Honoring the value,
accomplishments and
contributions of U.S. Navy
aircraft carriers, and the
men and women who
serve aboard them.
U.S. NAVY AIRCRAFT CARRIERS
U.S. Navy aircraft carriers are floating, moving airports and cities
that are the centerpiece of America’s naval forces and serve the
nation for 50 years.
When the United States or our friends are at risk, the aircraft
carrier will steam ahead and be the first to provide help.
Aircraftcarrier.com
AIRCRAFT CARRIER FACTS
† Powered by two nuclear reactors
† Top speed 35 mph (30+ knots)
† 5,000 sailors and pilots
† 75 aircraft: fixed wing and helicopters
† Operated 24 hours a day
† Can launch an aircraft every 25 seconds
† Below deck is an entire city, complete with living spaces,
dining halls, radio and television station, barber shop, library,
gymnasium, hospital, dentist office, shops and post office.
Aircraftcarrier.com
NATIONAL U.S. NAVY AIRCRAFT CARRIER MONTH
November is National U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier Month because the month is filled with historic anniversaries in the innovation of naval
aviation and in the important role aircraft carriers have played in defending our country and providing medical assistance, water and
food to the victims of disaster.
† November 14, 1910: Naval aviation was born when Eugene Ely
launched from the deck of a U.S. Navy ship in a Curtiss Model D
† November 25, 1961: USS Enterprise (CVN 65), the first
nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, was commissioned.
† November 5, 1915: Captain Henry C. Mustin made the first
catapult launch from a ship.
† November 9, 2013: Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), the first of the
next generation of aircraft carriers, was christened.
† November 11, 1924: Lieutenant Dixie Kiefer made the first
night catapult launch from a ship.
† November 14, 2013: USS George Washington (CVN 73)
provided medical supplies, food and water to the victims of
Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines
† November 17, 1924: USS Langley (CV 1) became the first
operational aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy.
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THE NATION CURRENTLY HAS 10 AIRCRAFT CARRIERS, BUT TO RESPOND TO CRISES
AROUND THE WORLD WE NEED 15
The active U.S. Navy aircraft carriers and their homeports:
† USS Nimitz (CVN 68), Bremerton, WA
† USS George Washington (CVN 73), Norfolk, VA
† USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), Norfolk, VA
† USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), Bremerton, WA
† USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), San Diego, CA
† USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), Norfolk, VA
† USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), San Diego, CA
† USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), Yokosuka, Japan
† USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), Newport News, VA
† USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), Norfolk, VA
Aircraftcarrier.com
AIRCRAFT CARRIER MISSION
Aircraft carriers are among the most complex machines on earth
and are designed to do four jobs:
† Transport a variety of aircraft at sea
† Launch and land airplanes
† Serve as a mobile command center for military and disaster
relief operations
† House, sleep, feed and care for all the people who
serve aboard
Aircraftcarrier.com
THE PARTS OF AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER
† Flight deck: Flat surface on the top of the ship where aircraft
can take off and land.
† Hangar deck: An area below deck to stow aircraft when not
in use.
† Island: A building on top of the flight deck where officers can
direct flights and ship operations.
† Hull: The main body of the ship, which floats in water.
† Engine: There is a nuclear power plant and propulsion system
to spin the propellers that move and generate electricity for
the ship.
Aircraftcarrier.com
THE FLIGHT DECK
An aircraft carrier’s flight deck is one of the most exciting and
dangerous work environments in the world—and one of the
loudest. When in full operation, planes are landing and taking off
every 25 seconds in a very small space.
Aircraftcarrier.com
TAKEOFF
Because an aircraft carrier flight deck is shorter than a land
airport runway, a plane cannot fly by itself from the deck of the
aircraft carrier.
To help a plane takeoff, aircraft carriers have catapults attached
to the wheel of the plane and slingshot the aircraft at a high
speed from the deck of the carrier.
