This photo of aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman is incredible—and it looks like a lot of fun too. I imagine the helmsman pushing the rudder and whispering "wowwheeeee!"


According to J.D. Levite—our intern and ex-US Navy sailor who spent nine years on one of these carriers—"it's like a car skid, they ramp the carrier up to full power and then push the rudder to make it turn. That sort of turn usually results in a 10-15 degree list. It's not much compared to small ships that'll list 40-50 degrees, but huge for a carrier."

It is! Everything on the deck has to be tightly secured for this operation. Otherwise it would fall off into the water.


The photo was taken last Sunday, July 8, from an airplane flying over the Atlantic Ocean. The USS Harry S. Truman is "conducting sea trials in collaboration with Norfolk Naval Shipyard to train Sailors and ensure operability of equipment and systems while at sea." [Flickr]

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kristina Young