Most of us will have seen videos of the F-18 fighter jet flying high and performing evasive maneuvers.
However, it’s a rare sight to see a pilot’s view of what it’s like to fly a fighter jet and land it in the middle of the ocean.
This video shows a cockpit view of a pilot turning back towards an aircraft carrier and landing without a hitch.
When we say ‘without a hitch’ we mean figuratively, they do stop on carriers using a wire system.
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First off, the cockpit looks both overwhelming and a little too intimidating.
Furthermore, the footage shows the F-18 stopping almost immediately after landing.
Modern fighter jets like this don’t need much runway to land.
And some, like the F-35B, can even take off and land vertically.
Just imagine being in such a compact fighter jet, blazing through the sky at high speed and landing effortlessly.
It’s certainly not for the faint-hearted.
Also, just to put it out there, the jet can reach up to Mach 1.6 speeds.
That’s insanely fast.
To throw that into perspective, that’s 1.6 times the speed of sound.
Moreover, the pilot’s POV of the F-18 is nothing like that of a supersonic passenger plane like Concorde.
In comparison, the Concorde’s cockpit seems extremely calm for a plane flying at 2,470 km/h.
Apart from its formidable cockpit, the F-18 is an insanely capable military aircraft.
First introduced back in the late 1970s, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is an essential part of the US Navy arsenal.
Even today, the US Navy has a large fleet of these supersonic fighter jets.
They are used for crucial missions concerning national security.
While there have been several manufacturers that provide the jet to the military, Boeing currently produces all the F-18s.
It’s not the most high-tech fighter jet of its generation without reason.
If you’re an aircraft fanatic, you’re probably familiar with what this machine can do.
The F-18s often catapult from aircraft carriers without breaking a sweat.
Props to the pilot for making it all seem so easy.
