t think this was the most dangerous carrier landing. Dunning’s landings on HMS Furious in 1917 were more challenging. Eric Brown’s landing of a twin engined Mosquito onto a tiny escort carrier was also more dangerous. But if the Hurcules landing had gone wrong, there would have been an order of magnitude more carnage.
Video’s never do justice to the size of an aircraft carrier. Not until you have been on the flight deck during flight ops, can you truly appreciated them. I have had the honor of serving on board the U.S.S. America for a couple years. The first traps that I witnessed, I was scared to death. Noise, wind, jet blasts and concussion of the aircraft hitting the deck at full throttle can never be expressed in words.
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