Landing on an Aircraft Carrier

Photo courtesy U.S Department of Defense An F/A-18C Hornet catches an arresting wire on the USS Nimitz.

 

Landing on a flight deck is one of the most difficult things a navy pilot will ever do. The flight deck only has about 500 feet of runway space for landing planes. In order to land on the deck, the pilot must catch his plane’s tail hook on one of four arresting wires stretched across the deck of the carrier. If the pilot is successful and snags an arresting wire, it pulls the wire, stopping the plane. According to the website “How Stuff Works,” (http://science.howstuffworks.com/) the arresting wire system can stop a 54,000-pound aircraft travelling 150 miles per hour in only two seconds. 

There are two critical steps to the success of each landing. The first is that the pilot catches hold of the arresting wire with his plane’s tail hook. The second is that the arresting wire is strong enough to hold the plane and keep it from skidding off the runway, crashing into the sea. 

David said to the Lord in Psalm 140, “You are my God; Hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord. . . the strength of my salvation.” Like the pilot on the aircraft carrier snagged the wire, trusting it to save him, David reached out to the Lord in faith.

And like the super-strong arresting wire that keeps planes safe, God is strong enough to hold anyone who places his trust in Him. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we trust in the name of the LORD our God. (Ps 20:7)

 

Will you join me in “snagging the wire” as we trust our strong and mighty Savior?