The catapult and the aircraft’s engine provide speed for the
plane to fly.
Aircraftcarrier.com
LANDING
Landing on a flight deck is one of the most difficult things a
pilot will ever do. The flight deck only has about 500 feet of
runway space for landing planes, which isn’t enough for the heavy,
high-speed jets on an aircraft carrier.
To land on the flight deck, the pilot uses a tailhook—an extended
hook attached to the aircraft’s tail to snag one of four arresting
wires, which are sturdy steel cables that are stretched across the
deck and attached on both ends to hydraulic cylinders below deck.
If the tailhook snags an arresting wire, it pulls the wire out, and the
hydraulic cylinder system absorbs the energy to bring the plane to
a stop.
Pilots land with their engines at full speed so that if they miss the
arresting wire they can fly off the aircraft carrier and try again.
Aircraftcarrier.com
RAINBOW TEAM
The flight deck crews who prepare aircraft for takeoff and maintain them wear different colored shirts to indicate their job:
† Brown: These are “Plane Captains” who are responsible for
overseeing the maintenance, launch and recovery and general
well-being of aircraft.
† Blue: Plane handlers, who work under the direction of the yellow
shirts, assist in moving aircraft around the deck. They can also
operate the carrier’s massive aircraft elevators, drive tractors and
work as messengers.
† Green: Some of the hardest-working sailors on the deck,
this group includes those who run and maintain the ship’s
catapults that launch the aircraft and the arresting wire and
equipment. † Purple: Purple shirts, better known as “Grapes,” are all about
aviation fuels. They fuel and de-fuel the carrier’s aircraft, often
on very tight schedules.
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† Red: Crewmen who wear this color are usually near very
hazardous things or situations. They work with building,
moving and mounting weapons, and placing missiles and
bombs on the aircraft.
† White: White shirts are worn by a wide mix of deck crew.
These include many quality and safety observers, but probably
the most well known white shirt wearers are Landing Signal
Officers (LSOs), who help an aircraft land safely and make sure
the deck is clear for landing.
† Yellow: Aircraft handlers and aircraft directors who shuttle
aircraft around the carrier’s tight and chaotic deck, the
“Shooters” wear a yellow shirt.
FORD CLASS CARRIER
Forty years after the first Nimitz class carrier, the first of a new
class is being built: Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). The ship features new
technology that will save the nation money. It is the first new design
for an aircraft carrier since USS Nimitz (CVN 68).
John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) will be the second aircraft carrier in the
Ford-Class.
Aircraftcarrier.com
HELPING VICTIMS OF DISASTERS
Aircraft carriers are often used to help victims of hurricanes, floods
and earthquakes. A carrier is well-equipped with a 50-bed hospital
manned by six doctors, including surgeons and dentists, and the
ability to transport large amounts of food, water and medicine as
well as turn ocean water into pure drinking water.
Aircraftcarrier.com
AIRCRAFT
U.S. Naval Aviation is the envy of every military in the world.
America’s Navy has the most technologically advanced aircraft in
the world. A Navy air wing may also be the most versatile collection
of crew and equipment in the sky.
Typically, an aircraft carrier air wing consists of: F/A-18E/F Super Hornets
E-2C Hawkeyes
EA-18G Growlers
MH-60 Seahawk helicopters
C-2A Greyhounds
Aircraftcarrier.com
An F/A-18E Super Hornet launches off the flight deck of the
aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). Aircraftcarrier.com
An MV-22B Osprey prepares to land on the flight deck of the
aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73).
Aircraftcarrier.com
Sailors maneuver and prepare to launch an F/A-18E Super Hornet
on the flight deck of the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).
Aircraftcarrier.com
A shooter aboard aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77)
signals an F/A-18F Super Hornet launch during flight operations.
Aircraftcarrier.com
Sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower
(CVN 69) load ordnance onto an F/A-18E Super Hornet.
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An F/A-18E Super Hornet launches from the flight deck of
USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).
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