Step onto the flight deck of USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) for an up-close look at the crews directing fighter jet takeoffs and landings. Then, jump into the cockpit of an F-18 and experience the rush of accelerating from zero to 130 miles per hour in three seconds! | USA TODAY

Today's 'Top Gun' pilots make taking off and landing from an aircraft carrier look easy. But it hasn't always been that way. In 1922, the USS Langley became the first American aircraft carrier, after the Navy retrofitted a coal supply ship by placing a deck on top. When pilots practiced landing on it, a film crew would capture each disastrous attempt — and there were many. 🎥The Real Top Gun | Smithsonian Channel Aviation Nation