Sea Legs” is a 1980 film produced by the US Navy in cooperation with Grumman Aerospace Corporation and details aircraft carrier landings. It features extensive footage of the launching and recovery of carrier aircraft, both from the deck and from within the cockpit. A carrier landing causes incredible tension and stress among pilots, the narrator explains at mark 00:45, as numerous landings are shown. Night landings are even more stressful, we’re told, as jets touchdown in the darkness. At mark 03:00 the film describes an aircraft carrier as a city at sea — one that must accommodate a variety of aircraft. Mark 04:00 shows the supercarrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68), and references to how the F-4 Phantom II is being replaced by the F-14 Tomcat. It’s explained at mark 06:15 how pilots need to carrier additional fuel during a mission in order to safely return to a carrier deck, since the vessel may be 50 miles away from the initial launch site. The extra fuel is also needed “to give pilots a few extra shots at the deck, if need be.” Describing a carrier landing as little more than a “controlled crash” at mark 07:00, the film continues to show additional landings as the narrator continues explaining what goes into a successful attempt. There are super-slow-motion footage of landings starting at mark 07:30 as additional details are provided. Mark 09:39 takes us inside a Grumman plant to see the rigorous testing of aircraft before deployment to the aircraft carrier and a look at how the jets are stored and maintained. As important as the carrier and the aircraft are, the narrator explains at mark 13:50 that it’s the pilot who is the true hero of the story. “Navy tail hook pilots think they’re better than anyone else; and who’s to say they’re not,” the narrator confesses.
The A-7 Corsair II is also seen in the film.
USS Nimitz (CVN-68) is a supercarrier of the United States Navy, and the lead ship of her class. One of the largest warships in the world, she was laid down, launched and commissioned as CVAN-68 but was redesignated CVN 68 (nuclear-powered multimission aircraft carrier) on 30 June 1975 as part of the fleet realignment.
The ship was named for World War II Pacific fleet commander Chester W. Nimitz, who was the Navy’s third fleet admiral. Nimitz had her homeport at Naval Station Norfolk until 1987, when she was relocated to Naval Station Bremerton in Washington State (now part of Naval Base Kitsap). Following her Refueling and Complex Overhaul in 2001, her homeport was changed to NAS North Island in San Diego, California. The home port of Nimitz was again moved to Naval Station Everett in 2012.
In January 2015 Nimitz changed homeport from Everett back to Naval Base Kitsap. With the inactivation of the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) in 2012, Nimitz is now the oldest American carrier in active service.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
