Angle of Attack

Korea, and later Vietnam, offer a reminder of the utility of naval aviation. As the Cold War deepens, Soviet ballistic missiles in Cuba brings the nation to the brink of nuclear war. Another important function of naval aviation – reconnaissance – rallies world opinion and helps diffuse the crisis. The episode concludes by exploring the technological evolutions that continue to transform the field.

In a rigorous course of instruction, young men and women learn to lift off and land a supersonic aircraft on the deck of an aircraft carrier in the middle of the ocean, still considered one of the most difficult and hazardous tasks. The episode concludes with World War II and the U.S. victory in the Pacific, when carrier aviation reigned supreme.