Landing on an aircraft carrier is one of the most intense, knuckle-biting moments pilot can experience. Landing a plane is hard enough, now imagine you've got high winds sweeping in from the ocean, all while your runway is bobbing up and down from the waves and moving away from you at a steady speed.
William Mahoney had to deal with that, only there was one little problem: His front landing gear wasn't working. Mahoney tells his harrowing story, which shows us that our nation's Military forces are not only brave, they're also made up of some of the best, brightest, and most creative problem solvers in the world.
Mahoney's AV-8B Harrier jet was missing its front landing gear, a pretty important piece of equipment if you're interested in landing your plane properly, but luckily the U.S.S. Bataan was prepared for just such a problem!
After a few flybys to see what the problem was, this brave pilot was directed to land on what was essentially an oversized stool. Not even able to see where it was, he slowly lowered his aircraft closer and closer to the ship. And at the 2:00 mark, I was sure that something horrible was going to happen — but then I remembered there were Marines involved!
SHARE this awesome video if you're thankful for the amazing men and women who defend our country with their brawn and brains!
