Aircraft Launch and Recovery Specialists
Military Specific
Catapults, arresting gear, and the hydraulic and control systems that go with them have to be operated and kept working so aircraft can take off and land on a carrier. The same people install and maintain visual landing aids, test launch and recovery equipment with electric and mechanical test equipment and hand tools, and keep logs of launches, recoveries, and repairs. During emergency landings they activate crash barriers and cables, and they direct aircraft with hand or light signals. It suits people who like mechanical and hydraulic systems, hand tools and test gear, and directing aircraft with precise signals.
What you might do
- Operate catapults and arresting gear on carriers
- Install and maintain visual landing aids
- Test launch and recovery gear with tools
- Activate crash barriers during emergency landings
- Direct launches and recoveries with hand or light signals
- Log airplane launches, recoveries, and equipment repairs
Skills that matter
- Running catapults and arresting gear on carriers
- Installing and maintaining visual landing aids
- Testing launch and recovery gear with tools
- Activating crash barriers during emergency landings
- Guiding aircraft with hand or light signals
- Logging launches, recoveries, and equipment work
AI & the future of this role
Catapult and arresting-gear work is hands-on, shipboard, and tightly tied to safety-critical hardware that fails in unpredictable ways. Tools might assist diagnostics, yet launch and recovery still hinge on skilled operators under high liability and pressure.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details