Скачать или смотреть Landing Blind in a Storm: A Navy Pilot’s Scariest Approach

In this unforgettable story, former Navy aviator LT Aaron Kleinman describes one of the most dangerous landings a carrier pilot can face: zero visibility, no divert airfields, and a 100,000-ton ship he literally could not see until seconds before touchdown.

With the Saudis, Kuwaitis, Iranians, and Iraqis all grounded due to the weather, Kleinman and his crew had no choice but to attempt the approach. At 3/4 miles and 118 mph, he called “Clara”—unable to see the carrier, the deck, or even the landing area. The landing signal officers couldn’t see him either.

What happened next is pure aviator instinct: a glimpse of the starboard edge, two lightning-fast corrections, a perfectly trapped three-wire, and a lesson he never forgot.

This is what it feels like to land a Navy aircraft when the weather says no, but the mission says now.

To WATCH the full Podcast: