Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) 3rd Class Thanh Dai signals to an F/A-18C Hornet from the
Summary
PACIFIC OCEAN (Aug. 23, 2008) Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) 3rd Class Thanh Dai signals to an F/A-18C Hornet from the "Golden Dragons" of Strike fighter Squadron (VFA) 192 as it launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). George Washington is conducting flight deck qualifications with Carrier Air Wing 5 off the coast of Southern California for the first time. George Washington departed San Diego Aug. 21 en route to Yokosuka, Japan, where the ship will replace the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) as the U.S. Navy's only forward-deployed aircraft carrier. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Phillip Pavlovich) File# 080823-N-7282P-034
Aircraft carriers are warships that act as airbases for carrier-based aircraft. In the United States Navy, these consist of ships commissioned with hull classification symbols CV (aircraft carrier), CVA (attack aircraft carrier), CVB (large aircraft carrier), CVL (light aircraft carrier), CVN (aircraft carrier (nuclear propulsion) and CVAN (attack aircraft carrier (nuclear propulsion). The first aircraft carrier commissioned into the United States Navy was USS Langley (CV-1) on 20 March 1922.