A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Hornet pilot from Strike Fighter Squadron 192 waves prior to launching off the flight deck of the Aircraft Carrier USS KITTY HAWK (CV 63) during a squadron fly-off in the Pacific Ocean on Sept. 11, 2006. The Hornet is an all-weather, carrier-based fighter/attack aircraft that provides Carrier Strike Group with increased range, endurance and ordnance-carrying capabilities. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication SPECIALIST SEAMAN Joshua Wayne LeGrand) (Released)

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.