Editing Flight deck (section)

==Landing==
{{See also|Arresting gear}}

[[File:Carrier arrestor.jpg|thumb|right|220px|A barricade is raised on {{USS|Ronald Reagan|CVN-76|6}}. Barricade usage is a rare emergency measure.]]

Landing arrangements were originally primitive, with aircraft simply being "caught" by a team of deck-hands who would run out from the wings of the flight deck and grab a part of the aircraft to slow it down. This dangerous procedure was only possible with early aircraft of low weight and landing speed. Arrangements of nets served to catch the aircraft should the latter fail, although this was likely to cause structural damage. A [[non-skid]] deck surface is important to prevent aircraft from sliding on a wet deck as the ship rolls.

Landing larger and faster aircraft on a flight deck was made possible through the use of arresting cables installed on the flight deck and a [[tailhook]] installed on the aircraft. Early carriers had a very large number of [[arrestor cable]]s or "wires". Current U.S. Navy carriers have three or four steel cables stretched across the deck at {{convert|20|ft|m|abbr=on}} intervals which bring a plane, traveling at {{convert|150|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}, to a complete stop in about {{convert|320|ft|m|abbr=on}}. 

The cables are set to stop each aircraft at the same place on the deck, regardless of the size or weight of the plane. During World War II, large net barriers would be erected across the flight deck so aircraft could be parked on the forward part of the deck and recovered on the after part. This allowed increased complements but resulted in a lengthened [[launch and recovery cycle]] as aircraft were shuffled around the carrier to allow take-off or landing operations.

A [[Arresting gear#Barricade|barricade]] is an emergency system used if a normal arrestment cannot be made. Barricade webbing engages the wings of the landing aircraft, and momentum is transferred to the arresting engine.